The real reason clients stay for 20+ years

In business, client longevity matters most. Everything else is just noise.
Building a marketing agency isn’t about chasing sparkly awards or obsessing over month-over-month rankings. It’s a long game—one client, one project, one hire at a time. For us, real success is measured in two things: tangible business results for our clients and relationships that last years, not months. 

When you deliver consistently great creative, manage projects with discipline, and treat people like friends, not another meeting invite, clients stick around. It’s not complicated: Great work, effective project management, and likeable, talented people are the foundation.

Layer in a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses, their customers, and how they best work, and suddenly, we’re not just another vendor. We’re focused on deepening customer relationships and driving results that matter. We become the go-to partner and rock-solid resource that can handle anything from big-picture strategy to getting the details right. Over time, these projects become real, strategic relationships. That’s how you build a client base that sticks around. That’s the secret sauce. That’s what makes us different. 

A 20-year track record of trust
As we enter our 23rd year at Lunne, we’re so honored to have partnered with leading finance and health brands for 5, 10, and even 20 years. That’s the actual metric we care about above all others. Long-term partnerships don’t just build our business and team; they help our clients grow too.

Here’s a hard truth: If an agency can’t keep clients, it never really understood relationships in the first place.

We’re built to stay
Too many agencies are addicted to reinvention for reinvention’s sake. Of course, staying current matters. But chasing the next new thing for the sake of it? That’s a recipe for burnout and constant churn—on both sides of the table.

Unlike traditional agencies that focus on transactions, firms that adopt a relationship marketing strategy attempt to create lasting value for both sides—a philosophy we live by every day.

Our approach? Gradualist. We stay current, but we fold in new technologies and methods without turning everything upside down just for the sake of being trendy. That’s how we keep relationships stable, work enjoyable, and results consistently strong.

Five key traits of elevated relationships
After 20+ years, we know what works—and what doesn’t. Our core values below are the foundation of our closest, longest client partnerships. Over and over, they prove themselves. This is the essence of partner relationship marketing: building trust, fostering collaboration, and deepening customer relationships with every project.

1. Be honest at every level. We call that, keeping it real.
🔸Be clear; be kind. 
🔸Provide honest feedback at every round. It protects budgets, timelines, and reputations.
🔸Trust grows when deliverables are pushed to their full potential.

2. Collaborate where it counts. We believe in helping others. 
🔸Work together on priorities, trade-offs, and long-term direction.
🔸Demonstrate empathy to clearly understand the demands of all stakeholders.
🔸Reduce internal friction—don’t create it.
🔸Operate with grace because unexpected things will happen.

3. Eliminate error with transparency. We think it through so you don’t miss a beat.
🔸Share the thinking behind every recommendation.
🔸Be clear about intentions.
🔸Thoughtful, personalized marketing beats reactive marketing—every time.

4. Grow creatively. We drive creativity even within the bounds of medical, legal, and regulatory constraints.
🔸Creativity is only valuable when it drives outcomes.
🔸Long-term relationships allow space for experimentation and stronger creative conviction.
🔸Creativity can scale when trust is established.

5. Partner for the long-term. We know strategic relationships get results for both parties. 
🔸“Partner relationships” reduce onboarding cycles and the need for repeated resets.
🔸Performance improves when agencies understand the business beyond the brief.
🔸Results aren’t episodic—they’re cumulative.

Strong partnerships mean faster decisions, better ROI, bolder ideas, fewer missteps, and marketing that evolves with you, and—let’s be honest—a working relationship that’s elevated, and frankly, just easier.

TL;DR:
If your agency relationship feels disposable, it probably is. You deserve better—so does your business.
Strategic marketing partnerships are built over time through honesty, collaboration, and accountability.
The real secret to 20+ year relationships? It’s not deliverables. It’s trust, loyalty, communication, and a people-first approach, day in and day out.

For the CEOs and CMOs: If you’re questioning whether your agency model is built to last—or if you’re just tired of starting over—let’s talk before momentum stalls, not after.