Tues 4 Jun 2024 11:00am UK time

What exactly is an ‘unsexy’ client? 

Ultimately, it comes down to the perception of others. 

“I think there’s a lot of potential in working with what some agencies might consider unsexy clients,” says Helen Foord, CEO of ELE

“One agency’s unsexy is what gets another agency excited, and in my experience, looking beyond the obviously ‘sexy’ can present a lot of room for impactful work.”

Helen works exclusively with law firms, a sector that some might consider less creative or inspiring than the sparkly brands. But what about other sectors, like B2B? 

From the outside looking in, some might say it’s an unsexy industry, but B2B marketing expert Kristina Ball ardently disagrees with this.

“There’s more investment on both sides in B2B; you’re building relationships more than anything else,” she says. “That’s one of the key differences between B2C and B2B: you’re selling a service. There’s a longer time between making your first connection with somebody and closing business.”

Cat Kevern, director of Electric Cat Productions, shares a similar sentiment: “We work with lots of ‘on paper’ unsexy clients, but sometimes they’re the best because they don’t take themselves too seriously.” 

I think it’s all about personality, alignment, and goals,” continues Cat. “If we can help those clients reach their goals, and we can take them on a journey and give them solutions to their problems, then at the end of the day, we’ve done our job.”

Some industries might lack the obvious glamour of a well-recognisable brand, but it doesn’t mean you should turn them away. Working with such clients might just open up the possibility of doing some good, to really challenge yourself and try new things.


Join us for this upcoming client services mastermind panel, where we’ll be joined by Helen Foord, Cat Kevern and Kristina Ball. Together, we’ll be exploring why you should choose unsexy clients and why they’re actually not that unsexy at all.