Case Study: A Brooklyn Office for a London Upstart
Key Takeaways
Client: Don’t Panic Partners
Challenge: Expand the agency profile in US
Solution: Opened the NYC office, increased market presence, standardized processes and value proposition, managed existing relationships and organic growth opportunities, and led new business opportunities
Result: Successive new business wins and extended relationships, leading to the NYC office becoming over 40% of the total company P&L
Revenue by Office After 6 Months
Don’t Panic Partners is a boutique branding agency that focuses on developing identities for commercial and residential real estate. Headquartered in London, they had a substantial international client base and reputation for creating edgy and highly creative work. That recognition led to a client base in New York which grew to require an office and dedicated account team.
Opening a new office is difficult, even more so when you are headquartered overseas. There are time zone and exchange rate differences, introductions to be made, and the daily work of managing and growing the business. I was asked to consult for Don’t Panic Partners in order to help relieve that stress from the ownership and get their new Brooklyn office off the ground.
There were three major areas of concern: new business, account management, and setting up the office. Like many offices of this size, all three needed to work together and be managed holistically. The first priority was developing a deep pipeline of projects, and I led or managed a series of successful business wins across a range of project types. The next was overhauling multiple accounts, some of which had been suffering from a lack of local presence. Lastly, the office needed a consistent image and standardized practices that could be turned over to the staff and managed remotely from London.
After implementing these changes, the agency was able to develop relationships with several key developers including Boston Properties and Edward Minskoff, leading to successive placemaking business wins. By standardizing the briefing process and heading the account management team, the New York office was able to realize efficiencies and increase revenue rapidly. By the end of my contract the office had grown from an outpost sales office to more than 40% of the total agency revenue.