Why I love being back at an agency

"How does it feel to be back at an agency?"

I get asked that question at least once a week. I just recently marked my first year as CEO of Marcus Thomas. I am so thankful to my colleagues at MT for welcoming me into this special family and allowing me to continue the journey that Jim Nash, Mark Bachmann and Joanne Kim started. Even though I already had five years under my belt with Marcus Thomas, both as a consultant and as a member of the executive board, the past 12 months have given me a new perspective. Here’s what has made this past year so special and why I continue to be this agency’s biggest cheerleader.

Honesty, Integrity and Care

First in my book and so true to our Midwestern roots, Marcus Thomas is led by a team that cares deeply and stands firmly for doing the right thing in any situation. This was not a surprise to me. Rather, it was validation that this is an agency that goes to great lengths to ensure we do right by our people, clients and community. You can always assume positive intent with this group. Everyone here knows how to use their powers for good and does so daily.

Integration in Action

I spent the last 15 years as CEO of the 4A’s and as an agency consultant. I’ve met with literally hundreds of agencies, and it’s true that they all sound alike. They use buzzwords like omnichannel and disruption and integration. So I cringed a bit when a prospective client asked our pitch team what makes Marcus Thomas different, and our head of strategic services said "integration". The thing is, it’s true. MarcusThomas does integration differently. I’ve recently started calling us a hyper-integrated agency because our teams are cross-trained across their own department and across the agency. When you have your creative director talking about media strategies and your PR lead referencing a CRM nurture campaign, it’s clear this is an agency that has figured out how to deliver the kind of integration that others just talk about.

Another reason we do this integration thing so well is that we are one team under one Marcus Thomas P&L. There is no infighting between our departments, or communities of practice as we call them, to protect revenue. We do what’s right for a client’s business and pivot quickly to make it happen. One P&L means a tight-knit Marcus Thomas family.

Specialists of Our Crafts

Just because we have a full spectrum of marketing capabilities doesn’t mean that we offer “jack of all trades and master of none” capabilities. I knew Marcus Thomas did quality work, but the closer I’ve gotten to the work we do, the clearer it’s become that we are more than a full-service agency. We’re a group of specialty agencies that can, and do, compete on a higher level. I’ve worked with some of the best media agencies over my career and would put our team up against any of them. In addition to media relations and influencer management, our PR/social team includes content writers, a quick-turn production studio and experiential event planners – and together, they create work that is routinely honored among the best in the industry. Our CRM team is led by one of only two dozen Salesforce MVPs in the world. Our digital team built a loyalty platform that is being used by lotteries around the country. Even our analytics team has clients of their own to provide a single source of truth across disparate client organizations. We are equally as great individually as we are a collective.

"Hard to Do, Makes It Hard to Follow"

Marcus Thomas has long practiced the idea that a brand is the sum of all experiences someone has with that brand. In traditional marketing terms, that is everything from the top of the marketing funnel to the bottom. What a lot of agencies, and brands for that matter, have trouble mastering is what happens in the middle, that part where you establish trust with the people you have attracted. One of our clients called it the “messy, muddled middle” and noted that it is difficult to do and equally as difficult for others to follow, which can give you a competitive advantage. This is an area in which Marcus Thomas excels and pays off our Value Exchange philosophy – if a brand provides something of value, people will reward them with their business and advocacy.

Client Reverence

I was well aware that creating strong, lasting relationships is one of the hallmarks of Marcus Thomas, with an average client tenure of 13 years. From my many years of being an account director myself, I know that’s not an easy task. The reason I think this agency has been so successful is that it’s not just the account team that feels responsible –the accountability permeates the entire organization. The economy has challenged many of our clients’ industries this year, and yet, our clients continue to entrust us with their biggest challenges. Lasting relationships are a two-way street and I greatly appreciate the investment our clients have made in keeping those healthy over the years, giving us new opportunities and welcoming new leaders like me.

We have a lot to be proud of, in large part thanks to everyone in the MT family. There is still work to be done to deliver on our vision. We are delving deep into AI and will soon be integrating it to more efficiently deliver work. Our strategy offering will continue to grow and evolve to provide the kind of insights necessary to create compelling brand positioning and creativity across every touchpoint. We will continue to promote our Marcus Thomas brand to attract the best talent and clients so that we may together do the best work of our careers.

Looking forward to Year Two!

Nancy Hill