When I arrived in the region two years ago, I was enchanted by its ambition and pace of progress. Here, national commitments, government innovation and private sector ambition don’t just live as idealised plans. They become mandates, projects and, eventually, comms briefs.
But, it quickly became apparent that PR in the region was often still playing the role of advertising’s poor cousin. Scopes and services were heavily weighted towards editorial content and tactical amplification, rather than original creative ideas designed to earn a place in culture and building reputation.
So, the gap The Romans was founded to fill, more than a decade ago in London, was wide open in MENA. Originally founded in 2015 on the belief that PR got the raw end of the deal when it came to briefs, and that there was a gap in the market for an earned-first creative offering, The Romans wanted to challenge the reductive perception of what PR can do, and prove the discipline’s ability to transcend formats and channels to deliver culture-defining work for clients.
And in just 18 months since its MENA expansion, the agency has started to do just that, with a response from brands that suggests they had been waiting for an agency offering like ours.
The first 90 days
“Time and tide waits for no man”, goes the saying by 14th century poet Geoffrey Chaucer. Never could there be a more apt description of my first 90 days at The Romans MENA. Moving from a network to an ambitious indie has been a reminder of the value of backing ideas, giving people the freedom to experiment and make things happen. Fast.
So, what is it like to be on the inside of the agency that has won Agency of The Year, every year, since 2018? What’s the secret?
Here are three things I have learned in the three months since I stepped (or rather ran) through the front doors to our warehouse in Al Quoz.
1. Creativity, ambition & consistency – always
Originating creative work from within our four walls isn’t just a nice to have. It’s a habitual part of our day-to-day. It’s wild to me that this is still unusual for a PR agency here. This is evidenced by the fact that a lot of the creative work submitted by agencies at PR awards tends to be ad agency work in disguise.
Earned-first creativity is part of our DNA. Our team deserves to have the opportunity to build it – and brands deserve to see that from PR. So, when it comes to winning, I’m not just talking about winning awards (although the team has done a pretty stellar job in its first 18 months).
I’m talking about winning as a daily ambition.
Every day, week and month, we are focused on what we need to do to win for our clients, the team and the business. For clients it might be bringing proactive ideas to the table or simply delivering a consistent Romans experience, while for the team it’s creating an environment where a creative media strategy is equally as important as creative ideas.
It’s the daily wins that compound over time into winning in the bigger moments.
2. Fight the good fight
As independent agencies we have the luxury of fighting a more noble fight than some of our holding company peers. We are not being measured on increasing shareholder value. We are being measured on the quality of the work, the strength of the ideas and the impact we can create.
The battle to create the best earned-first creative work is more important than ever – especially, in an AI-slop-riddled world, where creativity and human ingenuity are becoming precious commodities.
The ambition of “Best Work. Best People.” isn’t a slogan or a catchphrase. It is in every action, every day. It means being disciplined to show up differently, and prove ourselves to clients who have put their trust in us, giving back to them by doing our best work.
When it comes to people, in our industry you so often find that the hiring process is focused on filling a role, rather than creating a future-focused business with talent and capabilities onboarded to shape where the future of the industry is headed.
For us, talent comes in all shapes and sizes and our focus is finding and nurturing the top 1% of talent in the region to stand by our promise – and achieve it.
3. This is the era of the indie
Having been inside these four walls for the past 90 days, it’s not hard to see why people are talking about this being the era of the indie.
This agency moves at a pace I haven’t experienced since the early part of my career. There are no cumbersome processes. No forms to fill out for specialist resource, or warnings of a minimum three-day response time. We can act fast for each other and our clients. And our mix of specialities means we can offer creative, channel-agnostic solutions at speed for brands across the spectrum – from government entities and big corporates through to owner-operated, homegrown brands. One look at our client roster, both here and globally, is testament to the fact that the belief that big brands need big agencies to service them effectively, is a myth.
It’s incredibly exciting to be in a role that’s focused on growth – from physical expansion through to creative output. This also extends to having the opportunity to collaborate with such a talented team. We believe some of the world’s best earned-first creative work deserves to originate from one of the most ambitious and creatively talented places.
And if my first 90 days have taught me anything, it is that the region is ready for it.