Mower continues to build on success with ‘honesty, candor, curiosity’

As Mower has continued to grow over the years, both organically and through acquisition, the full-service marketing communications agency has remained true to its values.

“It’s not a vendor-client relationship, it’s really a partnership,” said Stephanie Crockett, who joined Mower 19 years ago, was named chief operating officer in 2022 and became CEO in January. “We talk about fierce friendships; honesty, candor, curiosity.”

Add high-quality work to that equation and it’s easy to understand why Mower has maintained many of those partnerships with firms such as FedEx, TalentBridge, First Energy and Avangrid for considerable time. The agency’s relationship with its longest-tenured client, the Western New York Ford Dealers, is now in its fifth decade.

So, while Crockett has succeeded agency founder Eric Mower at the helm, all that really has changed are the names on the org chart.

“The foundation of the company is very strong,” Crockett said. “We are who we are, there’s the same strength of the organization.”

Headquartered in Syracuse and with offices in nine other cities, including the 19^th floor of First Federal Plaza in downtown Rochester, Mower has primarily served B2B industries, with a focus on the sectors of energy and sustainability, healthcare, finance, and travel and tourism.

But in recent years the firm has formed relationships in the B2C field with organizations such as Carhartt, Northwest Bank, the Arthritis Foundation, the Lake House on Canandaigua and the Rochester Area Community Foundation.

The agency created the rebrand for Northwest Bank, including the slogan “For what’s next.” They launched the Rochester Community Foundation’s campaign that aimed to empower people to direct donations where they wanted the money to go.

“It’s our pleasure and honor to work with these organizations that are doing so much for the community,” Crockett said. “It’s work that is so satisfying.”

While Mower also has offices in New York, Boston, Charlotte and Atlanta, its 155 employees are spread out across 18 municipalities in 10 states. The agency has become a remote-first workplace in the wake of the pandemic, roots were planted before the COVID-19 hit with the implementation of work-from-home Fridays.

That’s all part of an emphasis on company culture, which includes monthly get-togethers along with a desire to be good corporate citizens. Mower’s pillars of corporate social responsibility are employee well-being; community involvement; diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; and the environment.

“Culture is not beer on tap and a foosball table; it’s how you treat each other, as well as the clients you choose to work with or not to work with,” Crockett said. “It’s also with the vendors we work with, the vendors we work with on behalf of clients.”

Becoming an employee-owned agency (ESOP) in August only accentuated those efforts.

“Now you know as an employee the role you play and the contributions you’re making not only lead to the success of the client and the agency but it also has a direct impact on your personal success,” Crockett said. “We’re seeing extraordinary employee engagement. People are feeling empowered.”

They’re also producing work that is getting noticed. Eight of Mower’s campaigns were honored in regional American Advertising Federation ADDY competition and are moving on to the national contest. The Association of National Advertisers named Mower Mid-Size Agency of the Year in 2022.

The work for each client is done company-wide on most campaigns. That means creative or public relations personnel from among the 13 Rochester-based employees collaborate on a project with employees in other locations. Brad Rye is the senior vice president and managing director of the Rochester office.

A team effort devised the concept of a video game app to help First Energy of Akron, Ohio, raise awareness to drone safety around power lines and substations. It was the team that came up with “Roam the Empire,” an award-winning campaign for New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA).

“You always bring something extra,” said Michael Baron, senior vice president and group creative director. “That’s why we keep clients that long, by overdelivering.”

And by striving to be even better with the next campaign in order to meet client needs.

“It’s producing work that works,” Crockett said. “They can see the impact it has. If it doesn’t move the needle or ring the cash register, it’s not going to matter.”

[email protected]/(585) 653-4020