A strong agency brand is integral to your agency thriving. Don’t take our word for it, take Sir John Hegarty’s: “Brands ultimately have to have a point of difference. That’s why you exist – not to be the same. That’s why a competitive marketplace is so energising.” He’s a man who knows his onions, having established BBH and their ‘black sheep’ brand back in the 80s.. 

In this article, we’ll show you how to ensure your agency brand is visible in all that you do. And how you can build it through our platform so that everything our brand audience sees - whether that’s your agency work, profile, insights, or even your logo - boasts individuality. 

Want an example of the kinds of brands we're talking about? Below are the 15 that were mentioned the most in a recent survey we ran. The regularity with which they cropped up speaks volumes about the power of their agency brand. Not just in agency land, but with brands too. 

1. Connect brands with your ethos 

You may live by it. You may even have it on your wall/T-shirt. But your ethos won’t be massively obvious to those outside of your building. Why? Because well frankly, they’ll be more interested in your work. But that can change. Much like Hegarty did with BBH, the work came and then the identity. That doesn’t mean that the ethos was a by-product. It just means that good agencies let the work do the hard work - executed correctly, it can be a conduit for what you’re about. When you’re writing your case studies, ensure you storytell - what is it about your brand that makes this work your own? This is how reputations are made.

Where the platform can help...

• Tell a story with your New Work and Case Studies
• Use the About section to talk about your agency’s character, ethos, culture & ambition; how you stand out. 

2. Show off your people

A good agency brand is about so much more than a fancy logo and a snappy one-liner. In the same way you’d expect your team to get onboard with your ethos, you’d expect a brand to get onboard with your people. Let’s go all Game of Thrones-y and call your teams your bannermen. They are the ones riding forth and bearing your colours. So talk about them more. Insights are a great way to show the people at the heart of your agency. Anonymity is a culture killer, so don’t forget the individuality. So much of what brands want from an agency comes down to the people. Chemistry, ease of working together, strong opinions. You’ll never sell a strong ethos on the back of a logo, so ensure your team live it, and then ensure they talk about it. 

Where the platform comes in...

• People is above Clients for a reason - show the human side to your business. Whether in photos, or their insights and opinions 
• Make the most of the info page on your showcase. Talk about your diversity, your culture, and how your people and your ethos work together. Try and do so in a way that reflects your agency brand (see below)

3. Name drop

For some brands, the company they keep will be the biggest motivator in their decision about whether to go with you or not. But don’t make the mistake of thinking this isn’t a good opportunity for you to talk about your agency brand. Or rather, your agency’s brands. What do these brand names say about you? Are they start-ups looking to break into a stubborn market; or household names looking for a new way of remaining contemporary? Think of your brands as representative of your portfolio. Are you solving problems for these brands that others will want solving? And in the same ways too? Will other brands want to share in this company? And more importantly, do you want ones that are similar? Cultivate as much as advertise. 

Where the platform can help...

• List the clients you work with - or if you’re being picky, the ones that say the most about what you can do. What ones do you want other brands to see first?
• Think of your Case Studies as ads too. They might be about solving one brand’s issue, but make sure they come off as flexible; that other brands see the potential in them

4. Book your agency brand session

Our Senior Account Manager Katherine Maskell has developed a presentation designed to help you think about your agency brand differently. This is an hour long session, where we touch on the current industry landscape; share some insights and figures into the current state of play; then move swiftly on to what exactly makes up an agency brand. We talk about the key pillars involved in building a strong agency brand, and also some best practice examples to leave you with food for thought and inspiration.

If you’re a member agency and would like us to run an agency brand session with you then get in touch. This is built from the entire AM team’s experience, our own surveys and events, so if you’re keen for your agency brand to stand out, this could be the difference.