How being better became this agency’s most profitable strategy yet

Author: Charlie Stewart, CEO at Rogerwilco

In early 2023, Rogerwilco reached a breaking point. Caught in a draining, months-long process of potentially selling the agency, we lost sight of who we were. Our culture took a hit, our product stagnated, and our staff attrition hit close to 30%. For the first time in a decade, our EBITDA declined. The soul of the business felt fractured.

We had to make a decision, not just about ownership, but about identity. So, we stepped back and asked the hard question: “What kind of agency did we actually want to be?” The answer was clear and resounding: we didn't want to be owned, we wanted to take ownership. Ownership of our work, our values and our future. Remaining independent offered us the unique opportunity to build an agency that truly reflected the soul of its people.

We chose to stay independent. And in doing so, we chose to 'be better'.

Rebuilding from the inside out

'Be better' emerged not as a marketing tagline, but as a shared philosophy developed collaboratively with our team as we redefined what Rogerwilco stood for. It’s both a mindset and a measurable standard that touches everything we do, structured around five interconnected pillars: people, planet, partners, product and profit.

We started with our people. After a bruising period of internal turbulence, we made trust and transparency our top priorities. We paused hiring to rebuild the employee experience from the ground up, co-created leadership values and implemented regular feedback loops. Within a year, staff attrition fell to under 10%, and employee engagement soared. Our team members began referring others to join us, an unmistakable signal that belief in the agency had returned.

Purpose in action

While we were re-energising our culture, we also turned a sharp eye toward the kind of business we wanted to be externally. Environmental responsibility moved from principle to practice as we pursued, and achieved, B Corp certification, becoming the largest agency group in Africa to do so. This wasn’t about optics; it was about aligning our operations with our values. We cut water use, increased our renewable energy reliance and embedded sustainability into every decision we made.

We also redefined how we work with clients. Client relationships became more intentional and human. We chose to double down on existing clients, focusing on retention and impact rather than chasing volume. This meant declining requests for proposals from exploitative or destructive industries misaligned with our ethics. In a weak economy, that was a bold move but it paid off. Year on year revenue grew by 18%, average client tenure extended beyond five years and we recorded a Net Promoter Score of +64.

On the product side, we refocused on solving real business problems through creativity and innovation. That shift has already paid dividends. We launched a proprietary content management system for universities, which has since evolved into a scalable SaaS platform for tertiary institutions globally – our first major step into productised IP and a move toward a hybrid services-and-product model.

Our investment in AI-driven tools has also gained momentum. We’ve introduced innovations like Geoff (a generative engine optimisation tool), Echo (a secure, closed-loop AI search tool), and eMakoya (a WhatsApp-based service for verifying food authenticity). These tools are now actively rolling out and redefining what innovation looks like in our industry.

Profit as an outcome, not a goal

Independence demands financial sustainability, but we made a conscious choice to treat profit as the enabler, not the objective. As a result of the changes we made, EBITDA has grown 55%, cost-to-serve dropped 8%, and we reinvested 26% more into training, R&D and sustainability initiatives. We operate with zero debt and zero investor pressure. That’s freedom. And it’s funded by purpose.

A new operating model, a new way to lead

'Be better' reshaped our leadership culture too. We made accountability visible, starting at the top, and set a new standard for what leadership looks like. Internally, our restructured system brought greater clarity, better client experience and sharper delivery.

Ultimately, this isn’t just about an agency trying to fix what was broken. It’s about what’s possible when a business stops chasing external validation and starts owning its identity. For us, 'be better' isn’t about being perfect, it’s about relentless, measurable progress toward being a better employer, partner, innovator and corporate citizen.

The bottom line

Since choosing to 'be better', we’ve seen transformation across every corner of the business. Culture, creativity, client relationships, impact and profit are all trending up. But more importantly, we’ve regained our sense of purpose.

Being better isn’t just a goal, it’s our standard for doing better business.