Why We’re Going for IPA Effectiveness Accreditation
When Leopard Co launched in 2023—born from the merger of Big Cat and spottydog communications—we knew we wanted to build more than just a full-service agency. We wanted to build an agency where effectiveness wasn’t something bolted on at the end, but baked into everything we do.
That’s why we’re now applying for IPA Effectiveness Accreditation.
So, why does effectiveness matter so much to us?
When you bring together different disciplines like creative, media, digital, PR, and social, you quickly realise that everyone has their own way of measuring success. Some focus on reach, others on engagement, and some on how something looks or feels. All of that matters—but for us, what matters most is: did it work?
From day one, we made it our mission to unify the way we plan, deliver, and measure work—because clients don’t care about channels or jargon. They care about results. And that’s why our agency promise is simple:
Your Goals Are Our Mission
This isn't just a nice line we stick on our wall (although it is up on the wall!). It’s something we live and breathe every day.
We built our proprietary ROAR methodology to make sure our work is always grounded in strategy, insight, and clear outcomes. It stands for:
-
Research – Making sure we start with real data and audience understanding
-
Opportunity – That aligns with strategy
-
Activation – Choosing the right mix of channels and tactics
-
Results – Learning what worked, what didn’t, and how we can do better next time
What is marketing effectiveness?
Here at Leopard Co we are committed to maintaining a clear focus on what drives measurable success for our clients. In doing this, we are continuously building an effectiveness-driven culture which is essential for achieving the powerful results that our clients seek.
Marketing effectiveness is the way in which we measure the success of our work against the business goals set out at the beginning. This is beyond just the tactical outputs, but also investigating the outcomes and impact of the work on the client’s business.
It’s not just about process – it’s about people
In late 2024, our PR Director Laura Rudolph took on an additional role as our effectiveness lead. She helped us create the Leopard Co Results Framework—a practical, agency-wide approach to measuring success across every channel and campaign.
This framework helps us ask better questions like:
-
Why is the client doing this?
-
What does success really look like?
-
How do we connect the dots between what we do and their bottom line?
But more importantly, this work helped us shift our culture. We’ve trained every single team member—from interns to directors—to talk confidently about effectiveness. Now, effectiveness isn’t something handled at the top. It’s something we all own.
What’s next?
This year we have started exploring Marketing Mix Modelling (MMM) to help us understand the bigger picture: which channels are really driving growth, even if they can’t be tracked by a click.
We’re also streamlining our tech stack to connect our data better, improve collaboration, and reduce the noise. The goal? A clearer view of what’s working—without drowning in dashboards.
Why IPA Effectiveness Accreditation matters
Applying for IPA Effectiveness Accreditation is our way of putting a stake in the ground.
We’re serious about doing great work that works. About having better conversations with our clients. And about proving the value of marketing in boardrooms—not just brainstorms.
It’s also a step toward our bigger goal: winning an IPA Effectiveness Award by 2027.
In short…
Effectiveness isn’t a side project for us. It’s who we are.
We’ve built the tools, grown the mindset, and proven the impact. Now, we’re excited to take the next step—and we’ll keep sharing our journey along the way.