An Interview with Andrew Graff, CEO, A&G: Disrupting Advertising’s Status Quo

In anticipation of the ANA Advertising Financial Management Conference taking place May 3amp82116 in Orlando Greg Wright Senior Vice President at ANA sat down with Andrew to discuss how his philosophy of perpetual curiosity and behavioral science is shaping the future of agency partnerships His insights provide a preview of the highlevel discussions on financial efficiency sustainability and growth that will take center stage at the conference this MayGreg Wright ANA Youamp8217ve famously described yourself as a quotstatus quo disruptorquot How does that mindset of perpetual curiosity influence the way you lead an independent agency in todayamp8217s volatile marketAndrew Graff Itamp8217s core to my DNA I love being in the business of creativity I never believe thereamp8217s only one way to tackle something Just because it worked in the past doesnamp8217t mean itamp8217s the right approach nowamp160amp160And itamp8217s core to our agency We canamp8217t sit still in the creative business Great advertising isnamp8217t set and repeat We must keep challenging so everything becomes an experience that reinforces the brand where people are right now Every detail matters when our clientsamp8217 consumersamp8217 and employeesamp8217 lives are changing rapidlyGreg Wright ANA Youamp8217ve mentioned that quotbrand is how you show up not just what you sayquot For a modern CEO what does it mean to quotshow upquot for your employees and community in a way that impacts the bottom lineAndrew Graff Itamp8217s showing people theyamp8217re valued When we celebrate someoneamp8217s anniversary with a donation to the charity of their choice weamp8217re giving them the satisfaction that theyamp8217re making a difference And when we bring in collaborators and fractional talent we give them benefits which most agencies donamp8217t By demonstrating our commitment to them we inspire a greater commitment to us and our clientsGreg Wright ANA AampampG has thrived for 40 years by knowing when to pivot What is the most important quotzagquot youamp8217ve made as a leader that defined the agency39s current trajectoryAndrew Graff Weamp8217ve stayed focused on creativity and bucked the tradition of hourly billing that stifles it Faced with the industrywide margin squeeze we decided our value is how our work impacts a clientamp8217s business not how long it takes us So we went to fixed pricing and pegged our incentive to outcomes The only question that matters is how we can make clients more successful Weamp8217ve carried that torch against the industry headwinds for eight years and our resolve only grows strongerGreg Wright ANA You have been a vocal critic of legacy compensation models even moving away from traditional timesheets at AampampG Why do you believe the hourly billing model is a quottransparency trapquot for the advertising industryAndrew Graff Hourly rate is a cracked foundation for the advertising business Itamp8217s inauthentic pricing Our job is to maximize client output not agency input Hyper measurement of all the inputs creates a disincentive to solve client problems at the speed they need to be competitiveScope is an authentic system for the impact weamp8217re expected to create Itamp8217s what weamp8217re producing and what thatamp8217s worth If we must fill out timesheets by the hour we clearly havenamp8217t scoped the work preciselyGreg Wright ANA If the industry moves away from the 40hourweek billable lens how do you redefine quotvaluequot in a way that satisfies both an agencyamp8217s creative soul and a clientamp8217s financial auditAndrew Graff We start by defining the architecture of the real problem a clientamp8217s looking to solve Then we identify what they want to learn so they can present to their organization which establishes the business analytics that matter And then we define what success looks like what they personally get measured on That clear objective is a rallying point for us and it aligns directly with what procurement is after Ask any of our clients and theyamp8217ll tell you they all appreciate the simplicityGreg Wright ANA As we look toward Orlando this May what is the one unignorable truth about the future of the clientagency relationship that most industry leaders are still trying to ignoreAndrew Graff Everybodyamp8217s trying to ignore the need to simplify our business and put it on an outcomeamp8217s basis To do that we need to bring the right people together to think more holistically and create the best surround sound approach to a brand ecosystem Consumers don39t care about marketing plans and they don39t view life in silos So agencies need to step ahead and show clients the way to a truly integrated structureItamp8217s time for clients to acknowledge the difference between commoditized production and bespoke creativity and craft The former is what everyoneamp8217s arguing about The latter is what agencies like ours do best which clients value Thatamp8217s got to become the thing worth paying for Itamp8217s how weamp8217re doing business and I believe proving every independent agency canGreg Wright ANA Youamp8217ve integrated behavioral science into your creative process Do you believe most marketers are currently too reliant on big data while ignoring the human truths that actually shift consumer behaviorAndrew Graff You can39t ignore the fact that marketing in all forms is about relationship What attracts converts and keeps consumers is making their lives better so they invite you in To do it we need to understand how they live not just why they buyThat takes originality and craft It starts with understanding how they weave the fabric of their lives We wonamp8217t achieve lifetime consumer value by forcing the quick jump starts of synthetic relationshipsIamp8217ve heard agency CEOs say clients donamp8217t care because they just need some kind of performance to point to Clients should care Consumers reject inauthenticity in a heartbeat and you canamp8217t grow if you donamp8217t retain them Once you alienate a consumer itamp8217s incredibly hard to win them backGreg Wright ANA AampampG uses the quotampersandquot as a philosophical engineamp8212the idea that a great idea shouldn39t stop short How can brands apply this quotand then whatquot logic to their customer experience CX to build ecosystems instead of just adsAndrew Graff Challenge the status quo in what marketing does who does it and how it gets done Shift your emphasis from creating wow to moving the right people to make a brand part of their lives Itamp8217s not a quick hit but a continual journey that relies on all marketing elements to work together at uncommon levelsPut PR and creator marketing at the center of brand efforts Then you can influence the entire web of relationships that shape consumersamp8217 worlds Through an earned lens you can see people as they live more clearly and accelerate the sharing cycle that makes them validates them and inspires their advocacyAndrew Graffamp8217s commitment to bespoke creativity and outcomebased pricing highlights a pivotal shift in how the advertising industry defines success By moving away from the transparency trap of hourly billing agencies and clients can refocus on what truly moves the needle genuine human connection and business impactIf you39re ready to explore these unignorable truths and gain actionable insights for your own organization join us this May 3amp82116 for the 2026 ANA Advertising Financial Management Conference in Orlando Alongside speakers like Andrew youamp8217ll engage with top marketing procurement and finance leaders to tackle the industryamp8217s most pressing financial issues Register now to secure your spot at the center of the conversationThis article was written by Greg Wright Senior Vice President of Brands and Means at the ANAPosted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet

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An Interview with Andrew Graff, CEO, A&G: Disrupting Advertising’s Status Quo

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