What sets the best creative agencies apart?
May 23, 2025
In the high-speed world of creative agencies, standing still means falling behind. But what truly sets the best creative agencies apart is not just their ability to deliver innovative campaigns. It’s also about how they stay relevant, agile, and impactful in an ever-shifting cultural and digital landscape. That’s exactly what unites the members of Tribe Global, a network of best-in-class independent agencies that excel not only in creativity but in adaptability, collaboration, and bold thinking.
We spoke with two of the network's member agencies: James Rice, CEO of Fiction Tribe - a strategic creative agency in Portland that blends storytelling with data and design to help brands create momentum, and Chairman of Tribe Global, and Natalie Lowe, CEO of The Orangeblowfish (TOBF) - a creative agency based in Shanghai known for fearless brand storytelling and culturally driven design.
How do you stay ahead of your competitors?
James Rice puts it bluntly:
“Other creative agencies aren't the competition. The real fight is for relevance in a world designed to distract. We all have to compete with Netflix binges, TikTok scrolls, and AI-generated noise. Independent agencies have a much bigger threat of the cost pressures of content creation we’re all up against.”
For Fiction Tribe, staying ahead means creating momentum for clients. “They hire us to accelerate their ideas into culture and commerce,” Rice explains. “The edge of indies is speed and shape-shifting to meet the moment.”
Natalie Lowe brings a similarly sharp perspective:
“We don’t follow trends—we dismantle them,” she says. “While others recycle yesterday's ideas, we’re mining underground subcultures, dissecting consumer behaviours, and predicting shifts before they trend.”
At TOBF, collaboration is key. Their process involves intense creative workshops that twist and reshape ideas until something truly original emerges.
What techniques or strategies do you use to stand out in the market?
For Fiction Tribe, it’s about delivering strategic creative services that don’t just look good, but drive business results. Their goal is to give clients a presence in culture—not just visibility.
TOBF stands out through their bold, insight-led creative strategies, particularly in helping legacy brands reinvent themselves across borders. Their proprietary methodology, LUCID—Learn, Understand, Conceptualize, Imaginate, Deliver—anchors every project in deep consumer insight.
“Without great insights, it’s another campaign that will be forgotten in a few months. Insights lead the direction, while creativity fuels the idea” says Lowe.
How do you keep inspiration alive within your creative team?
“The truth is, it’s a muscle,” says Rice. “You build it through doing the work, through collaboration, and giving yourself permission to experiment—and fail.”
TOBF’s creative culture is driven by four non-negotiable principles, championed by Natalie:
- Be curious. Always challenge the status quo.
- Be courageous. There’s nothing we can’t do.
- Be different. We’re here to lead, not follow.
- Be dynamic. Creativity has no boundaries.
Do you have an example of a project where you felt your creativity really went above and beyond?
James highlights a recent project he’s particularly proud of:
“I really like the work the team did for a small business that drove massive results. We typically work with enterprise tech firms, so this was an exciting opportunity to bring our skills to a new industry.”
The project, called Messaging that sticks, is a perfect example of Fiction Tribe’s ability to deliver big impact regardless of the client's size or sector.
TOBF shares a standout project they did for Moxy Xi’an. Bringing a bold, modern hotel brand into one of China’s oldest cities was no small feat. But by connecting Xi’an’s evolving music scene, textile traditions, and the iconic cloth tigers to Moxy’s global irreverent identity, they created a brand experience with deep cultural layers. From lobby design to brand storytelling, every touchpoint allowed visitors to feel and live the Moxy spirit through a uniquely local lens.
What truly sets the best creative agencies apart?
As these two agencies explain, it’s not just about creativity—it’s about cultural relevance, fearless experimentation, deep insight, and the agility to move fast and think differently.
Tribe Global member agencies don’t just keep up with change—they shape it.
Ready to elevate your brand? Contact Elaine Miller to connect with Tribe Global's world-class creative agencies today!
