With advertising now accounting for over 25% of turnover, the Dublin-based agency Dynamo has made the successful transition from being a bespoke design and branding agency into a full-service creative consultancy as managing director Róisín Ní Ráighne explains to John McGee.
Ever since Jamie Helly set up a boutique design and branding agency called Dynamo in 1992, the Irish marketing and advertising landscape has been transformed beyond recognition.
While change has been a constant feature of the landscape in the intervening period, agencies operating in the creative space have proved to be remarkably resilient and adaptive when it comes to embracing these changes. Perhaps more than they get credit for.
Founded in 1992 by Helly, who has been a well-known figure within the Irish design and packaging industry for many years, Dynamo soon built up a golden rolodex, largely on the back of its reputation for high standards and client retention. Over the years, Helly has often remarked “to know us is to love us.”
While the marketing and advertising industry has weathered many storms like the economic collapse of 2007/08, it was the COVID19 lockdown of 2020-2022, that provided the opportunity for many agencies, including Dynamo, to reassess their business models and plan for a future that would invariably bring about more change.
“In a covid-affected world, Dynamo took time to reflect – on the end consumer needs, client requirements and, ultimately, what the optimum agency model would look like,” says Dynamo’s managing director, Róisín Ní Ráighne.
“It became clear that consumers no longer desire brands with highly separated experiences from design to comms to activation, but brands that deliver a consistent and seamless promise and experience,” she says.
Client Frustration
“Many clients also expressed their frustration with having to deal with different agencies, each of which was responsible for different elements of an overall marketing campaign. So, we set out to deliver an end-to-end agency model that transformed the worlds of our clients and their digital first consumers,” she adds.
“We extended our service offering in 2020 and invested significantly in the right resources to deliver this end-to-end service that would set us up uniquely in the market,” she adds.
“From brand strategy and visual identity right through to communications planning and creative development across different touchpoints, we are built differently and now have a combination of expertise and skillsets under one roof, setting our clients’ up for success,” she says.
Agency Expansion
A key part of the agency’s expansion and transformation was the appointment of Ní Ráighne herself as its managing director in 2020 with founder Jamie Helly stepping back to take on the role of executive chairman.
Previously, Ní Ráighne was the agency’s brand planning and insights director and down through the years she has worked with a few Irish marketing agencies including Marketing Network and Acorn (now Epsilon).
Taking up the story, Ní Ráighne says that the agency also recruited several key senior personnel to drive the agency forward.
“It began with the appointment of Siobhan avery as communications director. Previously MD of digital agency ICAN, she helped build the team with key hires from well-known digital and creative agencies like Publicis, Huskies, JWT and Bloom. This has helped ensure that we had the best resources to truly deliver our end-to-end model,” she says.
New Blood
Some of these key appointments included Stephen Owen, who was appointed as executive creative director; Ross Giles who was appointed as advertising creative director while Conor Wynne and Aisling Walsh took on the roles of creative directors across corporate and food & drink brand development. In addition, ex owner of global agency Elmwood, Jonathan Sands OBE, joined the board as an advisor in 2020. For his part, Helly now holds the position of chairman, overseeing the agency’s strategic growth, acting as client partner, along with working on business development.
Now headquartered in Dublin 2, a stone’s throw from Dublin’s Grafton Street, Dynamo employs 32 staff in Dublin and London across multiple disciplines ranging from brand strategy and design to packaging and advertising. The latter, Ní Ráighn, notes, now accounts for over 25% of revenues and this looks set to grow even further in 2025.
Clients of the agency include the likes of Mark Anthony Brands (White Claw, Mikes, Cayman Jack, MXD) Proximo (Bushmills) ARI, Denny, Goffs, Bauer Media Audio Ireland & UK, Grant Thornton, Avant Money, Fáilte Ireland, Aer Lingus, Eason, Portwest, Laya Healthcare, BWG, Green Isle and Tirlán (previously Glanbia)
“Recent growth has come from both the Irish market and overseas, with the agency working with a diversified client base across Europe and further afield,” says Ní Ráighne.
Growing Overseas
“The initial move to remote working was what first unlocked more international business – we found new opportunities that previously may not have presented themselves and it grew from there. A key part of our strategy is to continue to grow that business and to compete more and more on the world stage,” Ní Ráighne says.
While growing Dynamo is important, Ní Ráighne says it will not be a case of growth for growth’s sake as the agency’s longer-term financial sustainability is paramount.
“We speak less about growth and more about maintaining financial fitness and long-term sustainability. We’ve chosen not to follow the path of others but ensure we maintain a culture of true partnership and not dilute what we’re known for – a consultative, partnership model and excellence across all disciplines.”
Are there new service offerings that the agency, which has morphed into a creative consultancy, would like to offer over the next few years?
The C-Suite
“As we onboard new clients and win more pitches, we will continue to build on our new advertising offering. Alongside this, we are actively focused on enhancing our creative brand offering through innovation and new-to-market services. These are centred around high-level C-Suite involvement which, in turn, will be a key driver for Dynamo’s continued growth.
“Agencies often put themselves in a weak position when entering the boardroom. The rules of engagement are completely different, as the emphasis needs to shift from ‘conceptual’ to ‘commercial’ supported with a very compelling argument for risk versus reward” You have 15 minutes max – don’t waste it,” she adds.
Greater Expectations
From a client perspective, Dynamo has witnessed many changes in its long history, with the last 10 years arguably the most disruptive.
“We have witnessed our clients’ expectations widening, with broader and deeper involvement in their business now required,” Ní Ráighne says.
“Increased fragmentation and specialisms now require heavier strategic input than ever before, as the lines between business and marketing become truly blurred. Clients now need and expect proactivity, helping them to predict their needs before they do, in both a business and marketing capacity. They need agency partners to get into the trenches with them and propose unbiased -and sometimes unexpected- solutions that will help turn the dial,” she adds.
“For example, we recently found ourselves proposing and managing global CRM solutions when it was an ad campaign that was asked for. We’ve also created and produced a full brand repositioning and identity when the client initially asked for a redesign of its packaging.
“Because we are built differently and house experts across all disciplines we are able to open your brand up, look inside and determine what you really need,” Ní Ráighne says.
With 2025 well underway, change will remain a constant for the agencies and there will be many challenges, she says.
“The traditional, old ways of working are simply not working for clients and agencies alike. Diminishing the value of creativity means working harder for less, making it unsustainable for agencies and the industry less attractive to younger talent,” she says.
“Drivers of change in the agency landscape will be a move to premiumization of thinking and strategy and agencies themselves placing a premium on what they’re selling. Technology will continue to disrupt the industry and AI, for example, is a tool to enhance creative ideation and innovation. And whilst certain skillsets will no longer be needed, new ones will be carved out due to changing technology, she says,
“After an incredible few years, we are excited about the trajectory of our business, our evolved agency model, our growing team and expertise and deeper relationships, but mostly the continued results driven and the quality our work,” Ní Ráighne concludes.
Now headquartered in Dublin 2, a stone’s throw from Dublin’s Grafton Street, Dynamo employs 36 staff in Ireland and the UK, across multiple disciplines ranging from brand strategy and design to packaging design and advertising. The latter, she notes, now accounts for over 25% of revenues and this looks set to grow even further in 2025.
