Today all of us at G&S celebrate a very special milestone. February 17 marks 50 years since our agency was officially incorporated. Our success and longevity as an independent integrated communications agency started with the entrepreneurial spirit and vison of Dick Gibbs and Richard Soell. In 1971, they made the decision to leave Burson-Marsteller to form a new firm built on a steadfast commitment to client service. Their emphasis on bringing deep industry knowledge to a focused group of industry sectors set them apart and laid the groundwork for G&S to grow into a highly respected mid-size independent agency.
In celebrating this milestone, we must first recognize our entire team of dedicated employees, past and present, who purposely embraced our mission… to inspire action in a way that moves markets and changes minds. G&Sers are continuously driven to conceive programs grounded in business strategy, innovative in design and fresh thinking, and that deliver measurable business results. We understand that only by trying new things, embracing new opportunities, and addressing new challenges, can we produce the creative and integrated solutions our clients need as they seek to improve our world. This is meaningful work and I’m confident our founders would be proud of this spirit.
To our clients, THANK YOU for your long-standing relationships (some with roots back to 1971) and partnerships built on candor, mutual respect, accountability, and the proven performance of our combined teams. You have our commitment to continue to focus on what’s next and take the confident risks that are critical to our combined growth, innovation and transformation.
As to what the future holds, well, the pace of transformation in our industry and for us as communicators is faster than ever before. As our clients become more digital, more data-driven, and more focused on the increasingly greater expectations from their employees, customers and the public at large, we are committed to continually elevating our own services and counsel to drive growth and protect business value.
Lastly, and this is especially important after the unforgettable 2020 we just endured, we are doubly committed to build our organization with an eye toward the future by constantly refining a culture that embraces diversity, builds trust, fuels change and makes winning together fun.
Happy 50th birthday to G&S. And here’s to the next 50 years!