The Ultimate Guide to Building a Standout Agency Brand

By Fay Sharpe — Founder of Zibrant & FastForward15

In a saturated and fast-changing industry, your brand isn't just a logo — it's your agency's heartbeat. It defines who you are, what you stand for, and how clients and talent experience working with you.

We spoke to Fay Sharpe, one of the most respected voices in events, for her perspective on building a brand that not only attracts top clients but creates a culture people want to be part of.

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1.  Start with Purpose: Define Your Brand from the Inside Out

Before a rebrand or any marketing push, take a long, hard look at your foundations. Branding should start as an internal exercise — not an external campaign.

Ask your leadership team:

• What values define how we work and why?

• Are we living them — or just writing them down?

• What do we want clients and talent to feel when they interact with us?

Fay emphasizes that this process must be deep and intentional:

“Before you say ‘this is our brand,’ work out what your brand values mean, how they’ll be implemented within your culture, and how they show up in the everyday.”

Action: Create a “Values in Action” playbook that defines each value with real-life examples of how it shows up in your work and team culture.

2. Decide What You Want to Be Known For

In an industry where agencies often blur together, clarity of identity is your best tool. Ask:

• What is our differentiator?

• Where do we outperform?

• What “signature” do we leave on every client experience?

For Fay’s agency Zibrant, they leaned into being a champion for women in the industry with a 50/50 board and strong female led leadership team and one of the top-rated workplaces for women, earning a spot in The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. This not only became a key story in pitches but shaped how they hired, operated, and delivered events.

“We were seen as a people-first, female-driven business. That set us apart.”

Action: Craft a concise brand narrative or elevator pitch that highlights what you stand for — and how it's experienced by your clients.

3. Build a Brand That’s Bigger Than You

Founder-led businesses often rely on the personal charisma or network of the owner — but sustainable growth comes when the whole team embodies the brand.

Fay says:

“Clients may be drawn to the leader, but they stay for the team. Your team has to reflect the same ethos and energy.”

How to achieve this:

• Promote your team across social media and marketing — don’t just spotlight the founder.

• Bring junior team members into client presentations and site visits early.

• Make your brand a shared experience, not a top-down message.

Action: Host internal workshops to ensure your team understands and can articulate your brand voice and values consistently.

4.  Prioritise Wellbeing: The Hidden Strength of a Strong Brand

Incentive travel and event planning aren’t just glamorous—they’re grinding. Long hours on-site, high-stakes pressure, and back-to-back delivery can take a toll.

“We need to create space for mental health. That means not scheduling your team onto another job the minute they finish one.”

Building a standout brand means being known not just for the events you deliver — but for how you treat your team. When your team thrives, so does your work.

• Plan decompression time after large projects.

• Review your resourcing model to avoid burnout.

• Make wellbeing a leadership responsibility — not a personal burden.

Action: Build downtime and mental health days into your agency's project timelines, and communicate this to clients as part of your culture.

5. Keep It Alive: A Brand Is Built Every Day

Too many agencies see branding as a one-time launch. But to create lasting impact, brand-building must be embedded into every process:

• Recruitment: Hire for alignment with values, not just skills.

• Onboarding: Train every team member in what the brand means.

• Marketing: Let your content reflect your culture, not just your portfolio.

• Client experience: Ensure every touchpoint reinforces who you are.

“It’s not a one-off exercise. It’s a living, breathing culture. When you keep at it, you build something people want to be part of.”

Action: Set up quarterly brand check-ins where your leadership team audits how well the business is living its values — and where you can improve.

Final Word from Fay:

“A great brand creates energy, attracts the right people, and grows the business. But it starts with knowing who you are, what you believe in, and living that through your team.”