Real-world examples of agencies and marketers navigating new business challenges—including RSW/US client work, agency searches, and lessons from the field.
| Client Type | Brand Preference Agency |
| Win | $1.16M AOR |
| Verticals Served | CPG, Outdoor Living, Recreation, Food & Beverage, Retail, E-commerce |
The Challenge: Strong Work, Inconsistent Pipeline
Like many specialized agencies, this brand preference shop built a focused specialization across CPG, outdoor living, and food and beverage, and a portfolio of work that moved product and built loyalty in highly competitive retail environments.
What they didn’t have was a reliable way to grow.
The principals were too busy doing the work to consistently prospect for more of it, and a previous attempt at internal business development hadn’t gained traction.
They needed qualified meetings with the right decision-makers at the right brands and a system that would keep running even when the agency was busy.
Why Outsourced New Business Made Sense
For most agencies, the problem is consistency.
Running a new business program means daily prospecting, carefully built lists, and follow-up that doesn’t stop when client work heats up.
It’s a full-time function most agencies can’t sustain internally.
As an outsourced new business partner working exclusively with marketing communications firms, RSW/US assigns a dedicated New Business Director to each client.
Someone who prospects consistently on the agency’s behalf, looks like part of the agency to the outside world, and stays invested in the outcome to get clients closer to the close.
How RSW/US Built the Program and Refused to Give Up
The engagement began with a deep-dive: RSW/US reviewed the agency’s positioning, past proposals, and capabilities materials, then spent three hours with the principals identifying what made them different.
In a crowded branding landscape, their edge was specificity: deep experience with brands where lifestyle identity and emotional resonance drive purchase.
That distinction became the backbone of all outreach messaging.
From there, RSW/US built a custom prospect list: a contact-by-contact build using human intelligence, ZoomInfo, and AI-driven list tools, filtered to the agency’s specific targeting criteria and approved before any outreach began.
The New Business Director then worked across phone, email, LinkedIn, and direct mail to build awareness and generate genuine interest among decision-makers at brands that fit.
One prospect stood out early as a strong fit and an initial outreach generated interest, and then silence.
The NBD followed up, re-engaged, and got the conversation moving again. Then, frustratingly, it happened a second time, another stretch of silence.
Most programs would have moved on, but we did not.
The NBD stayed patient and strategic, and when the prospect came back to the table, the relationship was already warm, and our client was prepared.
The conversation that started months earlier ended with a signed AOR relationship.
The Result: A $1.16M AOR and a Program That Proved Its Worth
The AOR win was significant on its own, but what it illustrated was more valuable: what a sustained, professional new business effort actually looks like when it has the patience and structure to see things through.
This was not a referral, but a prospect who went dark twice over several months and still ended up signing on, because our new business director had enough backbone to stay in the game without being aggressive, and enough intelligence to know when and how to re-engage.
In year one, the agency closed a relationship worth $1.16M across three brands.
More importantly, they had a functioning new business engine for the first time, one generating qualified meetings consistently while the principals stayed focused on doing the work.
Is Your Agency Leaving Opportunities on the Table?
Most agencies have the talent to win more business. What they lack is a consistent, professional system to go get it. RSW/US builds that system for you.
Want to see exactly what’s included in a full program? Explore Our Offerings
https://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Cowboy-Logo-Featured.png 750 750 Craig Acree https://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RSWUS-Professional-Services-Dark-1.png Craig Acree2025-03-10 11:49:382026-03-13 18:02:45How a Brand Preference Agency Turned Two Ghostings Into a $1.16M AOR Win
How a Creative Branding Agency Won a Video Production Project in the Fast-Casual Restaurant Space
| Client Type | Creative Branding Agency |
| Win | Video Production Project, Chipotle Mexican Grill |
| Verticals Served | Restaurant, Fast-Casual, Food & Beverage, Franchise, Retail |
The Challenge: Great Creative Work, No Path to the Right Brands
Our client built a reputation that any agency would envy: a creative branding shop with the range to work across video production, experiential, and brand identity, and a portfolio that demonstrated genuine craft.
What they weren’t controlling was how to find those clients. New business depended on referrals and relationships, but getting in front of major national brands on a consistent basis required a different kind of effort than the agency had bandwidth to sustain internally.
They needed a way to put their work in front of the right decision-makers at the right brands, without pulling their creative team away from the work itself.
Why Outsourced New Business Made Sense
For most creative agencies, the challenge is getting the work seen by people who have the authority to hire.
Reaching brand-side decision-makers at major national accounts takes sustained, strategic outreach that most agencies can’t maintain that while also running client projects.
RSW/US assigns a dedicated New Business Director to each client who prospects full-time on the agency’s behalf, builds relationships over time, and represents the agency professionally through every touchpoint.
How RSW/US Built the Program
The engagement started with a thorough kick-off process to understand what made this client different. The answer was clear: an ability to bring genuine creative thinking and production craft to complex brand challenges, with a track record that spanned video, experiential, and brand identity work for well-known names.
From there, RSW/US built a targeted prospect list focused on national brands in food and beverage, retail, and fast-casual dining where the firm’s capabilities were a fit, and the outreach to Chipotle followed that same disciplined process.
The Result: A Video Production Win with One of the Most Recognizable Brands in the Country
Our client was selected to produce a video project for Chipotle Mexican Grill, centered on a spelling bee concept built around a simple, smart insight: the hardest thing to spell about Chipotle’s ingredients is Chipotle itself.
The win was significant for what it proved: a prospecting process, executed consistently and professionally over time, opened a door into one of the most recognizable brands in fast-casual dining.
Is Your Agency Leaving Opportunities on the Table?
Most agencies have the talent to win more business. What they lack is a consistent, professional system to go get it. RSW/US builds that system for you.
Want to see exactly what’s included in a full program? Explore Our Offerings
How a Branding and Marketing Agency Won a Strategic Consulting Project in the Technology Sector
| Client Type | Branding and Marketing Agency |
| Win | $85K Strategic Consulting Project, Apple |
| Verticals Served | Consumer Electronics, Retail, E-Commerce, Software & Operating Systems |
RSW Client Type: Branding and Marketing Agency
Client Verticals: Retail & E-Commerce, Consumer Electronics, Software & Operating Systems
The Challenge: Strong Positioning, Limited Access to the Right Brands
This branding and marketing agency had built a clear and distinctive approach to their work, focused on helping brands become magnetic to their audiences by combining cultural insight with creative strategy, and they’d done it for some well-known names.
But they had no consistent way to get in front of major national brands.
New business came through relationships and reputation, and getting meetings with the right marketing decision-makers at large consumer brands required a level of sustained outreach the agency couldn’t maintain while also running client work.
They needed a program that could build those relationships systematically and put them in front of right-fit brands.
Why Outsourced New Business Made Sense
For agencies with strong positioning and a real point of view, the new business problem usually isn’t the pitch, it’s getting to the pitch in the first place.
Reaching senior brand-side decision-makers at major companies takes consistent, professional outreach over time, and that’s hard to sustain when your team is focused on delivering for existing clients.
RSW/US assigned a dedicated New Business Director to work on the agency’s behalf, building awareness and generating conversations.
We worked across phone, email, LinkedIn, and direct mail, and stayed with each opportunity to help move it forward.
How RSW/US Built the Program
The program started with a thorough kick-off to understand the agency’s positioning, best-fit clients, and what made their approach different.
The agency positioning RSW/US and the client formulated gave the New Business Director something concrete to work with: a clear, ownable point of view that resonated with brand marketers who were tired of generic agency pitches.
RSW/US also built a targeted prospect list focused on national consumer brands in retail, technology, and consumer electronics where the agency’s strategic approach was a natural fit, and outreach was customized to speak to the specific challenges those brand teams faced.
Apple came onto the radar as a strong fit early in the program. The outreach process built familiarity with the right contacts over time, and when the timing was right, the agency was in a position to have a real conversation about what they could bring to the table.
The Result: An $85K Strategic Consulting Project with Apple
The agency was awarded an $85K strategic consulting engagement with Apple, with more work to follow.
For a branding agency whose work centers on helping companies connect more deeply with their audiences, winning a project with one of the world’s most brand-conscious companies was a meaningful validation of their approach.
It also showed what a well-run new business program can do for an agency.
The right outreach, aimed at the right targets, over a sustained period of time, opened a door that wouldn’t have been accessible through referrals alone.
Is Your Agency Missing Opportunities It Should Be Winning?
If your agency has strong work and a clear point of view, RSW/US can help you get it in front of the brands that need to hear it. We build the program, generate the right meetings, and help move opportunities forward.
Want to see exactly what’s included in a full program? Explore Our Offerings
Want to understand how we work day-to-day? See Our Process
Have questions before you reach out? Read Our FAQ
“
How a Direct Response Agency Won a Major Campaign in the Insurance Sector
| Client Type | Direct Response Agency, Insurance Marketing |
| Win | $400k Campaign, Personalized Video, HR Platform and Design Work, The Hartford |
| Verticals Served | Insurance, Financial Services, Wealth Management |
The Challenge: An Insurance Marketing Agency With No Path to the Next Big Client
This insurance marketing agency didn’t just work in insurance, it was all they did.
They built their entire practice around the specific challenges insurance carriers face: how to reach agents and brokers more effectively, how to use personalized video and segmentation to improve conversion, and how to create communications that actually change producer behavior.
That kind of focused expertise is a real differentiator, but it doesn’t sell itself.
Getting in front of the right marketing decision-makers at major carriers and insurers required consistent outreach that the agency couldn’t sustain on its own while managing client work.
Referrals and existing relationships kept the business running, but they weren’t enough to drive the kind of growth the agency was capable of.
They needed a disciplined program that could open doors with major insurance brands, consistently and over time.
Why Outsourced New Business Made Sense
Agencies that specialize as tightly as this one sometimes, counterintuitively, find that their expertise is actually a harder sell to new prospects. The people who understand the value of what they do are already working with them.
Getting to the next conversation requires breaking through to decision-makers who don’t know them yet.
RSW/US assigned a dedicated New Business Director to work on the agency’s behalf, building awareness with the right contacts at insurance carriers and reaching out through phone, email, LinkedIn, and direct mail.
The goal was to generate qualified conversations with senior marketing decision-makers who could act on what the agency offered.
How RSW/US Built the Program
The kick-off process focused on what made this agency genuinely different in a crowded field: they’d built their practice exclusively around insurance, which meant no learning curve, no generalist thinking, and deep familiarity with the regulatory, distribution, and marketing challenges carriers deal with every day. That became the core of all outreach messaging.
RSW/US built a targeted prospect list of major carriers and insurers where the agency’s capabilities in personalized video, segmentation, digital tools, and HR platform work were directly relevant.
Outreach was designed to speak to real challenges those marketing teams faced, not just to announce the agency’s existence.
The Hartford was a priority target given the strength of the fit. The outreach program kept the agency visible and credible over time, and when the opportunity developed, the agency was well positioned to respond. It took persistence, but the program kept moving the relationship forward until the timing was right.
The Result: A $400k Win with The Hartford
The agency won a significant engagement with The Hartford that included a major campaign, personalized video, a new HR platform, and design work. The client agreed to almost the entire proposal, and the project started immediately.
It was one the program had been working toward for a while, and the persistence paid off.
For an agency whose entire practice was built around insurance marketing, winning a project of this scope with one of the most recognized names in the industry was exactly the kind of result the new business program was designed to produce.
Is Your Agency Missing Out on the Clients It Should Be Winning?
If your agency has real expertise and a clear point of view, RSW/US can help you get it in front of the right decision-makers. We build the program, generate the right meetings, and help move opportunities forward.
Want to see exactly what’s included in a full program? Explore Our Offerings
How an Integrated Marketing Agency Won a $5M Banking Engagement
| Client Type | Integrated Marketing and PR Agency |
| Win | $5M Total Budget |
| Verticals Served | Banking, Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Investing |
The Challenge: An Integrated Marketing Agency With No Consistent Path to Growth
This integrated marketing agency had built a reputation with award-winning work, a growing client roster, and a genuine point of view.
They’d earned relationships with well-known brands and could point to results that held up under scrutiny.
But growing beyond the existing network required a different kind of effort.
The agency’s principals were focused on the work, and while referrals kept business coming in, they didn’t provide the consistent pipeline the agency needed to hit its growth targets.
Getting in front of senior decision-makers at major brands, particularly in financial services, meant sustained outreach that wasn’t happening.
They needed a program that could open those doors systematically and give the agency a real shot at the kind of accounts it was capable of winning.
Why Outsourced New Business Made Sense
For agencies doing strong creative work, the challenge often isn’t winning the pitch, it’s getting to the right person who can put you in the room.
That requires a level of outreach consistency that most agencies can’t maintain internally while also running client projects at a high level.
RSW/US assigned a dedicated New Business Director to work on the agency’s behalf, reaching decision-makers across phone, email, LinkedIn, and direct mail.
The NBD works as an extension of the agency, building relationships over time and helping move the right opportunities forward.
How RSW/US Built the Program
The program started with a thorough kick-off to understand the agency’s positioning, their strongest capabilities, and the types of clients where their integrated approach delivered the most value.
The agency’s ability to combine advertising, PR, strategy, and media under one roof gave the New Business Director a clear story to tell to prospects who were tired of managing multiple agency partners.
RSW/US built a targeted prospect list weighted toward financial services and banking brands where the agency’s work in regulated, relationship-driven categories was relevant.
Outreach was tailored to speak to the specific challenges those marketing teams faced.
The opportunity with the banking client developed over time.
The RSW/US New Business Director got to the right contact, built credibility with the right people, and kept the agency visible until the timing was right for a real conversation.
The Result: A $5M Engagement
The agency won a major engagement with First Citizens bank, agreeing on a total project budget of $5 million. The client agreed to move forward immediately.
It was the kind of win that doesn’t happen without the right person getting to the right contact at the right time.
The RSW/US New Business Director made that connection, and the agency did the rest. At the time, it was one of the biggest wins RSW/US had delivered for a client.
Is Your Agency Ready to Win the Accounts It Deserves?
If your agency has strong work and the capabilities to back it up, RSW/US can help you get in front of the right decision-makers. We build the program, generate the right meetings, and help move opportunities forward.
Want to see exactly what’s included in a full program? Explore Our Offerings
Want to understand how we work day-to-day? See Our Process
Have questions before you reach out? Read Our FAQ
“`
How a Customer Engagement Agency Won a $220K Project with Lumber Liquidators
| Client Type | Customer Engagement Agency |
| Win | $220K Project, Lumber Liquidators |
| Verticals Served | Retail, Home Improvement, Building Materials |
The Challenge: A Customer Engagement Agency With No Reliable Path to New Retail Clients
This customer engagement agency had built a solid practice around helping retail brands build better relationships with their customers.
They knew how to use data, personalization, and loyalty strategies to keep buyers coming back, and they’d done it for brands that operated at scale.
What they didn’t have was a consistent way to get those capabilities in front of new prospects.
New business came in through word of mouth and existing contacts, which kept things running but didn’t drive the kind of growth the agency was capable of.
Getting to the right marketing and customer experience decision-makers at major retailers required a sustained effort that wasn’t happening internally.
They needed a program that could open doors with the right retail brands on a consistent basis.
Why Outsourced New Business Made Sense
For customer engagement agencies, retail decision-makers are busy and hard to reach, and building enough familiarity to earn a real conversation takes more consistent outreach than most agency teams can manage on top of client work.
RSW/US assigned a dedicated New Business Director to prospect on the agency’s behalf, working retail targets across phone, email, LinkedIn, and direct mail to build awareness and generate the right meetings.
How RSW/US Built the Program
The kick-off process focused on identifying what made this agency’s approach different: a data-driven methodology for building customer loyalty programs that actually moved retention metrics, combined with the ability to personalize at scale for retail brands with large, complex customer bases, which gave the New Business Director a concrete story to tell.
RSW/US built a targeted prospect list of specialty retailers and home improvement brands where improving customer retention and lifetime value were active priorities.
Outreach was tailored to speak to the specific challenges those marketing teams faced around loyalty, repeat purchase, and customer reactivation.
Lumber Liquidators was identified as a strong fit early in the program.
The outreach built credibility with the right contacts over time, and when the opportunity developed, the agency was well positioned to respond with a relevant proposal.
The Result: A $220K Engagement with Lumber Liquidators
The agency won a $220K project with Lumber Liquidators, one of the largest specialty flooring retailers in the country.
It was a direct result of consistent, targeted outreach that put the right agency in front of the right prospect at the right time.
For a customer engagement agency looking to grow its retail client base, winning a project of this size with a nationally recognized specialty retailer was exactly the kind of outcome the new business program was built to produce.
Learn more about Lumber Liquidators.
Is Your Agency Ready to Win More of the Clients It Should Be Working With?
If your agency has real expertise and a proven approach, RSW/US can help you get it in front of the right decision-makers. We build the program, generate the right meetings, and help move opportunities forward.
Want to see exactly what’s included in a full program? Explore Our Offerings
Want to understand how we work day-to-day? See Our Process
Have questions before you reach out? Read Our FAQ
“
How a Life Sciences Media Agency Won a $300K Engagement in the Pharmaceutical Space
| Client Type | Life Sciences Media and Marketing Agency |
| Win | $300K Engagement, Vertex Pharmaceuticals |
| Verticals Served | Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Life Sciences, Rare Disease |
The Challenge: A Life Sciences Media Agency That Needed to Break Into New Pharma Accounts
This life sciences media and marketing agency built a serious practice around helping pharmaceutical and biotech brands reach the right audiences through data-driven omnichannel strategies.
They understood the regulatory environment, knew how to engage both HCPs and patients effectively, and had done it for some well-known names in the industry.
But getting in front of new brand teams at major pharmaceutical companies required navigating long decision cycles, formal RFP processes, and a buyer landscape where trust and credibility have to be earned before a conversation can happen.
The agency couldn’t build those relationships quickly enough through existing contacts alone.
They needed a program that could identify the right opportunities early, build credibility with the right people over time, and position the agency to compete when a formal process opened up.
Why Outsourced New Business Made Sense
Pharmaceutical new business doesn’t move quickly.
Decision-makers at major biotech and pharma companies take time to evaluate partners, often run formal RFP processes, and need to trust an agency before they’ll put a significant budget behind them.
Getting into those conversations early, and staying visible through a long evaluation cycle, takes a level of discipline and persistence that’s hard to maintain internally.
RSW/US assigned a dedicated New Business Director to work on the agency’s behalf, identifying the right opportunities at the right companies and building relationships with the right contacts over time.
The goal was to get the agency into the conversation early enough to compete, and to keep them visible throughout the process.
How RSW/US Built the Program
The kick-off focused on the agency’s core strengths: decades of life sciences experience, a proprietary analytics platform built specifically for pharmaceutical promotional planning, and a genuine commitment to helping patients, caregivers, and HCPs find the treatments they need.
That combination gave the New Business Director a compelling story to tell to brand teams at companies working on complex, high-stakes launches.
RSW/US built a targeted prospect list focused on pharmaceutical and biotech companies with active brand launches or promotional needs where the agency’s omnichannel capabilities and life sciences expertise were directly relevant.
Outreach was tailored to speak to the specific challenges those brand teams were working through.
The Vertex opportunity developed over several months. The RSW/US New Business Director got the agency into early conversations with the right contacts, maintained visibility through a lengthy evaluation process, and helped position the agency to compete in a formal RFP when Vertex opened one in December.
The Result: A $300K Engagement with Vertex Pharmaceuticals
The agency won a $300K engagement with Vertex Pharmaceuticals to support the launch of a gene editing therapy based on CRISPR technology for patients with Beta-Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease.
The work spans innovative media, grassroots outreach, and traditional channels aimed at reaching patients, caregivers, communities, and HCPs, with a specific focus on building trust in communities where distrust of healthcare and pharmaceutical companies runs deep.
It was a win that required patience, persistence, and a program built to navigate a long and formal evaluation cycle.
The conversations started in the summer and the RFP came in December. The agency won because they were in the right place, with the right relationships, at the right time.
Learn more about Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
Is Your Agency Getting in Front of the Right Pharma and Biotech Brands?
If your agency has deep life sciences expertise and the capabilities to back it up, RSW/US can help you get in front of the right decision-makers at the right companies. We build the program, generate the right meetings, and help move opportunities forward.
Want to see exactly what’s included in a full program? Explore Our Offerings
How a Full-Service Advertising Agency Landed an $84K Contract with a National Education Association
| Client Type | Full-Service Advertising Agency |
| Win | $84K Contract, National Association for the Education of Young Children |
| Verticals Served | Education, Associations, Non-Profit, Financial Services, Restaurant |
The Challenge: Real Sector Depth, but No Consistent Engine for New Business
This Maryland-based advertising agency had thirty years of building campaigns for financial institutions, trade associations, educational organizations, and non-profits.
It gave them something tough to replicate: a genuine understanding of what it takes to reach audiences in sectors where trust, mission, and member value drive every marketing decision.
They knew, for example, that association marketing isn’t just about awareness, it’s about retention, membership development, event attendance, and demonstrating value to members who have a choice about where to put their professional loyalty.
What they didn’t have was a systematic way to get that expertise in front of new prospects.
New business had come through referrals and repeat work.
Getting in front of the right decision-makers at national associations and education organizations required the kind of sustained, disciplined outreach that’s difficult to maintain alongside full client workloads.
Why Outsourced New Business Made Sense
Associations and non-profit organizations don’t move quickly.
The people who make marketing decisions at national membership organizations are balancing internal stakeholders, board priorities, limited budgets, and multi-year strategic plans.
Getting a conversation started requires patience and consistency, not just a strong email.
RSW/US assigned a dedicated New Business Director to work on the agency’s behalf, reaching marketing, communications, and membership directors at target organizations through phone, email, LinkedIn, and direct mail.
The messaging was built around the specific challenges those teams face in serving members effectively and making every marketing dollar count in mission-driven organizations where budgets are scrutinized closely.
How RSW/US Built the Program
The kick-off process focused on surfacing what made this agency genuinely valuable to associations and education organizations: a full-service capability that covered everything from brand development and advertising to PR, digital, and social, combined with three decades of hands-on experience understanding how membership-driven organizations think about marketing differently than commercial brands.
RSW/US built a targeted prospect list of national associations, education organizations, and non-profits where the agency’s depth of experience was a real differentiator.
Outreach was tailored to speak to the challenges those organizations faced, whether it was growing and retaining membership, building brand authority in a crowded professional landscape, or stretching limited marketing budgets further than they’d gone before.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children first came onto the radar in 2022.
Initial outreach opened a conversation, and RSW/US kept the relationship active and the agency visible over the following two years through consistent, thoughtful follow-up.
When NAEYC was ready to move, the agency was already known to them, already trusted, and ready to respond. The deal came together quickly once the timing was right.
The Result: An $84K Contract with NAEYC
The agency won an $84K contract with the National Association for the Education of Young Children, one of the most recognized organizations in early childhood education in the country.
NAEYC advocates for high-quality early learning environments for children from birth through age eight, and its membership spans educators, administrators, and program leaders nationwide.
It was a win that took a bit longer to close, but closed fast when the moment arrived.
That’s what persistent, professional outreach produces when it’s done right.
Not every opportunity moves on your timeline, but the ones that are worth winning are usually the ones that require someone to stay in the game long enough to be there when the door opens.
Learn more about NAEYC.
Is Your Agency Leaving Long-Term Opportunities on the Table?
Some of the best wins take time. RSW/US builds the program, keeps the relationships moving, and makes sure your agency is in the right place when the right prospects are ready to act.
Want to see exactly what’s included in a full program? Explore Our Offerings
How a Franchise-Focused Agency Became AOR for a Growing Casual Dining Chain
| Client Type | Full-Service Franchise Marketing Agency |
| Win | Agency of Record, ~$900K Budget, Wings Etc. Grill & Pub |
| Verticals Served | Restaurant, Franchise, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Education, Financial Services |
The Challenge: Franchise Expertise That Wasn’t Reaching the Right Brands
This Indiana-based agency had built something genuinely rare in the Midwest advertising landscape: deep, hands-on franchise marketing expertise backed by a certified Women’s Business Enterprise track record and a portfolio that included some of the most recognizable names in fast-casual, food service, and multi-unit retail.
They understood the specific dynamics of franchise marketing: the tension between brand consistency and local relevance, the economics of co-op advertising, the challenge of motivating franchisees who have skin in the game but varying levels of marketing sophistication.
That kind of earned expertise doesn’t automatically translate into new business.
The agency’s growth had come through relationships, referrals, and word of mouth, and getting in front of franchise brands that were actively evaluating agency partners required a level of consistent, targeted outreach that wasn’t happening alongside full client workloads.
They needed a program that could get their capabilities in front of the right decision-makers at franchise and restaurant brands on a regular, predictable basis.
Why Outsourced New Business Made Sense
The marketing directors and brand leaders at franchise brands evaluating a new agency want to see relevant experience, understand how an agency thinks, and build some level of familiarity before they’re willing to have a serious conversation.
That process takes time and multiple touchpoints, more than most agency teams can sustain on top of existing client responsibilities.
RSW/US assigned a dedicated New Business Director to work on the agency’s behalf, reaching franchise and restaurant brand decision-makers through phone, email, LinkedIn, and direct mail.
The messaging was built around the specific challenges those teams face: maintaining brand standards across locations, driving customer counts in competitive local markets, and finding an agency partner who actually understands the franchise model from the inside out.
How RSW/US Built the Program
The kick-off focused on what made this agency’s franchise experience genuinely credible.
Not just a list of restaurant logos, but its proven ability to navigate the complexity of multi-unit marketing, develop campaigns that worked at both the national and local level, and understand the unique pressures facing franchise marketing teams who are accountable to both corporate and franchisee stakeholders at the same time.
That story gave the New Business Director something specific and compelling to bring to market.
RSW/US built a targeted prospect list focused on casual dining, fast-casual, and multi-unit restaurant brands where the agency’s expertise was a direct fit.
Outreach was designed to speak to the real challenges those marketing teams were working through, whether it was building brand awareness in new markets, improving franchisee engagement with marketing programs, or finding a strategic partner who could both think and execute.
Wings Etc. Grill & Pub was identified as a strong target.
Founded in 1994 and built around award-winning jumbo buffalo wings, 22 signature sauces, and a genuine sports bar experience, Wings Etc. was a regional franchise with real brand equity and real growth ambitions.
The RSW/US New Business Director got in front of the right people, built the relationship, and positioned the agency to compete for the AOR assignment.
The Result: AOR Status with Wings Etc., $900K Budget
The agency was named Agency of Record for Wings Etc. Grill & Pub, with a total budget of approximately $900K.
It was a huge win on every level: a recognized franchise brand, a substantial budget, and an AOR relationship that put the agency in the driver’s seat rather than on a project-by-project basis.
The kicker? Wings Etc. was practically around the corner, the agency and the brand were in the same market.
But geographic proximity doesn’t close deals, sustained, professional outreach does.
RSW/US made the introduction that turned a neighbor into a client.
Learn more about Wings Etc. Grill & Pub.
Ready to Turn Your Agency’s Expertise Into a Stronger Pipeline?
If your agency has deep sector knowledge and the work to prove it, RSW/US can help you get in front of the brands that need what you do. We build the program, generate the right meetings, and help move opportunities forward.
Want to see exactly what’s included in a full program? Explore Our Offerings
Want to understand how we work day-to-day? See Our Process
Have questions before you reach out? Read Our FAQ
`
How a Full-Service Agency Won a Higher Education Client in the Private Liberal Arts Space
| RSW Client Type | Higher Education Focused Full-Service Agency |
| Win | 100K Win, Private Liberal Arts College, Faith-Based Education |
| Verticals Served | Higher Education, Liberal Arts, Faith-Based Education, Sustainability |
The Challenge: A Higher Education Agency That Needed More Consistent Access to New Institutions
This full-service agency spent 40 years building a practice that covered advertising, brand strategy, PR, digital, and internal communications.
Over that time they developed a specific area of depth in higher education, where the marketing challenges are distinct.
Colleges and universities aren’t selling a product, they’re making a case to prospective students and families about where to invest years of their lives and a significant amount of money.
Getting that message right requires a different kind of thinking than most consumer or B2B work.
The agency understood that world, including the pressure institutions now face from the looming enrollment cliff that’s reshaping how colleges think about recruitment, retention, and brand differentiation.
But understanding a sector and consistently winning new clients in it are two different things.
They needed a program that could get them in front of the right decision-makers at colleges and universities on a regular, predictable basis.
Why Outsourced New Business Made Sense
Higher education institutions evaluate marketing partners carefully, typically through RFP processes that involve multiple stakeholders across marketing, enrollment, and academic leadership.
Getting into those conversations requires both early visibility and sustained follow-up, neither of which is easy to maintain when the agency team is focused on existing client work.
RSW/US assigned a dedicated New Business Director to work on the agency’s behalf, reaching marketing and enrollment decision-makers at colleges and universities through the RSW tech stack, and across channels: phone, email, LinkedIn, and direct mail.
The messaging spoke to the specific challenges those institutions face in standing out in an increasingly competitive enrollment environment.
How RSW/US Built the Program
The kick-off focused on what made this agency’s higher education work specifically useful to institutions under pressure.
Four decades of integrated communications experience across advertising, PR, and brand strategy gave them a robust depth of thinking.
For a college trying to articulate its mission and differentiate itself to prospective students, families, and donors, a partner who can work across all those touchpoints matters.
RSW/US built a targeted prospect list of private colleges, liberal arts institutions, and faith-based schools where the agency’s experience and values alignment were a good fit.
Outreach was designed to speak to the pressures those marketing teams were working through, including enrollment challenges and brand positioning in a landscape where small private colleges are competing harder than ever for students.
With an emphasis on the firm’s experience with mission-driven institutions, the outreach put the agency in front of the right titles.
The Result: A Win with a Private Liberal Arts College
The agency won a new client relationship with Goshen College, a private liberal arts institution affiliated with the Mennonite tradition, focused on academic excellence, community engagement, and developing students who are prepared to contribute to a complex world.
For an agency with deep higher education experience and a genuine alignment with mission-driven institutions, it was a solid fit.
The win came directly from the RSW/US program, putting the agency in front of a prospect it wouldn’t have reached through referrals alone.
Learn more about Goshen College.
Is Your Agency Getting in Front of the Institutions That Need What You Do?
If your agency has a focus on higher education or other mission-driven sectors, RSW/US can help you get in front of the right decision-makers. We build the program, generate the right meetings, and help move opportunities forward.
Want to see exactly what’s included in a full program? Explore Our Offerings
Want to understand how we work day-to-day? See Our Process
Have questions before you reach out? Read Our FAQ
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