At Simantel, we believe in the power of partnership, collaboration and outcomes. It’s core to our brand philosophy that defines who we are and how we work. But the agency of and™ is about more than just words—it reflects how we come alongside our clients to create meaningful change together.

So, what exactly is the agency of and? Let’s break it down.

Defining the Small Yet Big Word: And

And: A small word with a big impact. In our brand position, ‘and’ represents connection, growth and inclusion. It’s the bridge that links ideas, people and opportunities. It’s also the mindset of thinking beyond the obvious, where we don’t settle for ’either/or’ but seek the and that leads to more dynamic outcomes.

Related Content: Simantel, The Agency of And: A Brand Position 40+ Years in the Making

Exploring the Personal Touch of ‘And’ Through Our Marketing Sweats Podcast

When we first rolled out our brand position to employees, we wanted to create ways for Simantelites to feel personally connected to the agency of and. After all, who we are is rooted in relationships. Now, we want to expand that level of connection to reach people beyond our employees.

That’s where Marketing Sweats comes in. It’s our award-winning podcast hosted by one of our owners and principals, Misty Klobucher. In the podcast she invites industry experts into the sweat studio (trust us, it gets hot in there!) and spends time getting to know them, what makes them unique and digging deeper to uncover insights relevant to our work and our clients’ work. It just so happened that the latest collection of guests were recording as we were rolling out the agency of and. What better way to get some outside perspective than to turn to this group of experts.

We asked each guest about their personal and, and some clear themes rose to the top:

1. Hobbies/Time Spent: Many participants defined their and by where and how they spend their time.

  • “My and is my family. I feel so incredibly grateful and lucky. I didn’t grow up with a lot of privilege, but we had what we needed… [we] had unconditional love,” said Matt Heinz, Founder and President of Heinz Marketing.
  • “I would say adventure. I’m a huge adrenaline junkie. I like to do things that scare me and kind of get me out of my comfort zone. I don’t do it as often as I like, but when given the opportunity, I definitely like to jump at it,” said MARCA Miami VP and Director of Planning, Kristen Sabina.
  • “My and is [celebrating] cultural diversity. It develops a sense of tolerance, respect and dignity that is often lacking in human beings. When I travel, I don’t get on a tourist bus, I go wandering around,” said Joe Rosenbaum, Partner, Rimon, P.C.

2. Personality Traits: Others saw their and as a reflection of who they are at their core.

  • “And is really about being open minded. It’s not about shutting somebody down because they don’t agree with you. It’s really an important tool,” said Lisa Colantuono, President of AAR Partners.
  • “My and is caring. I care deeply… I’m so grateful for the person I am now, because I’m able to look and see and stop and feel and help and guide and install some hope. And that’s, for me, way more valuable than anything else,” said podcast host and business strategist Spencer Lodge.

3. Business Values: For others, their and came through in their work and approach to business.

  • “For me the most important part is the dot dot dot …. The and is consistent and the dot dot dot is what cycles through the interesting ideas and motion and creativity,” said digital prophet David Shing.

Building our Brand on Solid Pillars

When rolling out the agency of and, we wanted to find a memorable and meaningful way to define ‘and’. So, we looked to the dictionary definition, which describes ‘and’ as connecting, bringing people together and layering ideas. This sparked the creation of what we call the Brand Pillars—a set of guiding principles that mirror both our process and what we deliver to clients. They consist of Bridge, Build, Become, Belong and Balance.

We asked our podcast guests to weigh in on these words—and, more importantly, how they resonate with their own marketing process.

Bridge: By far the most popular. Many participants said that the process of “bringing people together and connecting dots” is not just the most enjoyable part of marketing—it’s essential to success.

  • “There are people who aren’t about ideation and connecting dots, they only want to know the specs… But when you are great at bridging that makes you better than 90% of other people out there,” said Tim Leake, Founder & CEO, Let’s Lightbulb.

Build, Become and Belong: These three pillars were often grouped together by respondents. Some noted it’s less about “becoming” something new and more about learning to “just be”—understanding who our clients want to be and helping them achieve that.

  • “I love the concept of belonging. Everybody wants to belong, so that’s why it’s at the core of why people purchase, follow and do anything. That’s all humans want,” said social influencer Maggie Gehlsen-Burnett.

Balance: While not as frequently mentioned, some participants said maintaining balance is crucial—especially when it comes to combining business outcomes with the flexibility to adapt.

  • “I’m working on deals right now where I’ve got a great relationship with the client… we’re working together really well. Yesterday they called me and said, ‘We’ve changed the way we think of our business model. And we want you to kind of revise the contract.’ And what I didn’t say was, ‘Oh, really?’ What I said was, ‘Okay, tell me what you want,’” said Joe Rosenbaum, Partner, Rimon, P.C.

Defining Our ‘Why’

As Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” At Simantel, we love the thrill of solving problems, and that’s what drives us. But we wanted to hear from other marketers—what’s their ‘why’?

Here are some of the top responses:

  • Forward Thinking:
    • Staying out of a rut
    • Thinking about where we’re going next
    • Embracing complexity, because it’s not going away
  • Client Relationships:
    • Knowing when a solution works
    • Building trust with clients by offering value, not just the lowest price
    • Celebrating wins, like signing a new client
  • Altruistic Goals:
    • Leaving behind more than you take
    • Making people laugh
    • Helping people feel good about themselves

What’s Your And?

At Simantel, the agency of and is more than a philosophy—it’s a way of working that brings people together, encourages innovation and creates lasting results. By embracing the power of and, Simantel continues to redefine the way we work with our clients, helping them achieve both immediate success and long-term growth. Keep an eye out for more insights and conversations on our podcast and blog as we continue to explore what it means to be the agency of and.

We’d love to know: what’s your and? Join the conversation, and let’s connect to make great things happen together!