We help you:

drive reputation.
accelerate growth.
engage people.
manage crisis.
services

Clients First Marketing & Communications™ is a Texas-based agency network that enables clients to build brand and enterprise value by driving reputation, accelerating growth, engaging people and managing crisis.

Approach

We increase brand value, which in turn increases enterprise value.

Jeff BaumJohn Clendening

Clients First’s north star is to do nothing less than increase their clients’ value. More specifically, they believe at their core that marketing and communications increase brand value, which in turn increases enterprise value.

Jeff and John have seen this done at the highest of levels. They have collectively led global marketing and communications teams for seven Global 50 and current or former Fortune 500 companies. They've also served as journalists, Washington lobbyists, agency leaders and private equity advisors.

They have also built an international network of experienced practitioners to help them execute on behalf of their clients. They call it the Clients First Network. Members are both trusted from past lives and battle-tested. They have also all passed the beer test.

Read our story
outcomes

There are four ways through which we help our clients increase their brand value:

Drive Reputation

Build and protect your brand's standing in the marketplace.

Accelerate Growth

Amplify your message and expand your reach.

Engage People

Connect with your most important stakeholders.

Manage Crisis

Navigate challenges with confidence and clarity.

our work
"John led an extremely successful corporate marketing group through three of the most challenging circumstances possible: a spin-out; the run-up to a PE-backed IPO; and ultimately as an acquired division of a Global 50 company. Through it all, John's acumen and strong judgment encouraged the kind of fresh thinking that resulted in an extraordinary market perception of the company. He easily earns the trust of executives, and inspires respect throughout his team. Plus he's fun. It was a complete pleasure working with John."
Michele Clarke
Confidential
Jeff and John in Texas in front of a statue of a long horn bull

TEXAS AND BEYOND

Neither Jeff nor John are native Texans. But as the song says, they got here as fast as they could.

The economic miracle that is Texas is very real. If it were its own country (which some say it essentially is), Texas would be the eighth-largest economy in the world. The Lone Star State is now #1 in Fortune 500 corporate headquarters. If you build it, they will indeed come: Texas led the U.S. in population growth over the past 20 years, and by 2045 it is projected to be the nation’s most populous state.

What does this all mean for Clients First and its clients? If you are already headquartered in or near Dallas, we are right down the street from you – thus making working together that much easier. If you are looking to join the rush and move your headquarters here, we can help you build your local presence because we know the landscape – we have served, and continue to serve, with organizations ranging from local chambers to local schools to local civic groups. Not looking to move here, but just interested in doing more business here? We can help you with that as well – we can build and execute local-market campaigns to accelerate your business in any of the state’s massive local markets.

We’re in the center of it all. We are equidistant from both coasts – meaning easy travel back and forth as needed. We are also surrounded by Dallas’ and Texas’ young, skilled and diverse labor force that is more than 15 million strong – and both growing and strengthening all the time thanks to the state’s ecosystem of world-class universities.

Don’t get us wrong. We serve clients no matter where they are located. Our network is filled with experts from all over the U.S. and across the world. Chances are we are in your neighborhood.

Let us show you why working with Clients First will not only be a good call – but your best call.

FAQs

Do you have experience relative to my company and/or industry?

We have spent most of our careers on the client side, leading global marketing and communications teams. We have worked across industries, including technology, healthcare, energy, financial services, manufacturing and professional services. There is no major consumer or vertical industry in which Jeff and John or members of their network do not have experience.

Why did you start an agency?

After leading marketing and communications for multiple companies, we kept seeing the same problem: most agencies don't understand what it's really like on the client side. They deliver beautiful creative or clever campaigns, but they don't truly grasp the business pressures, the internal dynamics or the ROI requirements that CMOs and communications leaders face every day. Not only that, but too many agency leaders disappear after the initial business pitch, leaving the day-to-day to junior staffers. We wanted to create an agency where all clients get experienced support and counsel – each and every day.

How do marketing and communications drive business growth?

This question is why we built the agency around brand value and enterprise value. Simply put, we believe that – effectively executed – marketing and communications build brand value through tangible outcomes: driving reputation, accelerating growth, engaging people and managing crisis. The first three enable a company to go on offense. The fourth is about playing defense when necessary. While it is logical to assume that brand value represents a healthy chunk of enterprise value, Forbes has put a number on it: 19.5%. That is real money. Ultimately, that is real value.

What makes your agency different from the rest?

Three things set us apart:

1. Client-Side DNA
We're not former account executives or creative directors. We're former CMOs and communications leaders who ran global teams.

2. The Network Model
We don't carry the overhead of a traditional agency, so you're not paying for fancy offices or layers of account management.

3. The Brand Value Accelerator Series™
We've codified everything we've learned into proprietary playbooks that ensure consistent excellence across all 13 of our service areas.

Get started with Clients First

Need a hand? Let us know how we can help.
Contact Us
Logo with stylized letters 'CF' followed by the text 'CLIENTS FIRST'.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Your information is never disclosed to third parties.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.