In an industry filled with brilliant minds and creative strategists, how does an agency stand apart from the next? In addition to category expertise and excellent work, Good Word president Dania Ahmad says it's company ethos that attracts and retains clients. She writes on the ways her agency practices what they preach, and how that's helped her curate a top-tier roster of clients – and why this helps weed out clients that ultimately won't be a good long-term fit.
One of the first lessons I learned in this business was that in order to be the best and do the best, you need to work with companies and brands you truly believe in or have an affinity for. My first job was at a large corporate firm with large corporate clients. I came to work, I did the job, I got results and all was well. It wasn’t until I started working with design brands a few years later, at a great boutique shop, that I really found my passion. Suddenly I was energized, brimming with ideas, giddy to get to work. This experience taught me that working is much more rewarding when you deeply care about the work that you do. It was this excitement, and also curiosity, that prompted me to start Good Word in 2012.
In the years since, I’ve experienced, firsthand, all of the challenges that come with running an agency – clients, KPIs, budgets, KPIs, new business, did I mention KPIs? – but one of the most satisfying things, again and again, is getting to choose who we work with. We do our best work when clients see us as partners and extensions of their team, not vendors. We are deliberate and thoughtful in the way we work, we grow, new business we pursue and clients we take on.
Now, more than 25 years into this career, I see that the things that set agencies apart from their competitors are not just in the obvious ways like structure and services offered, but rather the soft skills and personal approach. I’m a big believer in the importance of EQ and the immeasurable value of having strong instincts for what is driving someone to do or want something. Sometimes, this is almost more important than IQ when it comes to the day-to-day running of the company. Strategy, contacts and relationships are essential, but being able to intuit and anticipate our client’s needs and pivot accordingly is a crucial part of the work.
Another key for growth is “authenticity.” For Good Word, a large part of what drives this is making sure that our ethics – both business and personal – are aligned. Part of what motivates us is working with people who are doing good. We try as much as possible to consider things like sustainability practices, fair labor standards, social justice and equity when speaking with clients and learning about their businesses.
We have also made the decision to use our own platforms to raise awareness for the issues we care deeply about. This is something we struggled with a bit in the early days. We’d heard some feedback that perhaps we were taking a risk for a small agency just starting out. Until one day, when a client told us that part of what made her choose us was the fact that we choose to wear our hearts on our sleeves and amplify causes that are meaningful to us.
So, what’s the key? Finding what’s best for you, your business and your team. Find your sweet spot and stick to it.
Stop comparing and copying: It’s good business to have a handle on the competitive landscape, but there’s a delicate balance between market research and being authentic. Good Word is certainly not the only company that services brands with digital and social media strategy, PR/media relations, content creation and influencer partnerships, but we do our best to be true to ourselves, our brand identity and our company ethos. Value what’s unique about you.
In that same vein, we always keep our clients’ core mission and audience at the forefront of our work. Even when branching out to reach new demos, we do it with care and data in order to achieve genuine and authentic success.
Never over promise: We’re not so different from our clients... we want the people who choose to work with us to stick around for a good long while. Honesty and integrity are integral to this. Never promise anything you know you can’t deliver on. Maybe a client or potential client won’t like hearing what you have to say, but you’ll both sleep better at night.
