At the pump: new copy, new clients

Ever since I changed a few paragraphs of copy on the 'pump's homepage, I've had a startlingly different type of client.

Two years ago, most of my client roster was ad agencies. Now it's 20% (okay, one agency.) Now, I enjoy agencies - it's nice to work in a buzzy-but-laid-back, jeans and T shirt environment - but I'm enjoying the new clients more.

What the new clients have in common is that they're built on an idea. One is in workforce development, but instead of selling training services, it diagnoses Employers and demonstrates how development will close any gaps. Great idea. Another client looks like a web agency, but its reason for being is to track web traffic and smooth it into increased conversion rates. A third and fourth are consultancies that do no delivery at all: they raise the value-add of other people's services by contextualising their bits 'n' bytes stuff as business strategy, then letting someone else click the boxes together.

In short: my clients these days aren't merchants, they're ideas people. Thinkers doing something a bit difficult. And the work's got more substance and solidity to it than any ad campaign.