Brandshake Celebrates Two Years of Strategic, No Nonsense Marketing and Branding
Sydney, Australia, 11th Feb 2025 – Sydney-based boutique agency Brandshake has just celebrated its second birthday. Founded by Emily Cooke, Brandshake has grown from a solo freelance venture into a small but thriving agency that prides itself on strategic, commercially minded, results-driven marketing.
What started as a one-woman operation in January 2023 has now evolved into a trusted marketing partner for businesses across industries, from financial services, SaaS and professional services brands to construction, tourism and real estate. Brandshake has carved out a niche as an ‘anti-agency’ or ‘un-agency’ delivering high-quality work without the inefficiencies often seen in the traditional agency model.
“I trademarked Brandshake back in 2020, so it had been rolling around in the back of my mind for a while,” Emily says. “I started freelancing in January 2023, and my partner and I allowed me 6 months to make it work, before I’d financially need to find another job. Now, two years later, we’ve built something that feels truly different in the agency landscape. No silos, no bloated overheads, just smart, effective marketing that actually makes sense for businesses.”
“Marketing has become so fragmented,” Emily explains. “SMEs don’t need five different agencies handling different aspects of their marketing. They need a team that understands how everything fits together and can execute or advise accordingly. That’s what we do.”
The agency focuses on content marketing, brand strategy, social media, visual branding, social media and content training, content creation, email marketing and social ads, with a clear commercial focus. For specialised areas like PPC and SEO, Brandshake collaborates with trusted contractors to ensure clients receive the right expert support without having to manage multiple agencies.
“We don’t hide behind ‘brand awareness’, even in our predominantly organic space. We’re accountable to our clients’ organisational goals and know that we need to be enhancing their bottom line and driving revenue – at least proving that we’re pushing people through the funnel and towards their sales people. We also pride ourselves on strategic value and regular consultation with our clients. We work really closely with stakeholders and help marketing managers get buy-in from leadership about marketing and brand initiatives”
This tailored, commercial-first approach has resonated with clients, leading to high retention rates and long-term partnerships. “Our clients trust us because we take the time to understand their business, their audience and their goals before making any recommendations,” Emily says. “Every piece of content, every campaign, every ad – it all has to serve a purpose and drive results.”
Emily’s path to marketing wasn’t a conventional one. Originally on track to become a lawyer, she realised four years into her law degree that it wasn’t the right fit. “I loved the logic and the argument. That’s probably why I love the strategy side of marketing.. but I craved creativity,” she says. After living in London and visiting over 50 countries, she returned to Sydney feeling inspired but uncertain about her next steps.
It was a side hustle in catering that eventually led her to marketing. “I didn’t love catering, but I completely loved branding the business. Choosing the logo, writing the copy, working on the packaging. Something clicked” Emily recalls. She used the branding work she had done for her side business to pitch herself to agencies, eventually securing her first marketing role. “I had no formal marketing experience at the time, but I had proof that I understood branding, messaging and consumer psychology. That got my foot in the door.”
Now entering its third year, Brandshake has achieved several key milestones, including securing its first US-based client and expanding its range of services to include brand strategy, web design and web copywriting. The agency has also moved several clients onto 12-month contracts at their request – a testament to the trust and value Brandshake brings to their businesses.
Looking ahead, Emily and her team are focused on continuing to grow sustainably while staying true to their core philosophy. “We’re not trying to be a large agency” Emily says. “We just want to keep doing great work for great businesses, making marketing simpler and more effective for SMEs.”
Brandshake currently has capacity for retainer clients and is expanding its project base to include more visual branding and strategy work. The team has also recently launched downloadable resources designed to support solopreneurs and microbusinesses, with plans to build out training and consulting offerings for this market.
“We’re excited about what’s ahead,” Emily says. “Two years in, and we’re just getting started.”
For more information about Brandshake, visit their website or connect with them on Instagram.
Media Contact
Organization: Brandshake
Contact Person: Emily Cooke
Website: https://www.brandshake.com.au/
Email: Send Email
City: Sydney
Country: Australia
Release Id: 11022523670