Defining succinctly who you are and what it is that makes you ‘special’ is a challenge for anyone in this industry. However, a clear positioning can deliver much-needed clarity in a time-starved world and saturated marketplace.
Whether in advertising, media, research or design, those agencies that have enjoyed the most consistent success have powerful intellectual content – they’ve developed models, tools, structures and processes that demonstrate and articulate their beliefs. In making clear statements of these ideas, they not only position and differentiate themselves, they also create a culture that attracts like-minded employees and clients.
A good example of how this has been done well is Anomaly in the US, which called itself a ‘new model agency’ when it set up (originally in the US) in 2004 with a totally different remuneration structure to the normal agency. Anomaly worked on the basis of a share in profits in ‘true partnership’ with clients. The agency launched with these principles at its core, and I believe has stuck by them. Today Anomaly has offices in New York, London, Amsterdam and Toronto.
For me, Anomaly seems to want to be an example to others, and is an agency that doesn’t seem afraid.
I find myself pointing agencies towards them as just a great example of a creative firm doing things differently. This is how we build reputation, make ourselves memorable, engaging, and become recognised by clients and seen as valued collaborative partners.
