Before the handshake or pitch theatre, there’s the credentials presentation landing quietly in an inbox full of others. This is your opening move. If it doesn’t hook attention or build belief, you’re out before the game begins. Fluff won’t cut it. Marketers want clarity, substance and a reason to keep reading. If your credentials can’t deliver, don’t expect an invite.
That’s why the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) Agency Credentials Award exists – to spotlight agencies that get it right. Winning credentials aren’t copy-and-paste decks of recycled slides and award logos. They’re built with intention, designed to tell a clear and compelling story. As Jonty Fisher, SVP of Publicis Groupe Africa, says: “Credentials are a critical silent salesman. While every agency has them, very few actually stand out.”
This isn’t about stitching together your best work into a flashy reel. It’s about who you are. Why you exist. How you think. What makes you unmistakably you. This is where the sizzle reel earns its name. But not the kind that merely flexes your creative muscles. We’re talking about a culture reel – a visceral snapshot of the agency’s soul. Maybe it’s a walk through your workspace, team banter, bold thinking, glimpses of standout work – not case study overload, just flashes of brilliance – and yes, a client or two who appreciates you. Because marketers aren’t just buying your work. They’re buying you.
As IAS CEO Johanna McDowell puts it: “Don’t treat credentials as an afterthought. They are there to speak for the agency when it is not there to speak for itself.” Your reel should crackle with identity – not just creativity, but culture, values and energy.
Credentials are also where your agency’s positioning comes into sharp focus. “To find your singular brand story and capture the distinctiveness of an agency is incredibly important and often overlooked,” says Fisher. “You don’t win by trying to be everything to everyone. You win by being unmistakably you.”
That means a deck and reel that go beyond bios and buzzwords. Tell your story – your team, leadership, values, client mix and standout work – with a compelling narrative that makes people care. Use case studies that show transformation, not just execution.
What sets the IAS Credentials Award apart? The judges aren’t industry peers. They're marketers, the people you’re trying to impress. They assess your credentials and give honest feedback. And it’s all confidential – your deck stays behind closed doors.
The award’s partnership with the Assegai Awards, now backed by international recognition through the Echo Awards, only elevates its reach and relevance. It places agency credentials where they belong: in front of the people who matter. Pete Case, CEO of Ogilvy South Africa, sees the IAS Credentials Award as a litmus test: “It’s a measure to see how we index and get feedback from marketers. And yes, if we win, it means we’re doing something right.”
And here’s the kicker – those decks don’t vanish after your pitch ends. They travel. Often in hard copy. They’re pored over during deliberation, dissected in post-pitch autopsies. That’s your second shot – or your final blow.
So make them count. Craft them with intent. Inject energy. Let your best creative minds shape them. Because in a sea of sameness, your difference is your only leverage. And if you want the shortlist, or the trophy, that difference better show up loud and clear.
