You’ve built and run an agency because you wanted to change (or at least impact) the world. That’s what agencies do, right? They are the driving force for almost everything we consume – be it a product or perspective. Agencies connect consumables to consumers. And even though many things are fluid, we have not stopped consuming.

But as brands strive to navigate how to appropriately and effectively engage their consumers, they’ve found themselves in need of new perspectives, new capabilities, new expertise, and new trusted partners. We know that consumers are open to hearing from brands.

“A 4As research survey [conducted during the week of March 16] of 1000 consumers looking at changing consumer attitudes during the COVID-19 pandemic found that 43% of respondents said it’s “reassuring” to hear from brands they know and trust, while 40% want to hear what brands are doing in response to the health crisis. Only 15% said they do not want to hear from brands at this time.”

But brands need a guide to effectively dialogue with their audiences.

It is imperative to recognize that your agency has a unique opportunity to lead during this time. You’ve built a team with the capability to deliver unique insights and captivating executions. You are positioned to be the expert that brands need in order to navigate a challenging time. Your clients have depended on you for innovation and now is no different. Yes, there is a changing landscape, but you run an agency – adapting to new, critical information is nothing new for you.

If your agency stands still, another will step forward and move you further back from A) a position of impact B) a driver in economic recovery for our country, your clients, your company.

Here are three things your agency can do while others are standing still:

1. Provide a Guiding Perspective

There’s always noise. Especially now. But, given the circumstances, the impact of the noise feels a bit more overwhelming. Be the guide that your clients & prospects need. Help them cut through the noise with a perspective on what you know that matters to them and why it’s important for them to evaluate. Provide a few, clear insights that can drive effective communication between their org and their audience. Note – having a perspective doesn’t mean knowing everything. One of the most dangerous things you can do in this environment is to step outside of your expertise.

2. Balance Confidence and Humility

In our industry, “sales” is rarely a welcomed principal or desired activity. However, the world is driven by communicating the value of a product, service, or idea to those who need it. Right now, there are tens of thousands of brands that are in need of the value you offer. Be confident in that value offer but also engage with humility. Most of us are open to helpful insights but turned off by unnecessary egos.

3. Be a Good Human

Most humans aren’t so great at change. We are all disrupted right now. Be sensitive to the fact that every person you are engaging with may be dealing with different stress. Whether it’s closures, a remote work environment, children at home, or new budget cuts, we are all working around new challenges. Use your time and assets to build and invest in relationships and providing assistance. That goes a long way with most other humans.

We understand the agency world is perpetually volatile.

But, it’s a bit easier to be a good partner when the world isn’t confronted with a pandemic-induced lockdown. How you show up during a time like this will have a significant impact on the long-term health of your business and client/prospect relationships. The current landscape creates an opportunity for you to show your clients and prospects what a great partner is. Now is not the time to stand still. You’ve invested in a team of experts, position them to deliver. Leverage your expertise to educate clients and prospects in how they can progress, if not excel, during this time. Be mindful of others and your investment in relationships will be fruitful.

Leading from the front is not easy. It requires confidence, intention, willingness to be scrutinized, and perseverance. But when the world and our industry begin to normalize, you’ll be better off leading the way than trying to claw your way out of the bottom of the pile.

As always, if you have questions, feedback, or want to discuss agency growth, you can reach me at ericb@catapultagencygrowth.com.

This was my 6th consecutive year attending the Ad Age Small Agency Awards, and it is consistently one of my favorite conferences. Year after year, I enjoy celebrating those agencies that take a risk, build a team, and create phenomenal work. Additionally, the curated perspective and insights I walk away with make the conference an even more valuable investment. Here are my key takeaways and the list of winners from the 2019 Ad Age Small Agency Awards.

Key Takeaways:

1. Making it to the stage requires years of hard work.

This year’s conference award recipients were honest about the work involved in building a small agency. Not a single speaker, panelist, or awarded principal made their journey sound easy. It’s a big risk venturing out, being “small”, and remaining independent. Brands likely aren’t beating down your door, there are challenges in retaining top talent, and, ultimately, you’re responsible for closing the clients that will move you forward. But the Small Agency Awards is a reminder of the incredible success stories! When strategic planning, passion, and perseverance collide, great things happen.

2. Congregating is essential.

The Small Agency Awards especially showcased the importance of congregating. It’s about finding inspiration and leadership insights. It’s invaluable to spend time connecting with other agency principals that are wearing the same shoes as you. Additionally, the Ad Age team develops relevant content and programming to facilitate growth, learning conversations, and insight that will bring a new dynamic to your agency.

3. Winning the right client is everything.  

What I always recognize during the award ceremony is that agencies don’t win awards on their own; it takes the right kind of client to “win.” That doesn’t mean you have to be awarded, but winning is a successful engagement with the client. You can’t innovate with a conservative client. It’s hard to get the exposure you want when a client that wants to do it the way it’s always been done. Ambitious agencies require ambitious clients in order to facilitate effective work, to challenge your team, and to maintain a healthy client/agency relationship.

The Winners:

The winners of this year’s awards have proven their adaptability in an environment where the only constant is change.  These agencies are small, but their results are huge. Here is the complete list of the 2019 Ad Age Small Agency Award winners.

Small Agency of the Year

Gold winner: JohnXHannes
Silver winner: DCX Growth Accelerator

Company Size

1-10 Employees
Gold winner: Opinionated
Silver winner: Interesting Development 

11-75 Employees
Gold winner: TDA
Silver winner: Noble People and Badger & Winters 

76-150 Employees
Gold winner: Via
Silver winner: The Escape Pod

Regional

Northeast
Gold winner: B-Reel 
Silver winner: Swellshark

Northwest
Gold winner: Borders Perrin Norrander 
Silver winner: Copacino & Fujikado

Midwest
Gold winner: Highdive
Silver winner: Mono

West
Gold winner: Erich & Kallman
Silver winner: Siltanen & Partners

Southwest
Gold winner: Preacher
Silver winner: Bandolier Media

Southeast
Gold winner: Creative Energy Group
Silver winner: Peter Mayer Advertising

International Agency of the Year
Gold winner: We Are Pi

Experiential Agency of the Year

Gold winner: Imprint Projects 
Silver winner: IW

Best Agency Culture

Gold winner: Imprint Projects
Silver winner: Orci

Campaign of the Year

B2B
Gold winner: Association of Graphic Designers, “Speak the Truth”
Silver winner: Admirable Devil, “The Operation: A Data Lifecycle Story”

Digital
Gold winner: We Believers, “Burger King Traffic Jam” 
Silver winner: No Fixed Address, “The Public Toast” 

Integrated
Gold winner: JohnXHannes, “Corazon” 
Silver winner: Walrus, “Feats of Middle Age”

Pro Bono
Gold winner: Bensimon Byrne, “The Healing House” 
Silver winner: DCX Growth Accelerator, “March for our Lives, Bulletproof Schools”

Experiential
Gold winner: DCX Growth Accelerator, “Palessi”
Silver winner: Zulu Alpha Kilo, “The Away Game” 

If you’re a small agency owner or executive, cheers to you. When it’s hard, remember why you started. Build your network, and even if you can’t attend conferences, find a network of agency principals with whom you can grow. And make the investment in your agency’s success. Don’t hope the client that will put you on the podium will just walk right into your office. Proactively commit to the strategy and resources that will expose your talent to the brands you set out to work with.

Be your best, invest where it matters, and the work will follow.   

This year was my 5th consecutive year attending the Ad Age Small Agency Awards. Since my first experience in 2014 in Austin, it’s consistently been one of my favorite conferences of the year. Part of the draw is the intimacy, like when I joined the Small Agency of the Year Silver Winner, Proof, at their private bar in downtown Austin. (Isn’t that part of every founder’s dream in starting an agency?!)

Each year, I genuinely enjoy celebrating those that take a risk, build a team, and create phenomenal work. Additionally, the curated perspective and insights with which I walk away make the conference an even more valuable investment.

The Three Most Important Takeaways From the 2018 Ad Age Small Agency Conference and Awards:

1. Making it to that stage requires years of hard work:

This year’s conference award recipients were refreshingly honest about the work involved in building a small agency. Not a single speaker, panelist, or awarded principal made their journey sound easy. It’s a big risk venturing out, being “small”, and remaining independent. Brands likely aren’t beating down your door, there are challenges in retaining top talent, and, ultimately, you’re responsible for closing the clients that will move you forward. But the Small Agency Awards is a reminder of the incredible success stories! When strategic planning, passion, and perseverance collide, great things happen.

2. Get off your island and begin to congregate:

The Small Agency Awards especially showcased the importance of congregating. It’s not about commiserating together, but instead, getting off your “island” and finding inspiration and leadership insights. It’s invaluable to spend time connecting with other agency principals that are wearing the same shoes as you. Additionally, the Ad Age team develops relevant content and programming to facilitate growth, learning conversations, and insight that will bring a new dynamic to your agency.

3. Winning the right client is everything:  

What I recognized during the award ceremony is that agencies don’t win awards on their own; it takes the right kind of client to “win.” That doesn’t mean you have to be awarded, but winning is a successful engagement with the client. You can’t innovate with a conservative client. It’s hard to go viral with a client that wants to do it the way it’s always been done. Ambitious agencies require ambitious clients – in order to facilitate effective work, to challenge your team, and to maintain a healthy client/agency relationship.

What It Really Takes to Win The Right Clients: An Ad Age Small Agency Conference Case Study

This year, Erica Fite and Katie Keating of Fancy NYC not only talked about sex from the stage, they also shared their tenacious journey of pursuing (including a ride-along to sex shops in the midwest) and ultimately winning their dream client. I had the opportunity to sit down with them the next day and pick their brains regarding how they want to grow the agency. They conveyed that managing new client growth themselves is not sustainable. In order to grow, the way they want to grow, with the clients they know they need to take them there, it requires dedicated strategy and resources committed to finding, courting, and winning new clients.

If you’re a small agency owner or executive, cheers to you. When it’s hard, remember why you started your shop and what you chose to leave. Build your network. Even if you can’t attend conferences, find a network of agency principals with whom you can grow. And make the investment in your agency’s success. Don’t hope that the client that will put you on the podium will walk into your office. Proactively commit to the strategy and resources that will expose your talent to the brands you set out to work with.

Be your best, invest where it matters, and the work will follow.