The Marcus Evans Advisory Board recognised you as a best-in-class agency in your category. Why do you believe you were recognised as a standout vs your competition?
We’ve built our agency around the belief that boring is one of the biggest risks a brand can take. There are plenty of agencies producing good work, but we’ve been very deliberate about building KBD to challenge safe, expected thinking and push brands to do things that actually get noticed. What makes us stand out is that we’re willing to have the uncomfortable conversations, challenge a brief when we think there’s a better answer, and bring ideas that other agencies might consider too bold. We’re not interested in creating work just to tick a box or fill a content calendar. We want to make work that earns attention, starts conversations and ultimately drives a commercial result. That combination of bold creative thinking and a real understanding of business outcomes is what has helped us stand apart. We exist to help brands stop blending in. Being bold and disruptive isn’t just a creative style (or company name), it’s the lens we apply to everything. We challenge the expected answer, push clients outside of what feels safe and create work designed to earn attention rather than simply add to the noise. Ultimately our point of difference is pretty simple: we’re not here to make brands look like everyone else in their category.
What is your agency’s greatest competitive advantage?
I’d say our greatest competitive advantage is the combination of strong strategic thinking and a team that genuinely cares about the work. Everyone at KBD believes in what we’re trying to do. We’re not interested in being disruptive just for the sake of it; there needs to be a strategic reason behind the work and a clear understanding of what it needs to achieve for the client. Our team gets genuinely invested in the brands we work with. That level of care, combined with our willingness to challenge conventional thinking, is difficult to replicate.
Who are some of your biggest clients and how have you helped them?
We’ve had the opportunity to work with some incredible brands across very different categories. Loctite is a great example. The work ultimately earned us a Webby Award and proved that even a product like superglue can become genuinely entertaining content. Daikin is another. HVAC isn’t a category people naturally associate with creativity or entertainment, which is exactly why we saw an opportunity. We created a 20-part sitcom with recurring characters, designed to give people an actual reason to follow and come back to the brand. We treat their social channels like an entertainment platform, because that’s what we believe social should be in 2026.
We’ve also had the pleasure of working with brands including Cathay Pacific, Advil, Red Rooster, IndoMie, TheraBreath and many more. The common thread, regardless of the size or category, is finding the opportunity for a brand to behave differently and creating work people actually want to pay attention to.
Website: killboringdead.com
Case studies: kbd-credentials.com
For Marcus Willis and the team at Kill Boring Dead, the decision to participate was driven by one key question: would the investment create meaningful opportunities to connect with the right clients?
After conducting due diligence and evaluating the quality of attendees and events, the agency decided to participate. The result has been a series of valuable conversations, new relationships with prospective clients, and ongoing business opportunities generated through the Summit experience.
As a creative agency, Kill Boring Dead wanted to invest in a business development channel that would create genuine relationship-building opportunities with the organisations it most wanted to work with.
The key challenge was determining whether the CMO Summit environment would provide access to the right calibre of decision-makers and create meaningful conversations, rather than becoming another networking event with limited commercial value. The team needed confidence that the investment would help them connect with prospective clients aligned to their services, expertise, and growth strategy.
The CMO Summit format provided Kill Boring Dead with direct access to senior decisionmakers from recognised brands and organisations in a structured setting designed for focused business conversations. Rather than relying on chance introductions, the agency was able to engage with a carefully selected audience through pre-arranged meetings and facilitated networking opportunities.
What the approach enabled:
> Access to senior decision-makers from relevant organisations
> Meaningful conversations with potential clients in a focused setting
> Opportunities to build relationships that may not have been possible through traditional outreach
> Thorough preparation and support from the account management team
> A consistent platform for generating new business development opportunities
For Kill Boring Dead, the value of the Summits has come from the quality of the relationships developed through participation. While not every meeting is a perfect fit, Marcus found that the vast majority of conversations were relevant, productive, and worthwhile. The agency has built strong connections with organisations it may never otherwise have had the opportunity to engage with. These relationships have helped create a reliable source of new business opportunities and have reinforced the value of participating in future Summits.
> Valuable new relationships established with prospective clients and brands
> Access to organisations aligned with the agency’s target client profile
> Meaningful business conversations that have supported ongoing growth
> A continued source of new business development opportunities
> Increased confidence in the event investment through positive outcomes and engagement
For Marcus, one of the most valuable aspects of the Summit model is the opportunity to build genuine relationships with senior decision-makers in a structured and professional environment. While there will always be some delegates who are not an exact fit, the overall quality of conversations has consistently made the experience worthwhile.
The combination of:
> Access to high-calibre business leaders and decision-makers
> Structured one-to-one meetings focused on business objectives
> Relevant conversations with organisations aligned to growth goals
> Thorough preparation and support from the account management team
> Opportunities to build relationships that extend beyond the event itself
creates an experience that delivers far more value than traditional networking alone.
Metric Outcome
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Relationship Building Valuable connections with prospective clients and brands
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Business Development Consistent source of new opportunities
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Buyer Access Direct engagement with senior decision-makers
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Event Experience Positive, well-supported participation experience
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Ongoing Commitment Continued participation driven by proven value
The positive experience has encouraged Kill Boring Dead to continue participating in the Summits. Marcus credits both the quality of the relationships generated and the professionalism of the Marcus Evans team as key reasons for the ongoing partnership. With clear communication, strong preparation, and reliable support, the agency can focus on making the most of every opportunity presented. Most importantly, the Summits have helped create valuable connections and new business opportunities that continue to support the agency’s growth.
How did you first hear about Marcus Evans? What background check did you do on our organisation and
credibility?
Our relationship with Marcus Evans goes back many years, when we were still operating under our previous agency brand. We had a number of conversations with representatives at the time, but ultimately decided it wasn’t quite the right fit for where the business was. When we were approached again at the end of 2024, the timing and opportunity made much more sense for us. Having had that history with Marcus Evans gave us a level of familiarity, but we still treated it like any significant business investment and did our due diligence. We looked into the calibre of attendees, the types of organisations involved, previous events and the overall reputation of Marcus Evans, alongside conversations with the team about exactly what we could expect. Ultimately, we felt confident enough to give it a go. Since then, the experience and the quality of the relationships we’ve built through the Summits have validated that decision.
What hesitations or concerns did you have before your first event?
The main hesitation was simply understanding whether it would be a worthwhile investment for us. We wanted to make sure the industries and calibre of businesses attending were aligned with the types of clients we wanted to attract as an agency, and that there was a genuine opportunity to build meaningful relationships rather than just attend another networking event.
Were any of those concerns valid? What was your actual experience?
Overall, the experience has been really positive. There are naturally going to be a few industries or businesses at any event that aren’t a direct fit for us, but for the most part, we’ve had some genuinely valuable conversations and built strong relationships with brands we otherwise may not have had the opportunity to meet. The quality of those connections has made the investment worthwhile for us.
How would you describe the account management service you’ve received from the team?
The experience has been consistently positive. From my perspective, that’s actually a testament to how easy the relationship has been to manage. I can trust that everything is being handled and that my team has the information they need to make sure I’m well prepared. Communication has been clear, preparation has been thorough, and I’ve always felt well supported heading into each Summit.
How did you find the qualification and matching process for the meetings you had?
There have been some instances where meetings have gone really well in person but we didn’t hear back from the delegate afterwards, as well as a few no-shows where meetings have needed to be rescheduled on the day. That said, we understand that’s not always within the team’s control. The feedback from our most recent Summit was the most positive to date. My team felt the matching was strong and the conversations were relevant and worthwhile.
Did Marcus Evans deliver everything that was promised?
I haven’t had any issues to date.
Any other general comments or feedback regarding your experience?
Overall, our experience has been really positive and we’ve enjoyed being part of the Summits. The team
has been great to work with and we’ve built some valuable relationships along the way.
Enquire now for the upcoming CMO Summit 2027.