Ten years ago, we started Erich & Kallman without ever having worked together. But we had admired each other’s work for years, and shared a belief that advertising is the most effective and efficient way to grow business.
We loved the power of a great idea to change how people think, feel and act. We loved watching creativity solve real business problems. But after years at some of the best agencies in the world, we also felt the business was moving away from the very thing that made it great. So before we started an agency, we spent time talking with CEOs, CMOs and brand leaders. We wanted to understand what they actually wanted from an agency, –not what the industry thought they should want.
What we heard was surprisingly consistent. Clients weren’t looking for more process, more layers or a partner that claimed to do everything. They wanted exceptional talent. They wanted speed. They wanted honesty. They wanted collaboration. They wanted to be listened to. Most of all, they wanted a partner that cared as much about solving their business problems as making great advertising. That became the blueprint for Erich & Kallman.
We built it so that the people leading the agency were also the ones actually making the work. We wanted to create an environment whereWhere strategy and creativity were at the center of the agency, and best-in-class specialists were brought in when needed. We kept the structure intentionally lean so ideas could move quickly and resources could go where they mattered most: into the people creating value for our clients.
We also made a bet. We believed that despite everything changing around our industry, one thing hadn’t:. Advertising still works when people actually care about it. The brands that grow are the brands people choose to talk about. The work that creates the greatest business impact is still the work people willingly watch, share and remember. That’s what we’ve always meant when we say we want to make brands famous.
Ten years later, we believe that even more strongly. But if we were describing our business today, we’d probably use different words. We don’t wake up every morning thinking about making advertising. We wake up thinking about solving problems. Sometimes the answer is a campaign. Sometimes it’s a new positioning, a product idea, a strategic shift or simply asking a better question. Advertising is one of the most powerful tools for solving business problems, but it’s still just one tool. The real job has always been helping our clients get where they want to go.
The next decade will undoubtedly bring new technologies, new platforms and entirely new ways of working. But none of that changes the fundamentals. Businesses will always need people who can find clarity in complexity, uncover the real problem and create ideas that move people to act. That’s what excited us 10ten years ago, and it’s what excites us today.
To everyone who has been part of Erich & Kallman’s first decade—our clients, our teammates, our partners and our friends—thank you for believing in a different way of building an agency. We can’t wait to help solve the next decade’s problems together.
