In a world where fake is expected — emotional trust may become your brands’ most lucrative asset. Our very human team creates Human-Made connection that fosters emotional trust, that leads to authentic customer experiences.
This page is “about us.” In the broader sense, it’s about ALL of us. With our collective future in focus, we’ve been seeing the path to profitability take an important turn, one that recognizes social, economic, and environmental responsibility not just as ideals, but as catalysts for sustainable success…not obstacles to it. And in today’s marketplace, where authentic emotional bonding drives real activation and conversion, doing the right thing is no longer separate from doing what works, it is what works.
This is welcome news for tomorrow-minded brands, businesses, and clients who understand that high-concept, human-sourced creative insight isn’t just aesthetic—it’s financial. As brands drift toward AI-generated “content,” we’re seeing something critical erode instinctive human trust. Attachment fades. Loyalty softens. And with it, so does purchase intent. Without genuine emotional connection, brands risk becoming indistinguishable, cheap, synthetic, and ultimately forgettable.
It’s no longer about following dogmatic, business-as-usual routines. Not about playing it safe, outsourcing authenticity, or paying lip service to purpose. And it’s certainly not about replacing real human insight with algorithmic approximations of emotion. Because while AI can optimize, automate, and analyze, it cannot feel, and it cannot build the kind of trust that sustains brands over time.
Advertising beyond the status quo means using our position as marketers to create work rooted in real human experience, work that fosters connection, earns trust, and drives meaningful change. Because when authenticity disappears, so does your audience. And that’s not just philosophical…it’s financial.
So if you’re picking up what we’re laying down, if you believe Human-Made connection is still the most powerful force in marketing, then we’re all about YOU.
LET’S B: MORE INCLUSIVE, EQUITABLE & SUSTAINABILITY-MINDED.
This isn’t fringe marketing we’re talking about. Mainstream, mass market consumers are increasingly attracted to brands, products, and companies that genuinely care about doing good. Smart marketers, in turn, are adapting to this emerging consciousness –– one that’s more alert to the increasing costs of capitalism, and more in tune with the responsibility we all have to one another and the world.
Our B-Corp status is just a reflection of our long-time commitment to those ideals, and hopefully another reason to believe we can help your business or brand communicate its own. So, if you’re doing good for your customers and clients, or something downright great for the world, we want to help you deliver more of that goodness…and promote the positive difference you’ve been making.
SECOND-CITY CREATIVE CRED. FIRST-CLASS CREATIVE CREW.
Chi-Town, represent! Yeah, our city might be called the Second City, but when it comes to creative output, everybody knows this Midwestern metropolis is second to none. Like, literally. A recent study ranked Chicago as the best U.S. city for creatives.
Not like that’s news to us. We live it every day. From the beats of Polo G to the blues of Kingston Mines, JC Rivera’s street art to exhibits at the MCA, the scripts of “The Bear” to the scenes of “The Batman,” and all the other world-class stuff dished out from Alinea to Zanies, Chicago is on fire. (No, not that way.) And we’re ready to go beast mode for your brand through killer concepts and kickass campaigns infused with the crackling energy of Chicago.
New York has its haughty Mad Men. L.A. has all that Hollywood flash. And San Francisco fronts its aloof techie vibe. But Chicago? Authentic, unabashed, bare-knuckled creativity lives here. And so does Plan B.
Good things come to those with guts.
Whether it’s a page-stopping print ad, next-gen virtual event, or socially integrated lead-gen campaign, our cross-functional agency teams are adept at pumping out the plucky stuff you need to keep the competition nervous. Need proof?
Just Ask These Guys
GLOBAL BRAND STEWARDSHIP +
BEST-OF-BREED EXECUTIONAL EXPERTISE
Instead of trying to hold together a splintered multi-agency or multi-partner consortium, or suffering through an underperforming and budget-busting retainer-based relationship, more brand managers are seeking a Plan B.
And here we are, offering you AOR-style oversight PLUS best-of-breed specialization…all on-demand and all in one place. See below for an overview of some of our specialized areas of focus.
Strategy
AI Marketing Management
Discovery Workshops
Interviewing & Market research
Measurement & Analytics
CRM & Data Management
Branding
Identity Development
Messaging & Positioning
Collateral & Sales tools
Advertising
Print
Experiential Design
Broadcast & Radio
Digital & Video Development
AI-powered marketing
Web
UI & UX
Usability Testing
Virtual Event Development & Management
Full-Stack Development
Analytics & Reporting
CRM
Data Acquisition & Analytics
Business Processes & Roadmap
Automation Strategy
System Implementation
Cross Device Targeting
Social Media
Audit, Strategy Development & Design
Engagement, Scheduling & Paid Social
Influencer & Partnership Programs
Analytics, Reporting & Education
ADTECH. MARTECH. HIGHER TECH.
The numbers are in. More and more marketers are investing more of their marketing budgets in martech and adtech to optimize their lead-gen and CRM initiatives (and demonstrate ROI!). So, not surprisingly, there’s a growing demand for specialization in the art and science of leveraging data to pinpoint prospects (adtech) and personalize their customer journey (martech). Delivering communications wherever they are. Broadcast. Narrowcast. Online. Offline. Mobile. Even OTT.
This is where a partner like Plan B excels, affording you the best of all worlds. The technical proficiency. The brand oversight. The seamless coordination. So as you’re looking to develop your next Customer Experience (CX) program, don’t underestimate the impact of partnering with a strong adtech/martech partner – someone skilled in navigating the sophisticated synchronization of your most ambitious data-enhanced marketing initiatives, from radically sharper targeting to catching up with the cord-cutting streamers on their OTT apps and platforms.
Take a break from tradition
After 20+ years of ignoring the norm, we’ve discovered we work best with rogues, cavaliers, rebels, and rule-breakers. In other words, highly motivated marketers who recognize that opportunity often means doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing. Not blending in. Not playing it safe. Not simply paying lip-service to the planet. And NOT waiting until next year.
Are you ready to rock the boat? Let’s talk.
