"Only the distinct will survive": How Studio Everywhere is redefining the agency model

"Most agencies are still selling the same outdated operating system - office first, desk heavy, siloed teams, linear thinking," says David Brabbins, founder of Studio Everywhere, the decentralised brand consultancy challenging traditional agency structures since 2018.

In an industry where transformation is often discussed but rarely implemented, Studio Everywhere has spent seven years proving that a network-based model can deliver what Brabbins describes as "better, faster, higher output, no bullshit brand building for companies that want to win."

The timing couldn't have been more fortuitous. Just a year after launching, COVID forced the entire professional world into remote first working - effectively normalising the very model Brabbins and co-founder Jason Berg had already embraced.

"Any resistance clients had to working with companies without big city centre offices disappeared because everyone was the size of a postage stamp on Zoom - the big offices didn't matter anymore" Brabbins explains. 

The talent algorithm

At the heart of Studio Everywhere's approach is what COO Jason Berg calls their "talent algorithm" - a carefully curated network of independent specialists who bring world class expertise to each project.

"When we talk about a network, we're not talking about a marketplace of thousands of people," Berg clarifies. "We have a few hundred people in our network, and we think that's more than enough. We want to get to know each one at a reasonable level of depth."

This selective approach yields teams that clients find genuinely impressive. "It results in clients being surprised by the standard of talent we bring to the table," says Berg. "There are instances where companies say they're inspired by Robinhood, and we bring in the team that led Robinhood's brand development. Or they mention Sonos as an inspiration, and we bring the design team that built out the Sonos design system."

The network isn't just about technical expertise - it's deliberately diverse by design. "Because of that global presence, because of people coming from different industries, different firms, different backgrounds, belief systems, it's a really interesting melting pot to create novel solutions," Berg explains.

This diversity becomes increasingly valuable in an AI-driven landscape where sameness is becoming the default. As Brabbins puts it: "In a world where everyone's expected to do more with less, only the distinctive will survive."

The one-two punch

Studio Everywhere's model hinges on what Berg describes as their "one-two punch" - exceptional talent paired with senior leadership.

"We know who and we know how," Berg explains. "The 'we know who' layer is how we've built this agency intentionally from day one to be on top of a network of world class independent talent."

But unlike freelance marketplaces that simply connect clients with talent, Studio Everywhere maintains tight control of the strategic direction. "We aren't a marketplace. We're not just putting these teams together and handing them off to a client. A senior partner from our organisation will always be the point person driving the overall strategic direction."

This combination addresses a common client concern about working with independents: the lack of strategic oversight and quality control. By pairing curated talent with experienced leadership, Studio Everywhere delivers the benefits of both worlds - specialised expertise and strategic coherence.

The game changers: clients driving societal impact

The agency's client roster reflects a focus on what Brabbins calls "game changers" - companies with potential to transform industries and create meaningful impact.

One recent example is Bedrock Robotics, a company founded by former Waymo engineers who are applying autonomous vehicle technology to construction. "With all the demand to rebuild infrastructure, solve housing shortages, and build new data centres fuelling the AI revolution, global capacity to build is frankly not there," Berg explains. "There's a huge and growing labour shortage."

The agency helped Bedrock emerge from stealth mode with a brand that had to consider multiple stakeholders, from construction companies and their employees to unions, investors and media. "What came out of it is a company that's a year and a half old but looks extremely sophisticated, extremely impactful, and that has already made tremendous progress solving an incredibly hard problem," Berg says.

This focus on societal impact energises the agency. As Brabbins puts it: "Not just for the reputational fame for our agency, but can they change the world? It's super interesting to be part of that innovation story."

Navigating client relationships with radical transparency

The agency's approach to client relationships is refreshingly straightforward. "Openness, honesty and transparency is key," says Berg. "Anytime you shy away from a difficult conversation with a client out of ease, it always ends up becoming a bigger problem than it's worth."

This candour has occasionally led to walking away from opportunities that don't align with their values, and sometimes with unexpected results. Berg recounts an instance where they declined to work with a new marketing leader at a longtime client because the relationship "didn't position us for success."

"At first, they did not appreciate that whatsoever," Berg recalls. "About six months later, we were given a call back after another agency botched the job and the internal marketing lead had been let go. We were brought back in to do a rebrand with them again, which in some ways made our relationship even stronger."

This experience reinforced their commitment to transparent communication. "If we took the opposite approach and didn't have those difficult conversations, we would have ended up not in a good place. They wouldn't have been in a good place. It doesn't serve anybody."

The future belongs to the distinctive

As AI continues to commodify marketing services, Studio Everywhere sees both challenge and opportunity. "Technology is creating lower barriers to entry - anyone with a laptop can set up shop as an independent or start a little agency," Brabbins observes. "Secondly, the commodification of marketing services through AI is flooding the market with sameness. Everything's faster, cheaper, sloppier."

"This is our opportunity," Brabbins argues. "We’re distinct. That's where we can really help our clients to avoid the commodification trap by building robust, bold brands."

As Berg summarises their vision for the future: "The future will belong to those who can bring an edge to their client's business that the machines can't."

For brands seeking to stand out and grow faster in an increasingly homogenised landscape, that edge might just come from a decentralised network of diverse thinkers, strategically deployed to solve the most complex brand challenges.