BrandLinkDC, the full-service strategic communications agency committed to building better brands, announced its new identity as The Brand Guild. The new name reflects its growth over the past nine years as a nationally recognized public relations, events and marketing agency, and adds to its resumé a full-service creative department and a New York City-based team. The rebrand allows The Brand Guild to offer new creative services and build upon the extensive expertise of its team for building successful, strategic campaigns for the nation’s most innovative companies.
Co-founders Jayne Sandman and Barbara Martin started the company in 2010. Since its inception, the agency has worked with rapidly scaling companies, at all phases of their growth, to boost their presence through thoughtful storytelling, targeted marketing and award-winning experiential events.
As BrandLinkDC, they have told Sweetgreen’s business and supply chain stories to outlets around the world, opened Bluemercury and Drybar in dozens of markets around the country, championed Room & Board’s partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, and worked with SoulCycle to develop its signature influencer marketing program.
Now, as The Brand Guild, the agency’s four departments—public relations, marketing, events and now creative—will continue to work together to build integrated, ROI-based campaigns for nationally recognized lifestyle, consumer, real estate, food and beverage and hospitality clients. Over the past year, The Brand Guild’s footprint has grown, adding more than 15 new team members across multiple departments, and welcoming national clients to its roster, including Framebridge, Universal Standard and Murdock London.
“We connected with the definition of ‘guild’ as an association of people for pursuit of a common goal,” said Sandman. “We integrate the best of PR, marketing and branding into thoughtful strategies and campaigns that get results—and our experience working with the most exciting companies in the country has informed our unique approach to launching, scaling and building brands.”
Leading The Brand Guild’s New York office is Director of Strategy Sarah Lawson, who previously headed up the Most Creative People and Most Innovative Companies communities for Fast Company. She also led programming for the Fast Company Innovation Festivals. In her new role, she will work across departments to build strategic plans with The Brand Guild’s continually growing roster of innovative brand partners.
Amanda Markmann has been named Vice President of Creative, bringing nearly 20 years of experience in the advertising industry to The Brand Guild. Amanda is building and growing a new full-service in-house creative capability, consisting of brand development, design, content, social media, digital products, animation and video.
“We have assembled a collection of experts in each field that is essential to a brand’s success, who are able to focus on their specialties while also collaborating across disciplines,” said Martin. “That, along with the singular vision we share of winning for our clients, is what has driven our past success and will continue to guide our future growth.”
