Nothing breeds innovation like adversity, and this year has brought a wave of challenges that have pushed agencies to tweak and fine-tune—or rethink entirely—their usual way of doing things. With in-person meetings ruled out and budgets tightened up across the board, agency leaders have had to come up with novel ways to connect with and meet the needs of prospective clients—whether that means shifting offerings, spreading the word or giving a human touch to a seemingly endless stream of Zoom calls. Agencies also have a duty to guide clients through the current cultural moment, helping them evolve in meaningful ways…
“Whether it’s an influx of new business or a total shutdown of operations, catering pitches to the way the current moment is impacting brands’ bottom lines has been extremely successful,” says Douglas Brundage, founder of Brooklyn, New York-based Kingsland Consulting, currently in its second year of operation. “Simply put, we abandoned the toolbox, listened to what our clients need to succeed and cater our thinking to address those issues specifically.”