Agency Owners: Would You Start with Brand Strategy if You Were Building from Scratch Today?
If you’ve built or led an agency that serves hotels, hospitality, or lifestyle brands, I’d value your perspective. I’m launching a luxury hospitality branding practice and want to validate my initial offer before scaling outreach.
Context and current thinking
– I haven’t done much outreach yet by design. My concern is misallocating time and energy toward selling the wrong offering.
– My current positioning centers on brand strategy, positioning, and helping hospitality brands cultivate a more distinctive identity.
– Lately, I’ve wondered if this focus is too abstract for hotel owners or general managers. A line like, “Your digital presence doesn’t reflect the quality of your physical experience,” is accurate but may not be compelling enough to secure a meeting.
Core question
Should a new agency lead with brand strategy, or is it better to start with a more immediate business problem and introduce branding later in the process?
If you’ve built an agency in hospitality or lifestyle, please share:
– What was your first offering?
– What actually secured your initial clients?
– In hindsight, would you still start with branding, or would you package a more specific, outcome-driven solution?
– Would you approach from a branding-first angle or favor a more concrete, results-focused package to win early clients?
I’m not seeking motivational advice or general tips to “do more outreach.” I want candid insights from seasoned professionals who’ve navigated the challenges of selling even effective branding offerings.
Your experience and honesty will help shape a more precise, client-ready proposition.
