In this piece, global comms specialist Lindsay Bennett explores the biggest mistakes agencies make when it comes to their own branding. From failing to invest in their own positioning to neglecting PR and erasing their own legacy, Lindsay shares her observations from top communications roles in Australia and New York.
The biggest irony in advertising? Agencies are experts at building brands – except their own. While they champion the power of branding and storytelling for clients, many fall into the same traps when it comes to their own identity.
Instead of leading by example, agencies neglect their own positioning, leaving their brand undervalued, their messaging inconsistent, and their reputation diluted. The result? They struggle to attract top talent, miss new business opportunities, and fade into the background in an increasingly competitive industry.
Here are five of the most common mistakes agencies make with their own brand:
They don’t invest in their brand
Agencies handle their clients’ brands with care but treat their own as an afterthought. PR, marketing, and thought leadership take a backseat, leaving them with little brand equity or industry presence. The best agencies don’t just rely on their work to speak for itself, they actively shape their own narrative.
They fixate on their logo and tagline
Agencies obsess over logos, websites, and colour palettes, often at the expense of communicating a clear, consistent brand message. Many rush to rebrand, only to lose the equity they’ve built. While a refresh can help, branding is about reputation, trust, and positioning – not just a new typeface. The key to a successful agency rebrand is to plan your PR far beyond the launch announcement to ensure it doesn’t become just another flash in the pan.
They erase their own legacy
Holding companies are notorious for rebranding agencies, discarding decades of recognition and intellectual property in the process. In Australia alone, TBWA dropped Whybin, GYP&R became Y&R then VMLY&R and now VML, The White Agency became WhiteGrey, now Grey and, most recently, Leo Burnett shed its last name to become “Leo.”
It was encouraging to see Clemenger BBDO buck the trend this week, doubling down on the ‘Clemenger’ legacy in the face of the BBDO global rebrand. Agencies fight to protect client brands from unnecessary change, yet often don’t extend the same care to their own. Would they ever recommend this approach to their clients?
They hand the job to juniors
Agency PR is often assigned to the junior team member with a year of experience and extra capacity. Or worse, the intern is handed the keys to the agency’s social channels as a “fun project.” The result? Generic posts, inconsistent messaging, and a missed opportunity to build authority. Agencies should apply the same strategic thinking to their own brand that they offer clients, starting with putting the right talent on the job.
Their only positioning is ‘creativity’
Almost every agency calls itself creative. Each claims to put insights at the heart of its work. Every agency touts its special strategic framework. But what truly sets one apart from the next? Too often, agencies settle for vague, interchangeable positioning that does nothing to help clients understand why they should hire them.
A positioning should do exactly that – own a distinct space. Whether an agency is leading in data-driven effectiveness, dominating a specific industry niche, or using AI to scale production, its positioning should make that clear. The best agencies are known for something beyond just being “integrated” or having “breakthrough ideas.”
If agencies are hired for their strategic expertise, it makes sense they would apply the same thinking to their own branding. I’ve built a career on getting agencies to take their own advice: invest in your brand, respect your history, and put your best talent on the job. Otherwise, you’re just another voice in the noise, when you should be leading the conversation.
