So what’s this all about? For the past couple of years the agency has been known as Seed. In the past couple months, we’ve seen a lot of changes in the company (and in the industry at large). What happened?

Well for those who have been following us for a while, you’ll remember that back in 2005 we started this agency called Seed. At the time, it was comprised of several partners and we were doing a lot of short-term projects for brands. We were taking a wide variety of assignments – from the creation of Inked Magazine (of which we ran the business for one year before transferring ownership to Nylon), to a slew of web builds, to various experiential assignments. This led to candid conversations about how we would invest our resources and the overall direction of the business. During the end of last year, there was a mutual parting of the ways between some partners. After a time of deep reflection we decided to take the agency in a more focused direction.

And that’s Sub Rosa?

Yes. We decided to bring it all back to a single focus: we are agents of communication and change for brands. Armed with a clear direction it made sense for us to re-examine every aspect of our methodology, team structure and client outreach. After much exploration (aided with laughter and red wine) we unearthed the foundational principles for the agency.

So how does Sub Rosa go about changing this?

Well I like to think that what we did was learn how to be “medium agnostic” in our thinking. Yes, we can certainly build a hell of a website. But maybe a website isn’t what you need or is only a part of the solution. By thinking too much about the medium, agencies can lose their connection with their clients. Their interests become misaligned.

For example…?

Let’s take a conversation we are faced with regularly. A client comes to us and says they have this product and they want to bring it to consumers in an authentic and genuine way. They want consumers to embrace the attributes of the brand and become long-term evangelists helping to spread the message to as many consumer groups as possible.

Now, would it be fair for me to automatically assume that the best answer to this would be a website or a print campaign without giving any thought to what we’re setting out to say? Of course not. But that’s what most of this industry is doing. Agencies are tempted to give clients the answer that best suits their business model or profit margin. It’s the old “To a hammer, everything is a nail.” Your company might make 20% less on doing print but you know a print campaign is the right answer for the client’s needs. What do you tell them? More often than not we were seeing ourselves and others in the industry making recommendations that didn’t show an alignment of interests.

We didn’t want to be known as a digital shop or experiential shop or influencer shop - we wanted to be known as an agency that listens. One that hears the situation of our clients, develops the right solution for THEIR needs, and delivers it as seamlessly as possible.

Well a lot of people would argue that you’re full of shit because you’re still building websites and working with influential consumers. How do you respond to that?

The web isn’t going away. A consumer’s ability to help spread a brand’s message hasn’t changed. What has changed is how we approach solving problems for our clients. We truly believe that the message is far more important than the medium. I don’t want to build a shitload of widgets and apps for you if that’s not what you need.

Look, the business we’re in is that which convinces consumers that they need your brand in their lives. That’s only disingenuous when it’s done without a conscience and without regard for authenticity of the brand’s dialogue with consumers. The positioning of this agency is that we will always strive to find the right balance of artful, genuine dialogue and core business objectives. We want to honor the relationships consumers have with brands, not exploit them.

Ok, let’s change gears a little. Where’d the name come from?

Sub Rosa is a Latin term that was used to connote secrecy. Literally translating “under the rose,” it was a phrase used when conversations were had [typically] under frescos or other artful ceilings in history. To have a conversation that is sub rosa means that it is done in confidence.

I liked this idea because many of the conversations we have with clients are considered “covert”. We aren’t the AOR for many of our clients. Because we’re small, because we’re nimble, we can move at the pace of the market. At the pace of consumers.

When a brand comes to us, it’s usually because they haven’t found the right answer with a “traditional” agency, or the project demands a real-time, opportunistic approach and the big agency can’t respond fast enough.

Hypothetical question - if you could craft your perfect project, what would it be?

It would be a client who is looking to engage or re-engage with consumers they haven’t found because their messaging is lacking substance. What we get most excited about is being immersed in a brand and getting all anthropological on understanding where the breakdown occurred in their efforts and how we can right the ship with them. We are the fixers of unusual problems and the conjurers of new beginnings.

Sounds like magic.

When it’s done right, it is magic.