I am constantly vexed by the challenge of how best to present the portfolio of my creative agency, MODCo. For a long time I felt the work should speak for itself. Simply show the work. No story about what it means to work with us. No fluff about the steps we take to get there. No ubiquitous power point presentation about the landscape and our unique selling proposition. My feeling was that the work already says all of that. At MODCo we have made it a habit to show our work as simply as possible. Minimal copy, presented in a format that is relatively invisible in an effort to let the work shine through. And so far this has been successful.

But as a creative shop we are hardwired to evolve with (or better yet, ahead of) the world around us. So every now and then, we audit the way we present our work and endeavor to build a better mousetrap. This year we celebrate our eleventh birthday; an auspicious event in itself and the perfect excuse to do something better. So once again we take aim at our portfolio.

But what does a better portfolio mean? I still believe the work is the work. But the experience of working with us – who we are, how we see the world – is not only unique, but relevant. And is usually the deciding factor in hiring us. Lots of shops do great work. So why should a potential client hire MODCo? My constant hope is that we are selected because clients believe what we have to say and trust our point of view. Our most successful projects have been the result of this trust, and candidly, these are the only clients I want to work with.

Don’t get me wrong, Divas we aren’t. We are a service business and understand that our very existence depends on the symbiotic relationship between agency and client. Everything we do is collaboration, in partnership with our clients. Our job is to help identify the challenges they face and come up with solutions that are effective, distinctive, memorable and iconic. For the clients that believe us (and even for a few who don’t), we do world-class, money-making, ass-kicking work.

So I figure, the best way to attract new clients is to let them see more than just our work. To let them see what makes us tick, what titillates us, who we truly are, and ultimately, to let them see why we are able to sprinkle our unique brand of fairy dust on their business and cause it to grow.

So although it ain’t broke, we aims to fix it. And the new MODCo Book is the result. A quarterly magazine that not only showcases our portfolio in a new way, but also the things that inspire us, the world we live in, our triumphs and failures, our friends’ amazing endeavors, and even the work of some folks we may not like but we respect. In each edition we will delve into works of Creative Genius, share our take on News, profile movers and shakers in Our Crush, and reveal our daily ideas, musings and Tasty Bits. This spring we’re hanging our laundry out for y’all to see. And you know what? It’s kinda sexy.

MODCo, yeah we did that.

Sara Rotman,  Creative Director