In a world turned upside down by a national pandemic, helping businesses refocus on the essentials has never been so important.
Anthony Breen, a “Forty Under 40” winner and founder and CEO of Synergistic, says the best way for businesses to emerge better than before is to leave the fluff behind and train a laser focus on results.
“There are tech gurus, brand agencies and marketing firms, but today, there needs to be a strategic combination of all of them to ensure a powerhouse of successful outcomes for clients,” says Breen. “And that’s the sweet spot for Synergistic: business and brand strategy, consulting and execution.”
“It’s in our name, right?” says Breen. “When something is synergistic, it means various parts are working together to produce an enhanced result.”
The Synergistic team of seasoned professionals that Breen began building in 2017 comes with impressive and varying backgrounds and achievements, yet they share a common desire: to put their combined entrepreneurial spirit toward something new. “We truly are ‘Synergistic’ in the way all of these experts seamlessly work together,” adds Breen. “Among our biggest points of difference is the ability to serve as that connective tissue between a client’s business unit lead ership and their sales team. We’ve got the talent to take complex technical information and transform it into an accessible, relevant story that remains faithful to the brand’s voice. Keeping that level of consistency in communication produces powerful results, and that’s what makes us unique in the marketplace.”
As a whole, the team has also staked a claim to another point of distinction: being an “un-Agency.”
“When you think about traditional agencies, you think about lots of overhead and red tape, plenty of bloat and too much focus on awards,” says Chris Andruss, chief operating officer. “Synergistic has all of the agency talent, but none of the ego. We’re nimble, scrappy, and strategically creative. Successful business outcomes for our clients are the only rewards that matter.” A point of pride for the Synergistic team was being named “Corporate MVP” by one of their clients — a first for an agency partner.
“We’re relentlessly focused on results,” adds Breen. “That’s what keeps us curious and gutsy. We set out in 2017 to change the game for our first client by driving the connection of tech to sales and to marketing. The presence of technical expertise and marketing chops in one space strengthens our approach to each individual project and makes Synergistic a business builder. And we apply that strategy across a variety of industries and verticals, including CPG and service. It’s all about proactively and consistently adding value and discovering opportunity.”
Synergistic has earned their brand building reputation by successfully working with clients on everything from upstream enterprise vision, mission and values, to brand strategy frame-working and product and service, naming and messaging — evencreating brands from scratch like eleeo™, a household of thoughtful, high-quality, family-focused health and wellness brands, including Boogie Wipes®.
“For us, it’s all about outcomes, all of the time,” says Breen, who earned a finance and entrepreneurship degree from Xavier. “We are naturally collaborative, entrepreneurial and enterprising. We recognize opportunity and bring new, innovative ideas to the table. Our ability to understand the drivers and the desires of the target audience allows us to deliver the right message to the right person at the right time.”
It was Synergistic’s focus on business outcomes that led to quickly recognizing COVID-19’s effect on businesses. “We knew right away there would no longer be any standard or traditional ways to approach marketing challenges,” says Breen. “Clients have had to pivot and rethink their brand from a ‘virtual’ perspective, and we were agile from the beginning with COVID campaigns in Q1. I think when you establish a company on a bedrock of ‘being prepared for anything,’ it gives you a big head start. Our clients recognize that partnering with a firm that is already thinking strategically along those lines pays dividends in a hurry.”
Synergistic’s approach and creative thinking for tech and CPG also provide powerful results for nonprofits, too.
“We love giving back to our community and helping people grow within it,” adds Breen. “To that end, every year, we select up to three pro bono causes to support as part of our philanthropic mission. Promoting volunteerism is a core value. With the pandemic’s impact on mental health, our work with Butler County Mental Wellness to drive awareness is another example of how we like to give back.”
In addition to helping others, Breen built out a 6,000-square-foot space with exercise equipment on-site for his employees and makes a professional trainer available for individualized workouts. “Staying sharp mentally and physically definitely provides a winning edge,” says Breen.
So, what’s next for Synergistic?
“Meaningful growth,” says Breen. “We’re humbled by the loyalty shared by our satisfied clients and I’m excited to keep the momentum going into 2021. Our clients have rewarded our commitment to their success with referrals from their own network. So, our enthusiasm and focus will continue to be on what makes Synergistic so unique: bringing deep, rich expertise to clients’ brand, marketing, and sales challenges. It’s a winning formula for adding value and providing world-class solutions that work.”
Synergistic, a full-service “un-agency,” is located at 10325 South Medallion Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45241. For more information, call 781.727.2993 or visit www.synergistic.io.