I’d say that 90% of the agencies that have come to me for help with messaging are actually 90% happy with it.
But something about it niggles.
That's because the standard positioning, tools, frameworks, and canvases aren't necessarily designed for agencies.
You can define your niche, you can define your offer, and you can define the problem you're solving. But that’s just part of the story.
Quite often, clients will choose you over another agency because of your people, your values, your points of view—those intangible things that you're never going to capture in a copy-and-paste framework.
Even if you do capture it, articulating it is another step.
In fact, agency owners often say, “We've got positioning, but we can't write about it without sounding like w***ers.”
And nobody wants to have web copy that makes 'em sound like a w***er, right?
So what do we do about that?
Well, one of my favourite tools is agency archetypes. And before you groan and click away, I'm not talking about the 12 core archetypes you've seen everywhere—the Hero, Rebel, etc.
I'm talking about the more refined and nuanced set of 50 archetypes developed by Archetypes in Branding.
Now, I've used this tool for about 10 years, and combined with other methods, it never fails to help define those intangible differentiators.
How it works is that you choose three archetypes that best represent your agency.
Typically, two of these will be more reflective of the process you go through and the kind of agency you are, and the third will be that ‘je ne sais quoi’ that makes you unique.
That three-archetype spread becomes a verbal identity moodboard.
When I come to write copy, I know what mood or tone we’re aiming for, so what we end up with really does sound like you.
But added to this, I also do a heck of a lot of interviews and capture the language you and your team use when you are in flow and not thinking about what you're saying.
By capturing that golden insight and translating it into copy your clients will love, we will create messaging that articulates your difference without making you sound like a w***er.
So, if you’re unhappy with your message or feel like you're 90% of the way there and want to feel 100% confident so you have something you can stand behind, book a
