Smith Bros. Agency Rebrands, Narrows Focus

Pittsburgh-based Smith Bros. is rebranding to Smiths Agency and narrowing its focus to food and beverage accounts, which has been the core vertical for the 19-year-old creative agency.

redesigned website proclaims, “we live food,” while a new tagline, “Craving Creators,” is a nod to the agency’s purported ability to stimulate consumer demand.  

“We constantly tell clients that smart positioning involves sacrifice. We realized now is the time for us to follow suit and focus where we are strongest,” said Lindsey Smith, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Creative Officer of Smiths Agency.

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Smith cited a Millward Brown/4A’s study that found that clients principally want agencies with best-in-class specialists that have in-depth knowledge of their industry. “We understand food consumers and know the industry more deeply than most agencies,” said Smith. “That’s critical because clients can’t afford to train agencies anymore. They need industry experts who can bring foresight to the business and move immediately on change or opportunity without missing a step.”

Since founding in 2002, Smiths has served more than 100 CPG and restaurant clients often winning food and beverage-related business with their expertise in the field.

Case in point: J M Smucker’s Sahale Snacks brand. The agency positioned the brand as an exotic reimagining of trail mix and marketed it to Millennials as an adventure with a promise – “We’re Changing Snacking for Good.” Sales soared 18%, boosted by a 245% lift in social referrals.

Similarly, Smiths sparked a mini movement for tasty Premier Protein Shakes by mobilizing consumers the brand has helped. Their social sharing, from YouTube videos to Instagram photos, raised brand share by more than two points and favorability by 12%.

And when COVID-19 overturned the restaurant industry last year, Smiths turned McCain Foods from the biggest frozen French Fries supplier into a source for survival tips, using downloadable toolkits and webinars as a part of their digital plan, doubling the brand’s reach and increasing engagement by 67% among restaurant operators.

Other current clients include current clients include Dum-Dums Brand and NatureSweet Tomatoes.

Bronson Smith, also a Co-Founder and Co-Chief Creative Officer at the agency said, “Because we live food, we’re intimately aware of the whole environment – from culture and consumer choice to the delivery infrastructure. We can see things others miss and we can appreciate the effect of a change in one aspect on the whole business.”

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