The Brandery’s Digital Agency Showcase
“We want you to come spend 12 weeks in Cincinnati….in the middle of winter”
The Brandery recruits hundreds of companies a year to apply for our programs. The majority of founders we talk to have never been to Cincinnati, or even Ohio, before. Of course, after telling them the program runs October-January, we inevitably get hit with the question: why would I do that?
It’s true, accelerators are a dime a dozen and many don’t require temporary relocation (especially in the middle of winter). But for the last decade, The Brandery has ranked among the top accelerators in the country. Those rankings are based partly on alumni metrics (follow-on funding, jobs created, revenue etc.), check size and program perks, however, our agency partnership is something no other seed-stage accelerator offers.
More than anywhere else in the country, businesses in Cincinnati are equipped to build better brands. It started with our Fortune 500 companies but over time, professionals from these large corporations spun out and went on to build independent agencies, consulting firms, and think-tanks dedicated to consumer marketing and branding. Today, Greater Cincinnati is home to hundreds of consumer product companies and upwards of 60,000 industry professionals, as well as several globally-renowned agencies. Nowhere else in the country can you find more consumer branding and marketing expertise per capita than right here in Southwest Ohio.
During The Brandery’s program, each startup is matched with a world-class agency who provides at least $25K in pro bono work throughout the 12-week program. We aim to partner each startup with an agency to help establish and evolve their brand and design elements quickly. For some, this means helping establish brand fundamentals, logo, and visual identity; for others, this means UI/UX, go-to-market strategy and messaging. Each startup has slightly different needs, just as each agency has different strengths. We play matchmaker to the best of our abilities, but it comes down to the open mindedness and excitement of our agencies- they have truly made this partnership successful.
But what’s in it for the agencies? Well, the answer varies. Some agencies have told us it’s one of the top ways they retain and acquire talent. Others say it’s a great way to re-energize the team after coming off a 2 year project with a large client. At the end of the day, our goal is to expose these agencies to the StartupCincy community and The Brandery and gener8tor’s corporate partners who regularly work with agencies. Corporations are struggling to innovate at startup-speed, but our corporate partners get to see first hand how fast-paced and creative our agencies can be throughout our program. The startups get pro bono work, the agencies get exposed to new clients and corporations find innovative agencies to work with- it’s your classic win-win-win.
Over the next month, we’ll be showcasing the work done by our incredible Batch 10 Agency Partners Borne Content, Creative Department, domo domo, Icon, Magnetic Content Studios and Orchard. Here at The Brandery, we believe that building your brand — and not just a product — is a way startups can be more resource efficient and increase their probability of success. Without this element of our program, The Brandery would not be able to attract the caliber of startups we are able to bring to Cincinnati. Without our Agency Partners — this wouldn’t be possible.
At the end of every program, we ask our companies “is your brand better than it was before”. The answer, delivered by founders in heavy coats with teeth chattering, is a resounding “yes”.
If you are interested in learning more or working with any one of these incredible agencies, reach out to our Program Manager Jess Mabis (jess@brandery.org) to get connected.
