How focus, adaptability and people build a lasting financial marketing agency.
Thirty years is a serious milestone in any industry. In marketing, where agencies are born, peak and disappear at speed, it is rare. For The Dubs Agency, reaching 30 years is not about longevity for longevity’s sake. It is about sustained relevance in one of the most complex and regulated categories there is: financial services.
Founded in 1996, The Dubs Agency has grown from a specialist local shop into a globally active financial marketing partner, with teams in Australia, London and Singapore. The common thread has never changed. Stay focused. Evolve constantly. Put people first.
The real key to a long-lasting agency
According to Josh Frith, Founder and CEO of The Dubs longevity is less about chasing growth at all costs and more about disciplined decision-making. “Most agencies don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they lose focus,” says Frith. “ For us, the key has been knowing exactly who we serve, what we’re good at, and saying no to anything that distracts from that.”
This clarity has allowed The Dubs Agency to build deep institutional knowledge in financial services. From banking and wealth to private markets, fintech and insurance, the agency has evolved alongside the sector rather than jumping between categories.
That focus also aligns with what industry research shows. According to Deloitte, specialist professional services firms consistently outperform generalists on long-term client retention and margin stability, particularly in highly regulated industries where trust and expertise matter most.
Evolving with marketing, technology and regulation
Thirty years in marketing means living through seismic shifts. From print and broadcast to digital, social, data-driven performance, AI and now generative platforms.
For Frith, adaptation has never been optional.
“ If you don’t evolve with technology and regulation in financial services, you’re irrelevant within a few years,” he says. “We’ve always invested early. Not because it’s trendy, but because our clients need us to understand what’s coming next before it becomes business-critical. ”
This approach mirrors broader industry trends. Gartner research shows marketing leaders who invest early in emerging technologies are more likely to outperform peers on customer acquisition and efficiency, particularly in B2B and financial services environments where buying cycles are complex.
Justin Buckwell, GM and Creative Director, says the challenge has been blending innovation with responsibility. “Financial marketing isn’t about gimmicks,” Buckwell explains. “ You’re balancing creativity with compliance, trust and clarity. The agencies that last are the ones who can use new technology to simplify complexity, not amplify noise.”
Adapting as client needs change
Client needs today look nothing like they did in the late 90s. Distribution models have shifted. Audiences are more fragmented. Content must work harder across more channels.
The Dubs Agency has adapted by embedding itself deeper into client ecosystems. Not just as a creative partner, but as a strategic one.
“Our role has expanded from campaigns to platforms, from ads to always-on content and thought leadership,” says Buckwell. “Clients don’t want volume. They want relevance, consistency and measurable impact.”
This shift reflects a wider market reality. WARC data shows that financial brands investing in long-term brand platforms alongside performance media achieve stronger effectiveness and lower cost per acquisition over time than those relying on short-term campaign bursts.
Going global without losing focus
Expansion into London and Singapore marked a new chapter for the agency. But it was never about becoming everything to everyone.
Barnaby Hobbs, London GM, says the international move worked because the agency stayed tightly defined. “We didn’t go global to chase scale,” Hobbs explains. “We went global because financial services is global. London and Singapore are natural extensions of the same ecosystem our clients operate in.
“ The discipline was staying laser focused on financial marketing. That’s what travels. Deep category expertise translates across borders far better than generic creative.”
This mirrors broader agency expansion trends. According to McKinsey, specialist firms expanding internationally with a clear sector focus are significantly more likely to achieve sustainable growth than those exporting broad, undifferentiated offerings.
People first. Always.
Perhaps the most telling metric of all is not revenue or headcount, but retention. The average employee tenure at The Dubs Agency is more than 10 years. In an industry where average tenure is often closer to three years, that is remarkable.
“You don’t keep people for a decade by accident,” says Frith. “You do it by trusting them, investing in them, and giving them work that actually matters.”
Hobbs agrees.
“Clients feel stability when teams stay together. Creativity improves when people grow together. Retention isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a competitive advantage.”
Research backs this up. Harvard Business Review has consistently shown that high employee tenure correlates with stronger client relationships, better institutional memory and higher quality output, particularly in knowledge-driven industries.
Thirty years in, still building
At 30, The Dubs Agency is not slowing down. AI-powered content, generative search, new financial regulations and evolving investor behaviour are already reshaping the next decade.
But if the past 30 years prove anything, it is that focus, adaptability and people scale better than hype.
“ The goal was never to be the biggest agency,” Frith says. “It was to be the most trusted financial marketing partner. Thirty years on, that’s still the ambition.”
And for an industry that values trust above all else, that may be the most enduring strategy of all.
If you liked this article and want to know more contact The Dubs Agency we’d love to help.
