Stop making the “shoemaker’s kids” excuse about your own marketing. Instead, focus on solutions to grow your agency—by attending the 4As ANGLES Conference for agency comms professionals.
What You Missed for 2025 at ANGLES 2024
Here’s what you missed last month at ANGLES 2024 in New York:
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- What editors and reporters at top trade publications (Ad Age, Adweek, MM+M, Wall Street Journal, and more) want from agencies—including how to create pitches that get covered.
- What award-winning agencies like Mischief do to get coverage for themselves and their clients.
- How smaller agencies get media coverage by digging deeper, tying to relevant trends, and sharing access to behind-the-scenes stakeholders.
- Why a search consultant stopped asking agencies to list all their capabilities.
- What’s next in AI, from IBM’s former Chief Brand Officer.
- Why to market your agency as a brand, rather than as a service provider.
- How to get your agency CEO chosen as a speaker at events.
Behind-the-Scenes Intel from Ad Industry Journalists
The editor and reporter panels were my favorite part. Where else do you have a chance to hear what journalists want—and don’t want—to hear from your agency? Their themes and tips included:
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- Make it newsworthy (for instance, a speaker joked that “an ad agency made an ad” isn’t news by itself).
- Accept that timing matters; you might be reaching out when they’re focused elsewhere.
- You’re not the only person trying to get their time (like how WSJ editor Suzanne Vranica shared that she has a staggering 72,000+ unread emails).
- Trades are hiring new reporters to expand their coverage, as they meanwhile “swap” reporters and editors between publications.
- Read the publications to know what they do and don’t cover. This increases your odds of getting covered, instead of sending your pitch into the void.
- Don’t ask the reporter for an ungated link to their story about your client; you’re just admitting that you’re too cheap to subscribe to what pays their salary.
The journalist panel and moderator lineup included:
- Ad Age
- Jeanine Poggi, Editor-in-Chief
- Sabrina Sanchez, Senior Creativity Reporter)
- Adweek
- Alison Weissbrot, Executive Editor
- Kyle O’Brien, Agencies Reporter & AgencySpy Editor
- LinkedIn News
- Tanya Dua, Senior Technology Editor
- MM+M
- Jameson Fleming, Editor-in-Chief
- TechCrunch
- Anthony Ha, Weekend Editor
- Wall Street Journal
- Suzanne Vranica, Advertising Editor
Other Takeaways for Your New Business Development
More broadly, here’s what else stood out to me—from my work across hundreds of agencies worldwide:
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- What about AI? Everyone’s talking about it—but what are you doing to leverage AI for your agency and your clients? I liked one of the frameworks that came up: “boring AI” (think: automating billing, reporting, and data cleaning) versus “sexy AI” (that fuels creativity and helps land big clients). This can help as your agency decides where to prioritize your investments.
- I was glad to hear about a shift toward “lo-fi” content production—faster, more authentic content that doesn’t sacrifice impact. My clients feel pressure to keep upping their production values, so it’s a relief (for them, and me) that that’s not the only path. Even if the final result is hi-fi, you can share early sketches and behind-the-scenes videos. Clients (and journalists) want to see your process.
- Stop neglecting your website. Buyers and search consultants will review your site before they contact you. If your website is unclear, prospective clients will keep going.
- Think about your ROE (“Return on Event”) before you sponsor or attend conferences or tradeshows. This includes setting financial and non-financial metrics.
- Are you creating work you would share even if you hadn’t created it yourself? If not, you might want to start over… or temper your expectations for virality.
- Use technology to support your efforts, like tools to automatically convert long-form videos into social media clips.
4As Event Impressions: What to Expect?
Although I’ve known about the association for years, this was my first event—as a member of the 4As Expert Network—and I was impressed. ANGLES offered top-notch speakers and high production values, yet very reasonable ticket prices, thanks to contributions from 4As sponsors. The audience was a healthy mix—holdco and independent, New York and out of town, and a wide range of job titles (from CEO to manager). Organizers had a robust A/V setup for the livestream, too.
I can’t believe the in-person ANGLES tickets were just $200 to $300. That was a really good value. We had a nice venue via sponsor Microsoft, non-stop coffee for attendees, helpful 4As staff members, and a reception for mingling. The anonymous audience Q&A tool kept things running on time. Here are more photos from the event.
Grow Your Agency in 2025 and Beyond
For an even more in-depth look at topics and takeaways, see the Key Takeaways slides (PDF) that 4As proactively created based on input from the speakers and panelists. They contain 40 pages of insights; I wish more event organizers invested the time to do this. The PDF also includes discount codes for various products and services.
The only real downside for ANGLES? You’ll have to wait until early 2026 for the next in-person event. Keep an eye on the 4As events page for more—and join as a member for various benefits in the meantime.
What’s your agency’s new business focus for the coming year?
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As a growth consultant and executive coach, Karl Sakas helps agency owners ‘Work Less and Earn More’, by charting a path to reach their biggest agency goals while rewarding their best employees. Karl brings over 25 years of consulting experience. This includes advising 600+ agencies in 36+ countries. Karl provides diplomatic and pragmatic advice through business consulting and executive coaching and is featured on the 4As Expert Network.
