Growth Marketing Anti-Agency: What It Is & How to Build One

The Intersection of Politics, Marketing, and Startup Growth

Cam Sinclair, the founder of Australian growth marketing firm Ammo, recounts his journey, stating, “From a young age, I possessed a strong interest in both technology and the mechanics of business.” He consistently aimed to discover avenues for assisting founders and innovators in bringing their innovative concepts to fruition. Sinclair’s prior experience within political campaigns revealed significant overlaps in skill sets required by startups – rapid execution, resourcefulness, effective communication, adaptability, and flexibility.

In a recent interview series featuring leading growth specialists, Sinclair shared with Anna Heim that his political background “motivated the creation of an ‘anti-agency’ model, designed to foster a genuine partnership with startup founders, acknowledging the unique challenges and inherent risks they face.”

TechCrunch Updates and Insights

The TechCrunch team has been actively engaged over the past fortnight. A highly successful Disrupt conference was held, featuring numerous discussions centered around growth strategies, links to which are provided below. Furthermore, Extra Crunch, the subscription service for startups, has been rebranded as TechCrunch+ and its accessibility has been broadened to include dozens of additional countries. Details regarding this expansion can be found here.

Anna Heim recently conducted interviews with two prominent growth marketing experts. If you have recommendations for other growth marketers we should connect with, please reach out.

Strategies for Sustainable Growth

Ellen Jantsch of Tuff emphasizes that growth marketing isn’t a simple formula. Anna had the opportunity to converse with Jantsch, who detailed their team’s hiring practices, the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing a marketing agency versus building an internal marketing team, and more. Jantsch explains, “Our work extends beyond e-commerce; we adapt to SaaS, fintech, and B2B sectors, necessitating the development of a growth model—not merely a playbook—meaning our channel and tactic selection is consistently evolving.”

Ammo, an Australian growth marketing agency, focuses on helping startups refine their strategies. Anna discussed with Ammo their collaborative approach with startups, the criteria they use to determine readiness for engagement, and their methods for assisting startups in establishing a minimum viable brand. Sinclair, Ammo’s director, notes, “Previously, we characterized our role as striving for obsolescence—helping clients grow to the point where they could establish their own in-house marketing teams. We continue to maintain many of these client relationships in different capacities, offering more strategic guidance.”

Authentic Marketing and Product-Market Fit

(TechCrunch+) Jordan Crook interviewed Ryan Reynolds during Disrupt, exploring how he has successfully implemented authentic marketing through his agency, Maximum Effort. Crook observes, “At TechCrunch Disrupt 2021, we spoke with Reynolds about ‘fast-vertising’—a term he coined—which involves leveraging real-time cultural moments to generate brand awareness.”

The complexities of accurately assessing product-market fit were the focus of a TechCrunch News Editor panel hosted by Darrell Etherington. Guests included Heather Hartnett, founding partner and CEO of Human Ventures; David Thacker, general partner at Greylock; and Victoria Treyger, general partner and managing director at Felicis Ventures. The panel explored “the more nuanced challenges involved in identifying and evaluating fit.”

A Disrupt panel addressed accelerating growth across various industries. Danny Crichton led a discussion with Jenifer Ho, VP of Marketing at Elation Health, Inc.; Nik Sharma, CEO of Sharma Brands; and Shoji Ueki, head of Marketing and Analytics at Point, outlining how they achieved growth in 2021.

Building Brand Influence in the Creator Economy

Another Disrupt panel examined building brand presence and generating influence within the creator economy. Sushma Dwivedi, VP of Communications; Alexis Gay, comedian and podcast host of Non-Technical; and Julia Munslow, special projects editor at Yahoo News, joined Taylor Hatmaker to discuss “what it means to build a brand in today’s competitive landscape and how to measure success.”

Transparency and Data Privacy in Advertising

Recent changes to Google Ads, aimed at increasing transparency, are detailed by Sarah Perez. These changes are “part of Google’s broader overhaul of its advertising business, responding to increased regulatory scrutiny and a wider industry trend towards technologies that prioritize transparency and consumer privacy.”

(TechCrunch+) Ted Schlein, a general partner at Kleiner Perkins, discusses the evolving landscape of customer data in the age of data privacy, emphasizing the importance of understanding your customer. Schlein states, “While these developments may disrupt current digital marketing practices, they signify a necessary and effective shift in how brands will understand their customers in the future.”