Walking the Talk

At the end of this month’s AWIA Offline event in Melbourne, my fellow panellists and I were hit with the question: “What’s the one thing you would recommend agencies do in the next 12 months?”

No pressure, right?

As a marketer, my answer is simple: build your brand. But how do you stick to a strategy, or even start executing it, when you're juggling fast client demands, shrinking budgets, and the relentless nature of pitching?

It all comes down to one thing: walk the talk.

As digital and integrated agencies, we are the industry leaders. Our clients look to us as the experts, the innovators. They expect us to help grow and transform their brands, guide their communication strategies, and create seamless customer experiences. But how do we live up to those expectations in practice? Three key tactics underpin my approach:

1. Choose your tools wisely.

Think long-term when selecting tools for internal processes and marketing. Your clients might already be using the same tools—or will need them down the track. 

A CRM like Salesforce might seem like overkill (especially with the price tag), but becoming a Salesforce partner unlocks capabilities like their CDP, setting the stage for larger digital transformations for clients. 

Whether it’s Hootsuite for social media management or SEO and project management tools, pick ones that are not only useful for you, but can also be resold or integrated into client campaigns. This doesn’t just streamline internal operations—it also enhances your service offerings and boosts client engagement. More importantly, it creates a sticky revenue opportunity. Offering CRM, marketing automation, or CMS solutions as part of ongoing retainers or managed services can turn into long-term revenue streams.

2. Don’t try to be all things to all people.

This was my mantra in 2023, and it’s stuck: less is more.

It’s tempting to chase every RFP, every new market trend, or the potential for new revenue streams. But trying to do it all can dilute your brand, overextend your team, and ultimately detract from serving the clients you already have.

That’s not to say you should avoid exploring new opportunities or expanding your services—just make sure it's part of your broader strategy. If it’s in your plan, you’ve already been upskilling, adding partners, or adapting in ways that will allow you to deliver sustainably. It’s the kneejerk reactions that will cost you in the long run.

3. Build your brand from the top of the funnel.

Having worked in ad tech and digital media planning for years, I can confidently say performance marketing is just noise if you don’t first build your brand. This is especially true in B2B, where creativity is more important than ever. A shocking, but unsurprising stat from System 1 revealed that 77% of B2B ads aren’t likely to drive business growth.

Yes, the article highlights big-budget creative campaigns from Google and Canva, but creativity doesn’t require a massive budget. What do you want to be known for? What are your values? How do you add value to your clients, the industry or the community?

Promoting your brand isn’t about constant self-promotion or humble-bragging (though there’s a time and place for that). It’s about showcasing how your innovative solutions have transformed your clients’ businesses. It’s offering your opinion in industry publications. It’s writing a blog post to help your community (look at me go!). It’s entering your work for an award because it truly made an impact—and then sharing all the above across multiple channels and building a creative, cohesive story.

In short, you need to look, sound, and deliver on what you want to be known for. Otherwise, you risk being trapped in a race to the bottom—undervaluing your services and draining returns for your team, your clients, and the industry as a whole.

For more insights, or to find out how I can grow your agency brand as a Fractional Marketing Strategist add me on Linkedin or email me at kathleen@guntherconsulting.com