Company: Said Differently
Nomination Submitted by: Day One
Company Description: Founded in 2020, Said Differently was built by rethinking everything about the traditional marketing/advertising agency and has quickly become one of the most trusted, fastest-growing alternatives that serves clients better, faster, and less expensively while championing talent. Since its inception Said Differently has experience an unprecedented 2,702% growth.
Nomination Category: Achievement Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Achievement in Growth
 Nomination Title: Said Differently
- Briefly describe the nominated organization: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 128 words used.
Said Differently is an untraditional agency that serves clients better and faster, providing outstanding work and unparalleled value. With a unique approach to talent and project management, Said Differently has quickly become one of the industry’s fastest-growing design and development service firms, serving as a broad-based alternative to the legacy advertising and management consultants.
Leveraging a global footprint, the core of Said Differently’s model is its proprietary network of more than 3,500 freelance creatives, technologists and other specialists that cater to clients across different verticals, time zones, and languages. Built to eliminate the pain points and bloat of traditional creative agencies, Said Differently’s scalable and agile approach ensures that teams are lean and built to deliver exactly to each clients needs, while keeping costs to a minimum.
- Outline the organization's achievements since the beginning of last year that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 222 words used.
Said Differently has grown an unprecedented 2,702% since its inception in 2020, increasing earnings from $6 million to $16.4 million between 2021 and 2022, while anticipating $20 million in revenue in 2023. In 2021, the company also secured unsolicited funding as the “future of work” platform investment from Falfurrias Capital Partners, a renowned investor in the professional services market. Such remarkable growth and early success underscores the inherent value and demand for Said Differently’s untraditional approach.
Within the last 18 months, new project and client wins ranged from taking on multiple agency duties across the largest division of US Cellular, to owning the gamut of Brightspeed’s marketing, social, and design strategies, and revamping Blue Apron’s core product and service experience.
Said Differently also took on a variety of projects for Neiman Marcus including the luxury retailer's omnichannel strategy, its collaborative partner program, and a full revamp of its outdated, poorly rated mobile app. In just four months, Said Differently redesigned the app user experience to offer personalized shopping, recommended looks, immersive content, and shopping advice. The app now earns 100MM+ in revenue and has higher engagement, with its app score rating jumping from 2.4 to 4+ stars. The revamped mobile app also earned a “feature” in Apple’s App Store and was awarded “outstanding app interaction design” in PRINT Magazine.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 67 words used.
AdAge - supporting Rachel’s position as one of the very few out female CEO’s of an emerging enterprise: https://adage.com/article/creativity/said-differentlys-rachel-barek-tapping-her-lgbtq-network-and-prioritizing-new-way-working/2500476
Print Magazine - describing the Neiman Marcus app redesign win: https://www.printmag.com/print-awards/the-best-of-craft-and-digital-collide-in-this-years-print-awards/
Announcement of the capital investment: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/falfurrias-capital-partners-announces-investment-in-untraditional-marketing-agency-said-differently-301620585.html
AdAge - Byline by Rachel supporting Said Differently’s business model. Most read AdAge story the week it was published: https://adage.com/article/opinion/why-agencies-should-go-fully-remote-and-how-return-office-mandates-and-hybrid-schedules-are-risky/2510426
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the nominated achievements since July 1 of 2021, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions, provide them in the appropriate spaces below:
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the organization's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 174 words used.
Unlike most start-up firms, Said Differently immediately attracted an impressive client portfolio of well known names across Fortune 500 leaders, VC-backed startups, and nonprofits. Notable brands such as Colgate, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Bright Speed, Blue Apron, and US Cellular have all been drawn to Said Differently’s untraditional approach – a testament to the success of the young company’s unique core concept and affirming that Said Differently delivers exactly what today’s leading brands need to win.
Said Differently’s rapid expansion has been entirely organic, fueled by new client acquisitions and existing client’s increased scopes of work. Noteworthy examples of project expansion attributing to the agency’s success include the company’s work with US Cellular that began as a $120,000 project and is now an $8 million retained client; its work with Neiman Marcus that began as a $60,000 project and is now a $2 million client, and the company's work with Bright Speed which grew from $2 million to $10 million. This steady, incremental growth solidifies the efficacy of Said Differently’s innovative model.
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