385. Robin Bonn. Market of One.
Robin Bonn
October 23, 2025
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Rewriting the Rules of Agency Differentiation
In a sea of agencies competing on the same playing field, Robin Bonn offers a powerful reframing: the agency market isn’t oversupplied — it’s under differentiated. As the founder & CEO of Co:definery and author of Market of One, Bonn has helped reposition nearly 150 agencies. On this episode, he sits down to unpack the central thesis of his book and explore how agencies (and other service businesses) can define their own markets and pricing power.
Bonn challenges long-held assumptions in agency culture, particularly the idea that procurement holds all the cards and that being “nice” or “creative” is a differentiator. Spoiler: It’s not.
Key takeaways from the conversation:
Being different isn’t the same as being distinctive. True differentiation goes beyond rhetoric and into how an agency operates (its structure, processes, pricing model), and customer experience. A clever tagline won’t cut it.
Saying “no” is a growth strategy. Chasing unprofitable clients undermines team morale and reputation. Agencies need to let go of the scarcity mindset and build businesses that serve a specific client segment well, even if it means walking away from the rest.
Your people aren’t your differentiator, they’re a given. Agencies often lean too hard on “our people” as a unique selling point. But as Bonn notes, that’s a hygiene factor, like a surgeon promising not to kill you on the table. It’s expected.
Bonn’s approach is both provocative and deeply pragmatic. His “podium test” (what would you say to a room full of ideal clients that excites half and alienates the rest?) is a useful litmus test for agencies to pressure test their point of view.
The book—and this episode—isn’t just for agency leaders. Consultants, lawyers, and anyone selling expertise in a service business will find practical, mindset-shifting value.
Click here to purchase the book
Robin Bonn is the CEO & Founder of Co:definery, a specialist consultancy responsible for repositioning close to 150 agencies. For 25 years, he has driven agency growth for global networks, independents and start-ups across emerging and traditional disciplines. In his agency career, he led winning pitches for Spotify, P&G, Experian, ITV, Microsoft, Skype, Facebook and Ford, among others. Bonn also serves as an executive coach, founding co-chair of BIMA's CEO & Leadership Council, and mentor for SheSays, a global network for creative women and non-binary people. He has served on the IPA's New Business Committee and the Direct Marketing Association's Agencies' Council, and hosts The Immortal Life of Agencies podcast, dedicated to fresh thinking and optimism in agency leadership.
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