This Is Flow won AdNews Media Agency of the Year at the recent AdNews Agency of the Year Awards, beating out the likes of Initiative, Hatched and Half Dome.
Judges said they were impressed by the agency's ability to raise their profile over the last year, showcased in its significant growth and zero client losses in 2022.
The judges also called out the agency’s "interesting people and culture approach – especially their industry first profit share initiative.”
Jimmy Hyett, CEO and founder of This Is Flow, said while it’s hard to say what differentiates This Is Flow from the competition because every agency talks about people, people are the differentiator of the agency.
“We have a team of 100% passionate, energetic, close-knit, absolute legends,” said Hyett. “People that work so hard and just enjoy what they do, and every time they come in, it doesn't feel like work - it feels fun to come into the office.
“We've got a really great mix of T-shaped staff. The cross across the T is they can talk a little bit about a lot - they've got this broad experience - but then the stick of the T is their deep specialty.
“Compared to a lot of the groups where they might have planning done in one place and buying done on the side, we've got client teams that are across the whole process. They're trained in a way that gives them that broad specialty but that deep expertise too, so it's very powerful.”
Hyett said that the team of 40 has grown 200% in the last year, off the back of a raft of client wins and investing in its people, both inside and outside of client teams.
“Now we have a full leadership team - we've brought on Catherine Rushton from Mindshare as our Chief Strategy Officer; we have promoted two people - one to our digital lead role and one to a talent, culture and customer experience lead role – and we've got data science in-house,” said Hyett.
“We're developing an incredibly strong agency model where it's all growth.”
After starting the agency eight years ago, This Is Flow is planning to move into a new, larger office next month due to the growth that’s occurred over the past few years.
“The first few years were around getting the structure and building the foundation and really over the last three or four years, that's when we've seen the exponential growth,” said Hyett.
“It’s brought us out of just being a small independent to a competitor with all agency sizes and competing on the big end of town.”
Hyett said that the agency has very diverse client categories, so through the pandemic, they were “very fortunate” to win some pitches, which meant when a lot of other agencies were letting people go, This Is Flow were actually hiring, which allowed momentum to snowball even once things started returning to normal.
“We picked up some bigger clients, but the shape of our clients have changed. Now we're seeing a lot more global and blue chip clients coming in, which has just elevated the direction of the agency to a new level as well,” said Hyett.
“We're set up for that next stage of future growth. We've always hired for growth and we've always over-resourced, not only because we want to make sure that our current clients have service to a great standard, but also from a work life balance side of things for our teams. It’s critical to make sure that they're not feeling stretched.
“If we have the opportunity to grow, and we get invited to pitch or take advantage of a new client opportunity, then we have the capacity and the resource that doesn't put stress or pressure on our existing clients. And because of this - we just don't lose clients.”
This is Flow staff and partners
This Is Flow have won some notable pitches over the past six months – most recently, it was appointed by The a2 Milk Company to manage the media planning and buying of its Australian business, with billings of $10 million plus.
In February, the agency won the $6 million account of low-cost airline AirAsia, working with AirAsia across a full suite of marketing services, including media planning and buying in Australia and New Zealand.
Towards the end of last year, Experience Co, Rock Face and GPT Group were also won by This Is Flow. Billings across the three brands will total $8 million plus and Flow will manage media planning and buying across Australia and NZ.
Hyett said the agency’s approach to pitching is the perfect intersection of science and art that delivers real business value to clients.
“The way that we're able to use data and technology, and mash that together with that human side of strategy and creative ideas, is so critical,” said Hyett.
“We've been able to do that exceptionally well and that's the thing that's resonating most with clients. With the way the world is going with AI, technology, data, it's so important to utilise and tap into all of that new stuff.
“But if you're forgetting the people side, and the brain - the power of the human brain here - you just don't have that same level of quality. It's the combination of the two that has definitely elevated us.”
Hyett said that the value proposition to clients is changing – whereas before, the agency would be offering a time-based service, it’s now offering an output-based service.
“It's not just about going ‘if we save 10% of time for people, should clients pay 10% less?’ - it’s about the value that we're able to drive,” said Hyett. “It's about improving productivity, which is when we're able to deliver the right value for clients.”
Hyett says the culture at This Is Flow is something that he's never seen or experienced before.
“It is a family vibe, everyone's got everyone's back and it is so much fun. It is so energetic, and so passionate - we hire for passion. Skill we can teach, but passion you can’t,” said Hyett.
“It's just this incredible, energetic group. We call ourselves a positive impact agency and that's the impact that we have on our clients, it's the impact that This Is Flow has on its people, it's the impact that we deliver with campaigns - it just drives everything forward.
“I think the challenge for us is, as we grow to new levels, how do we hold on to that? It's a really interesting question, because to date, every agency that's grown has lost that culture, but I don't understand why it's impossible. We want to make sure that we are the agency of the future, but we don't forget the impact of our past.”
Hyett said that the agency grows when its clients grow - everything it's done from day one hasn't been to take on clients bigger than it can handle.
“Client retention is more important than client growth. If we can take on a new client that doesn't affect our current clients, then that's a positive story for us,” said Hyett.
“There is a space in the industry for an innovative, exciting, passion-fueled, big independent that can compete with a lot of the holding groups who struggle to find personality. I think there's an inherent sense of agility and innovation and industry leadership that we can play a part of because we can move fast.
“We've shown that with Flow Profit Share and we showed that now with the nine-day fortnight we’ve started using – these are industry-leading initiatives. There's a whole range of other stuff that we're starting to do now as well and trying to answer questions that are unanswered, but I think all of this leads to that measured growth.”
Hyett said that This Is Flow has a responsibility to its people to make sure they're supported and constantly growing, emphasising that it’s not about having conversations around how many heads the agency has, but around where do people want to go and how it can help get them there.
“There's a lot of respect for holding groups that we have in terms of the processes, the people, the skills, the ability - it's just when people come to This Is Flow, they get more broad experience and they can relive that passion that brought them into the industry,” said Hyett.
“They can actually make change - they can change the agency and we can implement things very, very quickly. It's a very exciting proposition and an exciting time.”
Looking forward to the rest of the year, Hyett said there are new clients to announce, as well as their upcoming office move and innovation being worked on internally.
"We’ll be in our new office from May. A whole level of office space with a better structure of working in terms of breakout zones, so it's going to be amazing,” said Hyett. “There’s some new innovations that we've been working on in the virtual reality space as well, which is super exciting.”
“For us, it’s about not running too far ahead of ourselves. It’s been a great start to the year, a great last few years, really good momentum, but we need to stay measured in terms of how we continue to proceed. We continually want to make waves in the industry.”
Catherine Rushton – Chief Strategy Officer
What attracted you to This Is Flow?
Jimmy and the team’s desire to do things differently. This is driven by an entrepreneurial spirit that is powered by a suite of smart yet simple proprietary tools. The most exciting thing is there is no limit to what’s possible. Plus, the potent combination of genuine, kind people with a desire to do their best.
What are you focused on for 2023?
We only grow if our clients grow so I’m focused on making sure our work is the most effective it can be and that we have the right tools that demonstrate our contribution to that real business growth. What drives me is to make sure we do this in a positive way that has the right impact on our clients’ businesses, our people and the wider world they thrive in.
What do you love most about your role?
My favourite part of being a strategist is that no day is the same. I’m at my happiest when I have diverse challenges to solve with the help of passionate experts. For example I’m noticing a renewed focus on geographic segmentation of audiences to find pockets of untapped growth which involves collaboration of many experts on both agency and client side to deliver.
I’m also excited about the potential for our industry to drive positive change - we have so much economic, social and cultural influence, it is not only our opportunity, but our responsibility, to shape a better future. An example of this positive change for our people and ultimately our clients would be the introduction of our Flow nine- day fortnight which is another awesome step in our evolved operating model.
Matt Papasavva – Managing Director
What do you love most about your role?
The core of my role is our clients and our people, ensuring that every experience a client or a staff member has is built around delivering a genuine positive impact. Although there are countless other elements to the role including new client growth, business strategy and digital leadership, leading our Flow Family really is what I love most.
I’m incredibly lucky to work with an absolute bunch of superstars who do great work and approach everything the right way. They make my life 10x easier and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be able to help guide, mentor and ensure they’re comfortable knowing the business is 100% committed to them and whatever needs to be done to support their personal and professional development. This comes to life by investing time on an individual level so that people feel they have a real, relatable mentor who understands their passions and can tailor support to empower those – from training opportunities, professional branding, work-life balance flexibility and just simply being a soundboard for advice.
What attracted you to This is Flow?
The opportunity to join Flow in November 2019 came at a time when I was looking to come back into the agency world. After years of previous experience in a few big, multinational media agencies, I was excited about a role where there was an opportunity to join a fast moving, nimble team where I’d be able to have a real impact on the business, the offering and most importantly, the people.
Fast forward 3.5 years and moving from Digital Lead to Managing Director, the excitement is still as strong as ever. The business has grown massively in that time, but the culture remains incredible and I wouldn’t swap that vibe for the world.
What are you focused on for 2023?
Continuing the momentum!
Being part of Flow’s growth journey has been a really amazing experience and the last 12 months in particular has been successful on all fronts – from client wins, people and awards. Our focus has always been to keep looking forward and so 2023 is going to be about how we can continue to take the right steps, without losing the essence of what has gotten the business to this point. Essentially that means focusing on the happiness and well-being of staff and delivering a gold standard media product to both existing and new clients. As a business, we are crystal clear on our vision, we know our strengths and our ideal client base. Having this alignment across the entire business has been so important as everyone understands our ambition and the focus is working towards a common goal, not stretching resource to the point where you risk impacting employee satisfaction.
Personally, 2023 is also about focusing on being the best ‘girl dad’ that I can be. Having an 18-month-old with another due in August is a super tough gig, but one that lights up my life. So, in 2023 I’ll be 100% all in at work but 1000% all in with new family at home.
Andrew Sarkis – Digital Lead
What are you focused on for 2023?
Staying ahead of the game. Particularly through expanding our Digital capabilities to deliver more comprehensive digital solutions to our clients AND our team. We're investing in new solutions, refining our planning/ buying processes to streamline our operations and working closely with our data experts to provide our clients with more strategic and effective campaigns.
Above all, the next 12 months is about providing our team with the right tools to not only keep up with the changes but also lead the charge in digital innovation. It's definitely an exciting time for Flow!
What is the biggest challenge in your role?
It is definitely staying on top of the ever so changing Digital world. With new technologies, platforms, and trends emerging every day, it can be a task to stay up-to-date and ensure that our agency is providing our clients with the best possible solutions. Additionally, ensuring that our talented team is also keeping up with this changing landscape is critical to driving success.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My typical day involves a mix of client meetings, internal team meetings, publisher catch ups and - staying up-to-date with industry news and trends. I work closely with the team to ensure that we're meeting our clients' needs, delivering high-quality work, challenging ourselves and staying on top of our Digital Campaigns. It's a busy and fast-paced environment, but I love the excitement and challenge of it all.
Raymond Ly – Account Director
What do you love most about your role?
I get to do everything I love about media.
Throughout my career I have always being very passionate about media as a whole, from the strategic/planning/trading to fostering community and connections of all types. Being naturally a very curious person, I’ve developed a strong understanding of how vital the people, culture and holistic agency experience is interlinked.
Post Covid lock down years, some constant talking points have been how should agencies look after their people, what hybrid working model works best and how do we bring that agency culture vibes back. I think it is very important companies evaluate how they engage with their people, foster culture, build connections with their clients in this forever-changed world. Not everything that once worked might be the solution anymore and I’m very excited to get the opportunity to conjure up experiences/initiatives across these 3 vital areas to help This Is Flow to continue to thrive.
What are you focused on for 2023?
Continuing to fuel and flame the Flow impact.
This Is Flow is going through an exciting period of growth, more clients and people will be joining the journey. My 2023 focus will be to ensure we provide the exceptional energy, impact and experience for our new people and clients like we have for our existing. We are looking forward to working with new amazing clients and new employees joining our thriving Flow community, however we are very fortunate to have such wonderful existing clients and people with us already and it’s vital that they continue to feel as important.
What attracted you to This Is Flow?
A driven and passionate start-up media agency vibe.
I’m really good mates with Matt (Matt Pappasavva, MD), we have previously worked together and during our regular catch ups we naturally talk about Flow. So you can say I have been tuned in to the This is Flow show from very early on. I’ve always been very intrigued by the strides they made, their ethos and appreciated Jimmy/Matt’s vision for the agency.
Having spent my whole career working at big holding group agencies, the type of hyper driven and passionate start-up media agency energy was very alluring. It’s not often that you get a chance to be a part of an agency journey at the early stages and I am very much aligned with This Is Flow ambitions. In addition, Matt and I always wanted to work together again, so when the stars all aligned it was hard to say no.
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