Agency Branding Advice From Comms Leaders

What do most agencies need to focus on to unlock the potential of their own brands?

My peers and I have a job most people don’t realize exists—then you tell them, and it makes lots of sense. “Those giant ad agencies with hundreds or thousands of team members, who market the best brands in the world? I do marketing for those agencies.”

Which often prompts, “Oh, I get it. You’re like a little ad agency FOR an ad agency.” Sure!

Though, like many branding professionals, we’re often labeled according to the medium we work in most. The same way some folks are social strategists or digital producers, we’re dubbed “the PR folks” because earned channels are some of the most commonly used, strategic, cost-efficient options for agencies to promote their offerings to brand decision-makers. But in addition to seeing my colleagues support their clients as some of the best PR experts in any industry, I’ve also seen us act as creatives, media strategists, experiential experts, sponsorship leaders, culture shapers, media trainers and more. 

It feels self-promoting to type this. Comms leaders for agencies are usually compensated for being kingmakers—rather than being seen as royalty themselves. And that makes sense. But in our reticence to speak out about our discipline and contributions, vital discussions for brands get politely swept under the rug—as we loudly and frequently discuss other industry dynamics.

But the way that creative agencies (and all marketing services) brand themselves is so ripe for bountiful, profitable discussion. And a lot of it needs to be said. For example:

• Your brand probably needs a memorable position. (See if your target audience can’t reasonably understand your value proposition and then repeat it back to you.)
• 360, integrated, full-service brands: You have to stop trying to be all things for all audiences.
• If your own talent don’t know your brand purpose and values by heart, then your mission is not working.

Any of those statements should unlock a lot of internal discussion by themselves, and they’re discussions vital to your self awareness and growth as a business. Your comms people are your creative teams and branding partners, and we want to help expand and capitalize on these discussions. To spark more opportunities for agency brands themselves, various comms folks here weighed in on the question:

What do most agencies need to focus on most urgently, to unlock the potential of their own brands?

Be replaceable, but never replicable
“How are you different? What sets you apart from the pack? And more specifically, is it a matter of what you do, how you do it, or who you do it for? Or a blend of all three? If you can’t put your finger on it, you’ve got work to do. Because the reality is that while competitors will always be part of the mix, if your offering is indistinguishable from the next, you need to solve for it. You cannot put a price on differentiation; that’s one truism PRs know better than anyone. After all, news-making is all about what’s new, what’s different, what’s first. Carving out space in our industry isn’t a nice thing to have—it’s a need. Stop thinking of specialization as a weakness, a flaw. If what you do is specific somehow, lean into it. Own it. Get comfortable storytelling around it—celebrating it, even—so we can, too.”—Mary Cirincione, managing director, Propeller Group

Consider your brand an investment
“Invest in your agency’s paid and owned marketing with the same vigor you encourage your brand clients to. No longer want to be ‘the industry’s best kept secret?’ Invest in where your brand shows up and who shows up to represent it. But it needs to show up. And with consistency. In today’s world, that costs money. Yes, it’s a terrible time to be asking for money, but your agency’s growth depends on it. Consider: hiring a dedicated comms/marketing person to keep internal project moving; subscribing to ad trades to support these essential publications; investing the time and talent to build a new website that is LLM searchable; allocating more resources to your social platforms for employee recruitment; flying leaders to events like Advertising Week New York to showcase your most dynamic leaders. Like any awareness campaign, you can’t be a part of someone’s consideration set if they’ve never heard of you.”—Steph Sipe Clements, director of PR, Innocean USA

Regard yourself as a client
“Most agencies spend their energy building brands for others—often at the expense of their own. The cobbler’s kids never having shoes is a metaphor I’ve heard weekly for the last decade. But it doesn’t need to be that way. To unlock their full potential, agencies must treat themselves like a client: with clear positioning, consistent storytelling, and an intentional external voice. But just as important is internal alignment. Your people are your most powerful brand advocates; so invest in internal comms that build culture, clarity and connection. When strategy and storytelling are aligned both inside and out, agency brands become more magnetic—to clients, talent and press. In a crowded, fast-moving, forever changing industry, agencies that rise above the noise will be the ones brave enough to define who they are. And disciplined enough to show up that way every day—not just for agency award submissions.”—Katherine Sheehan, founder, Hunky Dorey Communications