The Agency Repositioning Playbook: How to Pivot Without Losing Clients or Revenue
A step-by-step guide for agency principals to reposition strategically—without losing clients, revenue, or market trust.
Repositioning a marketing agency sounds exciting—until you realise how messy it can get. One wrong move, and you risk alienating existing clients, confusing your audience, and watching revenue dip while your new positioning struggles to gain traction.
I know this firsthand because we have repositioned Prodigy multiple times. And yes, we alienated clients, confused our audience and our team, and eroded our cash flow during some of them.
Despite the mess, we learned lessons and refined our process with each iteration.
We started as a generalist agency, doing almost everything—social media marketing, photo and video shoots, scriptwriting, web design, branding, out-of-home advertising, paid ads, radio ads, packaging design, community management, influencer sourcing, you name it.
For any client we could find, in any industry.
Over time, as we learned more about what makes an agency successful, we saw the value of narrow positioning. We experimented, adjusting our expertise, our strengths, and our preferences to match what the market was looking for.
One of our biggest repositioning efforts was when we specialised in marketing for knowledge entrepreneurs—coaches, consultants, course creators, and industry experts. We went deep into that niche for a few years. But despite the work being meaningful, we realised it was not a particularly lucrative market.
So, just last year, we repositioned again. This time, focusing on B2B digital marketing, working specifically with B2B professional services firms in the UK.
Not only have we repositioned multiple times ourselves, but we have also worked with clients going through the same challenges.
With each pivot, and with each client we helped with repositioning, we kept refining our approach.
I am writing this article to help other agency principals avoid the same mistakes we made. The following is a structured, strategic approach to agency repositioning.
When and Why Should an Agency Reposition?
Not every challenge requires a repositioning. Some agency principals assume a slow quarter means it is time for a drastic pivot, but more often than not, a few tactical adjustments can get them back on track.
That said, there are clear signs that repositioning is the right move:
You are competing on price, not value. If clients constantly push back on your fees or compare you to cheaper alternatives, your positioning is not strong enough.
Your sales cycle is getting longer. If closing new deals takes significantly more effort, it may be because your messaging is unclear or your value proposition is no longer compelling.
You are attracting the wrong type of clients. If your pipeline is filled with prospects that do not align with your expertise or profit goals, your positioning (or lack thereof) may be attracting the wrong audience.
Your team is uninspired. If your team feels like they are working on projects that do not align with their strengths or ambitions, a shift in positioning could help you win more fulfilling work.
Your market is changing. If new competitors are gaining traction, industry trends are evolving, or client needs are shifting, staying in the same lane could mean falling behind.
If any of these sound familiar, repositioning might not be optional—it might be necessary for your agency’s survival and long-term success.
The Risks of Repositioning and How to Mitigate Them
If handled poorly, repositioning an agency can disrupt revenue, create brand confusion, and even alienate existing clients. But with the right approach, these risks can be mitigated.
Revenue Volatility and Client Retention Challenges
One of the biggest fears during repositioning is losing long-term clients before securing new ones. Most clients reconsider contracts during an agency pivot, especially if they feel they no longer fit the new niche.
Mitigation Strategy: Gradual Transition
Phase out old positioning gradually rather than making an abrupt switch. Maintain legacy services for existing clients while introducing new offerings in parallel.
Offer transitional solutions—if certain clients are hesitant about the repositioning, find ways to integrate them into your new structure instead of losing them entirely.
Secure long-term contracts before repositioning to stabilise revenue while new business ramps up.
The goal is to minimise disruption and maintain cash flow stability while repositioning takes hold.
Brand Confusion and Market Misalignment
A rushed repositioning often leads to a messaging disconnect, where old and new clients are unclear about what your agency actually offers. If your website, sales materials, and client communication do not align, you risk market confusion—which can delay new client acquisition and erode trust with your existing base.
Mitigation Strategy: Create a Communication Plan
Develop a clear narrative that explains why the repositioning is happening and what it means for clients.
Phase messaging updates across all channels (website, social media, Google Business Profile, personal social profiles of team members, email marketing, sales collateral, etc.) to maintain a smooth transition.
Communicate early and often—both internally (so your team can confidently relay the new positioning) and externally (so clients and prospects clearly understand the shift).
The key is to avoid contradictions in branding and messaging. Every touchpoint—whether a blog post, email signature, or LinkedIn profile—should reinforce your new positioning without creating confusion.
Internal Resistance from Team Members
Your team is the backbone of your agency. If they are not aligned with the new positioning, execution will suffer. Employees accustomed to certain workflows, client relationships, and service models may resist changes, leading to gaps in service delivery and misalignment in client interactions.
Mitigation Strategy: Stakeholder Buy-in and Training
Involve key team members early in the repositioning process—get their insights, address concerns, and make them part of the transition.
Invest in training to equip them with the skills needed for the new positioning. If your agency is shifting to strategy-driven services, for example, your team may need upskilling in consultative selling or high-level marketing strategy. Account Managers are critical during this stage—they must be trained well and fast; they’re the glue that will keep things together during the transition.
Ensure leadership alignment—agency founders and senior team members should be fully committed to the repositioning and reinforce it through their actions and communication.
The Step-by-Step Process for Agency Repositioning
Repositioning requires careful planning, validation, and phased execution. Done correctly, it attracts higher-value clients, clarifies differentiation, and secures long-term growth.
Below is our structured six-step framework to help agency principals with the transition.
Step 1: Conduct Deep Market Research
Before making any changes, you need to validate that your new positioning aligns with market demand. Too many agencies reposition based on gut feeling rather than hard data, leading to a mismatch between their offering and what clients actually need.
Pro tip: ChatGPT’s Deep Research has become an invaluable research tool for us in this phase.
Key Areas of Research
Assess Competitor Positioning
Map out competitor messaging, service offerings, and pricing.
Identify gaps—where is the white space that no one else owns?
Analyse whether your new positioning offers a clear differentiation.
Identify Ideal Clients
Which client segments bring the highest profitability and best working relationships?
Are there industries or business sizes that generate higher retention and referrals?
Analyse Market Demand
Are businesses actively searching for your new positioning?
Use tools like Google Trends, Semrush, Ahrefs, and LinkedIn engagement data to spot rising demand.
Customer and Lost Prospect Interviews
Talk to past clients and leads who didn’t convert—what was missing from your previous offering?
Conduct informal interviews with ideal prospects to validate their pain points.
Action Step:
Compile your findings into a market research report to ensure your new positioning is based on demand, not assumptions.
Step 2: Develop a Clear Positioning Statement
Your positioning statement is the foundation of your agency’s new direction. It should be absolutely clear and compelling—not a vague mission statement.
Three Essential Elements of a Strong Positioning Statement
Who You Serve. Define your ideal client profile (industry, business size, common challenges).
The Core Problem You Solve. What specific pain point does your agency solve better than anyone else?
Your Unique Differentiator. Why should clients choose you over competitors? What makes your approach unique?
Here’s Prodigy’s Positioning Statement:
We help UK-based marketing, creative, design, and software development firms generate high-quality leads and scale profitably with expert-driven SEO, PPC, email marketing, and website optimisation—at a third of the cost of local agencies.
Action Step:
Develop a one-sentence positioning statement that your entire team can easily communicate to prospects and clients. Don’t try to sound clever. The positioning statement is supposed to be boring. Prioritise clarity over cleverness on this one.
Step 3: Validate the New Positioning with Market Tests
Before going all-in, test your new positioning in small ways to ensure it resonates with your audience.
Use Google PPC to Gauge Market Interest
Run a targeted Google PPC campaign that positions your agency within the new niche.
Create a dedicated landing page—not indexed on your main site—to test the messaging, differentiation, and overall positioning without committing publicly.
Track conversions, engagement, and inbound inquiries. If there is strong interest, this is a positive validation of demand. If not, it may indicate a need to refine your messaging or explore alternative positioning.
Cold Email Outreach for Direct Market Feedback
Use tools like Clay to compile a prospect list within your new industry or ICP.
Craft cold email sequences that introduce your new value proposition, addressing key pain points of the new audience.
Track response rates, objections, and booked calls. A strong, positive reaction indicates the market is receptive to your repositioning.
Publish Thought Leadership Content
Write blog posts, LinkedIn articles, and case studies reflecting your new expertise.
Measure engagement—are people responding positively?
Conduct Small-Scale Sales Conversations
Approach select prospects with your new messaging.
Gauge interest and address objections early.
Soft Launch to Select Clients
Roll out new services or positioning messaging to a handful of trusted clients.
Get their feedback before scaling.
Action Step:
Set clear success benchmarks—if early engagement is weak, refine your positioning before a full rollout. Your goal is to ensure demand exists before fully committing resources to the transition.
Step 4: Phase Your Repositioning to Minimise Disruption
Changing your agency’s positioning too suddenly can alienate existing clients and hurt revenue. A phased approach allows for a smoother transition.
Update Website and Marketing Collateral Gradually
Keep old positioning on high-traffic pages while introducing the new messaging in blogs, social media, and landing pages.
Soft Launch with Select Clients
As mentioned above, implement the new positioning for a handpicked group of clients before making it public.
Then, you can use their feedback and case studies to strengthen your messaging.
Implement Internal Training
Make sure your sales and account management teams can confidently communicate the new positioning. I cannot stress enough the importance of this step. It’s absolutely key to minimising disruption.
Action Step:
Build a transition roadmap with key milestones for gradual rollout over 6-12 months.
Step 5: Transition Client Communications and New Business Efforts
Your existing clients need to understand how this shift benefits them. Meanwhile, new prospective clients need to hear the updated positioning immediately.
For Existing Clients
Have one-on-one conversations with long-term clients to explain the shift.
Offer transition plans if they feel misaligned.
Reinforce the value they will continue receiving.
For New Clients
Fully adopt the new positioning in outbound marketing and sales materials.
Retarget prospects that previously weren’t the right fit for your old positioning.
Action Step:
Develop a client transition strategy that retains core accounts while attracting new business.
Step 6: Measure Success and Refine Continuously
Even the most well-planned repositioning requires adjustments. Set clear KPIs to measure progress.
Track Key Metrics
Lead Quality: Are you attracting better-fit clients?
Inbound Traffic: Is your ICP engaging with your new positioning?
Conversion Rates: Are your sales conversations improving?
Client Retention: Are existing clients still satisfied with the transition?
Then, optimise as needed. If certain aspects do not resonate, refine your messaging or adjust service offerings.
Action Step:
Schedule quarterly reviews of performance data to iterate and optimise your positioning over time.
That’s it.
By following this six-step framework, you can reposition without losing revenue or confusing your audience. Because repositioning is not merely a fresh coat of paint—it’s a business transformation. The agencies that succeed take a phased, data-driven approach while communicating clearly to both their team and clients.
Thinking about repositioning your agency? Let’s discuss in the comments. What challenges are you facing? What lessons have you learned so far?
If you find this article helpful, please share it with an agency leader considering a positioning shift.