Hey Butler friends, family, and followers–I have some big (and exciting) news to share with you. As of April 1, Butler Branding will come under the ownership of Archer & Hound Advertising. You can find the official press release here for the details; however, I wanted to share this letter so you can hear directly from me about why we made this strategic move and what it means moving forward.
A Little Backstory
I started Butler Branding in 2012 with little more than a laptop and David Cruz (our first employee, who has been with Butler Branding to this day). We had no experience and no real qualifications, only a steadfast determination to serve the community through creativity. To be honest, we weren’t all that great in the early days, but we stuck to our core values and stayed true to our word. Our clients trusted us and we worked hard to earn and keep that trust.
Since then, we’ve gone through several evolutions, growing not only in number but also in skill, talent, quality, and services. Our evolution has included:
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- A rebrand in 2016 as we grew from a small design shop to a branding agency focused on strategic creativity.
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- The addition of content marketing services in 2017.
- A focus on mission-driven organizations and brands in 2020.
Along the way, Butler Branding has grown in talent, expanded our services, and gained invaluable relationships with amazing clients. Above all, we’ve earned trust and been able to serve the community that’s been so good to us over the years.
As we’ve grown, the demand for more services and a higher level of service has grown as well. Like most entrepreneurs, I expanded my network to learn from the best. One of the agencies that caught my eye and respect over the years is Archer & Hound Advertising.
I met Archer & Hound’s Creative Director and Partner Aaron Coyne at a networking event and we immediately hit it off. Soon after, Aaron introduced me to founders Dave and Jessica Blanchfield. Our relationship grew through sharing stories, ideas, experiences, and tricks of the trade we’ve learned. We quickly realized that our agencies were very similar…like, eerily similar. From our cultures to our values, to our processes, to our philosophy of service…we were like the same agency, just in parallel lanes and just a few years apart.
Eventually, the conversation about merging forces naturally came up. After several months of entertaining questions like “What would this mean?” “How would this look practically?” “Could this really work?”, it became evident that this was the right move. The deal was eventually made–Archer & Hound Advertising would acquire Butler Branding, bringing two teams together to make one powerhouse agency. This acquisition is the next phase in Butler Branding’s evolutionary story.
There were a hundred reasons why this was the best and most obvious decision, but here are four of the major reasons:
1. Best of Both Worlds
While both agencies started with different areas of focus, both Butler and Archer & Hound now offer full creative and marketing services, each bringing unique advantages to the partnership. This merger unites the best of both to leverage each other’s strengths and elevate our client services. The best of creative power, branding excellence, and advertising experience are coming together.
2. Cultural Fit
This wouldn’t have worked if either of our agencies operated under different cultural dynamics. In deepening my relationship with the leadership at Archer & Hound, we’ve found that not only do our services complement each other, but so do our cultures, values, leadership styles, and service philosophy.
3. Expanding Our Mission
Butler Branding has been on a mission to amplify the voices of a million brands doing good in the world. Joining the team at Archer & Hound significantly boosts our ability to reach this goal through enhanced services along with increased resources and talent.
4. A Stacked Leadership Team
For those of you who know what it’s like running a business, it can sometimes feel like building the runway as you’re landing the plane. It’s an invaluable gift to have other leaders with complementary skillsets to grow the business. Aside from merging the insanely talented creatives and marketers at both agencies, I’m thrilled to join the leadership team at Archer & Hound. I’m looking forward to introducing you to some of the faces you might see in the coming months, including Dave Blanchfield (Founder, CEO, and Director of Operations), Jessica Blanchfield (Founder, President, and Director of Accounts), and Aaron Coyne (Partner and Creative Director).
So, What Does the Future Look Like?
For existing Butler Branding clients, there will effectively be no change other than an increase in support and enhanced capacity to serve you better. The same creative and leadership team you’re accustomed to (myself included), with the addition of numerous resources and assets to further amplify your brand’s voice. We may eventually evolve the Butler Branding name, but for now, our focus is on merging our two agencies and serving our clients with the excellence you’ve always expected.
This is just the start of something extraordinary. Stay tuned as we unfold the next chapters, because the best is yet to come!
If you have more questions, invite me for coffee, and I’d be glad to share more.
Warm regards,
Sean Tambagahan
