The Agency

Before the rise of the digital aisle, we’d thumb through records or books in a store and MIGHT get a bit of advice from a shop assistant or another shopper. Outside of our own peer groups or reviews, we weren’t inundated with advice on our purchasing decisions.

Read more »

Glutafin, one of the leading providers of prescription-only gluten-free food products, has appointed leading brand response agency, TheAgency to evolve the food brand, engage with a wider base of consumers and healthcare professionals, and promote new product launches.

Read more »

Okay, that may just be a headline to grab your attention, but the point I'd like to make is that social media is turning us all into our own PR agents.

I was recently on a LinkedIN discussion when a few mis-directed remarks were made from one of the key participators. Granted, it was Saturday, the hour was late, and they may have been at the thick end of a bottle of wine, but the recoil was big. 70, 80, 90 posts later, and it became apparent that people just weren't going to let this one go.

What I witnessed was a display of political correctness worthy of the Walton's. And what was most cunning was the extradition of said participant from the main event. A few carefully chosen words, and two explanatory statements later, and their profile had been successfully washed.

What's fact is that by participating in social networking we are now required to manage our profile as carefully as a brand. What's fascinating is how well we do it. Have we finally graduated from the school of Max Clifford?

Read more »

We’ve recently run a number of campaigns in the gaming sector. The guys in the office often hook up online to play various games. So I thought it was high time that I dived in and tried it myself.

Read more »

Despite times being tough, our criteria for choosing who we work with has got even tougher. In the good old days, before bank balances took a bashing, investors used to look for big ideas to back. Today, we see venture capitalists investing in the people behind the ideas, in addition to the ideas themselves. Dragon’s Den entrepreneur Sharon Wright, creator of Magnamole is a classic example – the only applicant to have been able to negotiate successfully on percentage equity with the notorious dragons by wowing them with her own business acumen and personality.

Read more »

To the casual observer, the recession appears to have made consumers far more careful. But actually, we may be witnessing a more significant change in their behaviour. They are, in fact, becoming considered rather than careful. Consumers are increasingly ready to break away from more ‘conventional’ behaviour. But before we go into the why let’s examine the evidence…

Read more »

BSM, the largest and most established driving school in the UK, is launching its ‘Pass on the BIG 100’ campaign in January, created by TheAgency to celebrate its 100th birthday. The campaign, the third in a succession of sales beating quarters, will run across online, radio, cinema, press, direct mail as well as point of sale, and will celebrate BSM’s landmark achievements over the last century.

Read more »

Sovereign Living, part of Sovereign Housing Group, one of the largest social housing groups in the country, has appointed TheAgency to raise the profile of affordable home ownership and its developments.

Read more »

A new youth marketing insight service is being launched by TheAgency, a leading brand and response marketing consultancy. Bike Shed will provide clients with exclusive access to a range of programmes delving into the minds and attitudes of young people aged between 16 and 19.

Read more »

The subject of our daily news digest, its ownership in the public domain and its value has long been up for debate. It’s no secret that news corporations from the BBC to News International have all struggled in the last decade to maintain control of their content, and effectively charge for it.

Clearly the Internet has offered us “free” access to news in real time, and various search engines like Yahoo, Google and now Bing have been able to point us all in the direction of the content we’re after. The announcement that News International were considering severing ties with Google, or that Microsoft had approached them to offer payment for search listings, depends on which papers you read.

Read more »

I’ve just been through a whirlwind of social media lately. Conferences, projects, discussions, it’s left me feeling quite anti-social about the whole thing. But stay your burning pitchforks. Do not assault my door as you Tweet that you’ve found a non-believer.

Let me make it clear. I do believe in social media. I just want us to approach this with a rational mind (strange coming from a creative I know). The fact is Social Media is great for developing groundswell. It’s fantastic for connecting with customers and people generally. Indeed it’s even a handy tool for customer services. But however you use it, you must check its relevance to the brand, audience and objectives. And equally important, can the budget accommodate it?

Read more »

BSM, the largest and most established driving school in the UK, is launching its ‘Beautifully Simple’ campaign, created by TheAgency to mark its relationship with Fiat 500 across multi- media platforms.

The campaign will run across online, point of sale, cinema, radio, direct mail, experiential as well as social media portals, designed to make BSM more synonymous with the youth and youth culture. The new ‘Beautifully Simple’ message will emphasise that the Fiat 500 is an easy car to learn in, and is great fun to drive.This new campaign is part of an ongoing relationship with TheAgency, during which it has helped increase sales for BSM by 20 per cent earlier in the year. The driving school is supporting the activity by offering exclusive promotions and discounts on its lessons during the campaign period.

Read more »

Siemens Gigaset, the European market leader in cordless phones, has appointed TheAgency.

The leading brand and response marketing consultancy, to help define its global brand proposition, re-affirming its focus on attracting high end users and brand conscious consumers to its innovative products.

Read more »

Social media portals need tailored approach

Your feature on youth marketing (Marketing, 23rd September), high-lighted some exciting online trends, but may have overlooked some other key points when targeting youth audiences through social media portals.

Read more »

Do companies who market themselves with ethically labelled products do what they say on the tin? How fair is Fairtrade?

In recent years our food, clothes and household goods have become coated with a layer of ethical labelling. Many products have been marketed with a Fairtrade, Organic or Rainforest Alliance stamp – but do we really know what this means?

Read more »

93% of social media users believe that companies should have a presence in social media. But what should that presence be?

Help us find out by joining in our Social Media Survey.

Read more »

Brand and response marketing specialist, TheAgency, has strengthened its team further on the back of its recent BSM lead creative agency account win with the appointment of three new staff.

Verity Wood has been appointed as senior account manager responsible for the relationship with BSM. Wood joins from McCann Erickson where she worked as account director on Sure Mobile, Milupa and Calpol and will capitalise on this experience at TheAgency, further enhancing the team’s specialist knowledge.

Read more »

Whilst chatting with my cousin in India via Facebook, it struck me how social media sites are helping to merge cultural boundaries. At the expense of sounding like someone who never switches off, this got me thinking about its effects on marketing and creativity.

Read more »

TheAgency, confident that its offer is unique outside the largest London agencies, this agency is one that aims to grow places, fast.

With any expanding business it’s important to maintain and nurture the start up culture,” says Saman Mansourpour, co-founder of TheAgency. “It’s never about an individual but working collectively as a team.”

The Bath-based agency is achieving this by recruiting “the right kind of people”. Those who are engaged, collaborative and passionate about what they do.  “We look to employ people with a range of skills and experience, so our teams complement each other and we ensure diversity,” adds Mansourpour.

Read more »

RK Accountancy has today officially unveiled their new brand refresh. The 6 month project has been integrated with the renewal of their vision and values and underlines the growing strength of the brand in a section of the industry which has been hit heavily by the recent economic turmoil.

“Of course we are being affected by the recession like many other recruiters, but at a time when our competitors are contracting and moving out of geographies, we remain resolute and are investing in the brand.” Explains managing director Paul Waite. “Clients want to make sure that they are getting value for money. Our passion and expertise makes the winning combination. We don’t just assist clients on a daily basis; we give them the insightful solutions that deliver long term, measurable business advantage which they require. This is why we are continuing to outperform our rivals.”

Read more »

Currently, less than 10 per cent of UK households recycle energy efficient light bulbs, which are classed as hazardous waste due to their mercury content. In a bid to increase this figure to 60 per cent by 2014, Recolight, the specialist recycling service organisation for fluorescent and mercury lamps, has appointed TheAgency in a seven figure campaign to change Britain’s recycling habits and meet its ambitious target.

TheAgency, a leading brand and response marketing consultancy, has been tasked with creating a hard-hitting campaign to raise awareness of the quantity of mercury entering landfills when energy efficient bulbs are not recycled. This will include a micro website, a viral film, a home user pack, poster advertising and point of sale material.

Read more »

In a week when record numbers of teenagers are biting their nails anticipating their A Level results and pundits are predicting that students will leave university with an average debt of £17,500, leading brand and marketing response agency, TheAgency, has been conducting research into effective sales and marketing to teenagers.

Read more »

Over the past few months it has been rumoured that TheAgency are working on something new and very exciting, and quite different from the convention of advertising. Here is a sneak preview from a recent film shoot, captured on location somewhere in the Midlands. And is that Leon Tayler, Olympic Silver Medalist?

Read more »

BSM Drives into Youth Market

BSM, the largest and most established driving school in the UK, is driving into a £4 million brand evolution to reinvigorate and modernise the company, to broaden its appeal and be more relevant to the core youth learner market.  The move comes ahead of its 100th anniversary in 2010, and is designed to reinforce BSM’s market leading position.

Read more »

TheAgency wins accountancy recruitment firm’s brand and sales acquisition strategy

Leading brand & response marketing specialist, TheAgency, has won the integrated brand and sales acquisition strategy for accountancy recruitment specialist, RK Accountancy (part of the Kellan Group).

Read more »

Ash Communications celebrates marketing client win second time around.

Leading brand & response marketing consultancy TheAgency, has awarded its PR contract to Ash Communications. The consultancy has been appointed to raise its profile in the advertising, marketing and creative fields, and in vertical market client sectors, and communicate TheAgency’s focus on delivering a larger return on investment for clients at a time when marketing budgets are being closely scrutinised.

Read more »

RK Supply Chain (RKSC), one of the leading global supply chain recruiters have appointed TheAgency to reposition their brand in the market, and help them develop heavily sales focussed communications.

The company has been extremely successful over the past 12 years, but a strategy for growth, coupled with tougher competition and aggressive market conditions have triggered a need to emphasise their brand position, and lay the foundation for a number of new service offerings.

Read more »

Travel and tourism companies are faced with tight budgets and tough decisions at the moment. However, strategic thinking, innovation and a strong marketing effort can ensure that your business will both survive and thrive. Travel brands need better, cheaper and more effective ways to sell, and yet at the same time they need to build vital brand value with consumers. Credit crunch winners will be those who have approached their brand development and marketing in a holistic way, putting the customer at the centre of everything they do.

In particular, those that get their branding right in 2009/10 will have understood that their marketing buck has got to work much harder now to achieve the same bang that it did this time last year. So, what steps can a brand take to be a winner in a market where the emphasis is currently on losing? Why not start by saving huge amounts of money and getting a better result for your budget?

Read more »

Leading brand response company TheAgency has signed a Managed Recruitment Service contract with specialist media, creative and marketing recruiters, Ad Lib.

Read more »

TheAgency pimps London’s scoots in a test road safety campaign that could see a national roll out.

The rising popularity of scooter riding by 16+ teenagers in the UK, has brought about a significant rise in the number of road traffic accidents involving scooters. This has placed significant pressure on London Borough Council to raise awareness of scooter training, promote safe riding amongst teenagers, and tackle the dangers they face.

Brand response specialist TheAgency has been appointed by London Borough Council to roll out a pilot campaign directly targeting 16 to 19 year old scooter riders, encouraging them to enrol for an additional road safety training session once they’ve completed their CBT (Compulsory Basic Training).

Read more »

Bloom & Co, the UK’s leading expert jewellery designers and re-modellers have appointed TheAgency to implement their online retail strategy, supporting planning, creative and web development.

Their recent move from a leading London brand agency demonstrates their need for a more sales focussed brand response plan, in line with their business expansion plans. Bloom & Co launched in 2008, and is the brain-child of the 18-year old jewelry and fine art insurance company LMG.

Read more »

Brand response specialist TheAgency has been appointed by Rex Resorts, the UK’s leading Caribbean hotel and African Safari operator, to create a new direct response print campaign for the brand and also to refresh the brand’s positioning.

The move will make it more relevant to a newer, travel savvy target audience and give it a sharper commercial focus given the market forecasts for 2009.

Read more »

In the current climate, says Saman Mansourpour co-founder of TheAgency, marketing budgets are getting crunched just as much as credit, which means the marketing buck has got to work much harder to achieve the ROI bang than it did this time last year.

Read more »

Leading brand and response company TheAgency has relaunched BerkeleyScott, the UK’s leader in hospitality and leisure recruitment. 

Read more »

What does ‘creative’ mean to you?

Great ideas that deliver on commercial objectives. That's the business we're in.

What's your best piece of business advice?

Hire people better than you, it keeps you on your toes.

Who do you admire?

My grandfather & Muhammad Ali - for proving that talent, determination and hard work can take you all the way, no matter where you start.

What in the world could be done better?

Most things. Unfortunately too many people settle for mediocrity.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?

In an underwater James Bond base. With sharks and everything. I'm not good at plans.

Read more »

Leading brand and response company TheAgency has appointed Rajnish Razdan as creative director.

Raz was previously working for Target Direct and Inbox where he was Executive Creative Director and also for The Response Team where he was Creative Director overseeing accounts for Carphone Warehouse, Rentokil and Bristol and West. He has most recently been developing the marketing and branding for The Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Nokia’s Comes With Music service which has just launched. Raz is the recipient of numerous awards including the IDM Leaders Award and has been nominated for a Cream Award 2008 for his TV work with Wessex Water.

Read more »

We are a team of strategists and creative’s from the UK’s top advertising agencies. These include Rapier, Omnicom and Ogilvy.

As a team we have worked with the world’s largest companies, from automotive and financial to food and drink. In January 2008 we made the decision to set up our own full service marketing agency. Perhaps the bigger decision was to leave London, which makes us one of the first true brand response creative agencies outside of the capital.

Our vision

Our proposition is to be able to help all companies focus on the creation of their brand and link it directly to their sales streams. Our focus is to prove that by using creativity, brand and response marketing will work best together.

Read more »

Air Products plc, the 10 billion dollar global gas and chemicals company has appointed 2008 start-up TheAgency.

Commissioned to spearhead their Europe-wide communication for performance chemical solutions in the construction market. The brief requires TheAgency to work alongside Air Products’ London and Dutch marketing teams.

“Part of our European strategy is to focus on the Air Products chemicals positioning across a number of market sectors.TheAgency are helping us do that, currently in the construction industry. We work in partnership with our customers, collaborating in the R&D and product development, with a view to pushing the boundaries of innovation, and helping to develop new products that change the industries they serve.” Lee Gorse, European Marketing Manager, Air Product plc.

Read more »

In an economically driven move, TheAgency has decided to produce part of its web development in Krakow, Poland.

Read more »

Following the news in late December 2007 that Rapier would consolidate its regional business back into London, a new team of agency planners, creative’s, account managers and designers have this week announced their startup.

TheAgency is a unique mix of senior advertising and brand experts, as well as direct response specialists. The idea is to marry the strengths of each discipline, and build an agency that focuses on brands whilst driving a measurable return on investment through its response communications.

Read more »