Agency

Cohere has relaunched our online community and bi-weekly dose of design inspiration, tips and abilities to connect with leaders of growing brands

Driven by a passion for design, Cohere is a sharp community of emerging brand leaders, designers, and founders. Our studio has been at the intersection of food + place for over 15 years. Entrusted by both new and established restaurateurs, hoteliers, real estate developers, and designers - we make it our mission to connect people through great design and smart strategy so they can build more together, more often.

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doubling down on the content we want to see in the world

 - bringing you unfiltered stories with more vulnerable moments with founders, and more behind-the-scenes from world class design and hospitality projects that we want to invite you in on.

We have updated the way we will be sending this deeper content into two fun formats. 

: A bi-weekly dose of design inspiration, tips, and connections with and for leaders of growing brands.



 A great mentor of ours said "all good business deals get done at a bar stool". We wanted to create that space…in your inbox. Like a dive bar where the interior design intentions went out the window long ago, and the eclectic accumulation of Christmas decorations and vintage sports memorabilia are vignettes worth staring at over the course of several beers. Dives are the antithesis of branding and marketing. They just exist because people want to go there and they invite your honest beliefs over a game of pool. This is why we named these longer format stories in your inbox after this unique place. OUR DIVE will be the unfiltered stories, insights from founders, and nitty-gritty from inside of building great brands. We’re asking ourselves and our network - what vulnerabilities can you share today? Grab a seat.

The “dive” aims to cut through the fluff and give us a place to speak vulnerably about the realities of growing a brand, while remaining optimistic with creative solutions and ideas that contribute to positivity in this world. With the 

deepening divide of audience groups because of algorithm biases

 and AI means that brands are experiencing a harder time reaching their ideal fans, and we are left feeling empty by the monotonous crap we see online. The dive will offer a refreshing place to escape that phenomenon and open our hearts to learn from other great people in our network, in our niche of design, hospitality, real estate and food.



Well, this speaks for itself. Fast, easy to digest bits about hospitality, real estate and food product design trends, updates, and shares.

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A quick hit of design inspiration and stories that aid your growth. Fast updates from our creative community. Curated news in hospitality, food, design, and marketing. Join the conversation with us in digestible bites.

If you're already on our list, wonderful. If not, take a moment and jump in.

Driven by a passion for design, Cohere is a sharp community of emerging brand leaders, designers, and founders.

Join the List.

Surround Yourself with People that Inspire You

We’ve won some key awards and recognition lately, which has resulted in interest from some leading hospitality brands and accounts.

Cohere has been traditionally known for branding, although our entire agency careers we have exercised serious marketing skills. The reason is that a brand is not static, and it requires smart practices to put a brand’s story into action and have that result in effective businesses for the restaurants we serve. For example – a new brand means a new location, and without smart marketing, that new location has less brand awareness as a result. So we’ve been building some seriously valuable skill sets along our journey as branding and storytelling professionals.

COVID forced our clients to trust us and lean on our abilities more. This gave us some opportunities to flex our marketing muscle! In the past few years since the pandemic, we have successfully launched three new specific services in our agency's 

: Restaurant Campaigns, Digital Marketing, and Social Media Management.

Marketing

Cohere has been traditionally known for branding, although our entire agency careers we have exercised serious marketing skills.

Winning the "Best Restaurant Marketing Agency" Recognition

As a result of the past few years of restaurant marketing, Cohere has received some industry-wide recognition.

First, we were named “Best Restaurant Marketing Agency” by Bento Box who is a leading partner in digital presence for restaurants. They supply tech to restaurants that help them maximize conversions from takeout to reservation systems. Cohere has been working with them for over 5 years and is a premiere partner, having done many restaurant websites over our 15 year history.

Second, we recently got prized with “Best Packaging Design Agency” amongst 4,500 other creative agencies in the world by Clutch.co, a leading service provider review site.

"Cohere is a design-forward branding, marketing and creative studio with a passion for telling good stories for hospitality brands. They’re based on the East Coast, with offices in New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore."

Cohere is working with the greatest hospitality professionals in the industry (see a peak at our client list below). And that kind of trust is earned only by significantly measurable results. Here are a few key examples of the best-in-class reputation we have built for ourselves:

Our restaurant clients spend 3% or less on marketing whereas the industry average is 10% spend of average revenue. That is a rate 3x lower than our restaurant competitors and a 7% average savings that can be spent on other things you need operationally

Our restaurant client’s average is 3,800% ROAS (revenue attributable to ads / cost of ads). This refers to the amount of revenue that is earned for every dollar spent on a campaign.

The restaurant industry average ratio on return is 2:1. Cohere manages to an average of 5:1 after a full year of advertising. Our special formula works and we apply it to our clients in a transparent, collaborative manner that yields results they can happily track.

Award Winning: Why Cohere was Awarded Best Restaurant Marketing Agency

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a puppeteer, a magician and a cartoonist. I feel like as a photographer I get to be all of those things at once.


When partners come to Cohere with a new project, they’re seeking the best avenues to share something they’re excited about with the world. That passion and drive deserves to be surrounded by the best creatives to capture that emotion all in one shot or clip. It’s rare to find someone who can create a whole package where each piece of the end product elicits so much emotion.

 stepped in to partner with Cohere on projects for 

. Over the past 3+ years, he has crafted an animation and content style that’s all his own to help build a creative arsenal of work that represents the Cohere family of brands on a national scale.

HipCityVeg Fast Casual Branding & Marketing

Starr Holiday 2022 Campaign

Andre’s signature style of stop-motion animation, rendering, and photography has been recognized by One Eyeland, Production Paradise, Intl Photography and more. Andre shot for Philadelphia Magazine, Boyd’s, Hamilton Jewelers, Burlington Coat Factory, 5Below and others before landing a full-time photographer position at Anthropologie, and is now tackling many creative projects on his own or in collaboration with teams like Cohere.

We sat down with Andre to discuss his creative process, feeling empowered to keep creating, a glimpse of his childhood, and the most important lessons he’s learned. He had a few things to say - keeping it short and sweet.

Good work doesn’t always come from the longest timeline or the most difficult set to produce. Sometimes simplifying the approach and concept can lead to a clearer visual message.

Create work you want to see in the world. Don’t wait for the brief or perfect client to create a piece of work. Take on your own personal projects to try out new styles, ideas, and techniques. This can ultimately aid in clients finding you, rather than you finding clients.

The Philadelphia-based photographer focuses on finding new ways to look at everyday objects. Andre takes his visions to the next level by incorporating animation, 3D printing and CGI, along with traditional photography, to give a new perspective to ordinary things, like HipCityVeg’s golden chick’n nugget and the ingredients that fill the Simply Good Jars. It’s easy to see why if Andre produces it, it’s bound to feel fresh, new, and visually captivating.

Andre also produces incredible personal projects like the 

 series seen as a timely message for summer 2020, and he’s always exploring new ways to creatively implement these powerful and personal messages which have lead to even more professional opportunities in Philadelphia, New York City and Baltimore. He’s demonstrated that mixing passion with creativity is an undeniable recipe for success.

We always enjoy getting a peak into Andre’s mind and talking about how he is using his talents and platform to advocate for change, his success with his past work, and how his past has shaped what he produces today.

Stay tuned for more creative collaborations, and if you aren't already follow 

 You deserve to be as inspired as we always are.

When partners come to Cohere with a new project, they’re seeking the best avenues to share something they’re excited about with the world. That passion and drive deserves to be surrounded by the best creatives.

Picking the Brain of Creative Mastermind Andre Rucker

What do hundreds of people grooving to live music set on the Philly waterfront, a collaboration between local DJs and a speakeasy-style listening room inside of a mouth-watering Mexican restaurant, and an eclectic makers market in a hidden urban garden all have in common? They’re all creative activations that Cohere and its collaborators have made happen in recent years; 

more than just a brand and marketing agency, we are active and inspired members of our creative ecosystem - 

breaking the mold to find vibrancy out in the real world, and let it ripple out through the work we do and the ideas we launch.

Our creative class needs safe spaces to gather.

 in 2020, we were blown away by the turn out of our creative community and the vibe that 

 curates. Our outdoor event space we operated for two years in Philadelphia was the perfect home for the first two years of Cosmic Rhythms, where it grew into a 500+ person daytime dance party that would sell out in minutes. In 2023, we were able to help sponsor the resurrection of the series, where Josh Lang and his partner DJ Sylo hosted it at Cherry Street Pier in June 2023 and brought together a whopping 5,000 attendees! 

We helped partner on something special here; 

countless connections and memories were made, with moments of inspiration created throughout.


Hospitality spaces are ripe for surprise and delight through artistic engagements.

For the past several years, we have been the trusted marketing agency for 

 and have become big fans of how they curate an entire experience for their guests. They think about art, culture, and music as an integral part of their restaurants - and founder Stephen Starr is known as a theatrical producer of the spaces he creates. They started to take notice that creative community gatherings were our sweet spot too - and asked for our help with some key spaces. Take for example our involvement with 

 Designed by globally respected creative director Serge Becker, it features delicious Baja Mexican food, a lounge, art gallery, and bookstore all in the space. And, we have been supporting the marketing and now the programming for their intimate 60-person 

As consumers and supporters of great music and the people who make it, we went straight to our community to partner on making this one of the best sound experiences in Philadelphia.

If you are going to work on any vinyl room or best-in-class space for DJs, you must talk to Philly native 

. Fast forward three months into the project, and we’ve helped bring back his iconic Li’l Ricky’s Rib Shack party to LMNO’s The Listening Room. For long time music lovers who remember APT in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, Rich’s residency had an unprecedented nine-year run, quickly becoming a destination for the likes of Puff Daddy, Lord Sear, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Prince, Q Tip, and music lovers from all over the world.⁠ His nights are sold out and special, and we invite you 

How can you be creative, if you aren’t out in the world 

 We’re often hired to be the changemakers or truth-tellers in the room at the start of a new project, and we take our role seriously; 

we must be more than just present and capable - we must

 to help our clients launch their ideas and create impact.

When we first hosted Cosmic Rhythms at the Viaduct in 2020, we were blown away by the turn out of our creative community and the vibe that BWC Sounds curates.

Of The Culture - Our Music Activations and How They Cultivate Community

This partnership comes to no surprise to those who know Cohere well. Chris Richards has been an integral team member since 2012 and his dedication to our team and our clients is evident with every interaction.

He’s one of those rare human beings whose actions are completely aligned with his intentions and words, which helps him to drive consistent outcomes. We are fortunate to have aligned life paths together, and it’s an honor to serve him and our projects together as we grow into this next chapter of Cohere.

Branding is the art of helping a person or place reach their full potential. At Cohere we take pride in helping our people reach their full potential during their time at our agency. Chris is no exception, in fact, he’s becoming the rule – showing others how to live up to their personal mission through our ethos. His background may surprise you, and it’s always fun in these “coming of age” moments to expose one’s story – because it’s special and unique to Chris Richards. He is very much on the path of reaching his full potential at Cohere and we are using this partnership as a way to coach his best out of him! The epitome of what Cohere prides itself on.


Tell us about your background and how you got to Cohere. Feel free to expose our embarrassing DM moment.

I found my way to Cohere (At Media back in the day!) by entering the job scene in Philadelphia after moving there with my significant other in 2012. I spent about a year working for a start-up, based entirely on Facebook and the promise of ‘social commerce’ – a buzzword that was super hot as big companies got invested in the idea of selling to people directly on social platforms. It was a time when apps were everything, and the startup I joined had a master plan to sell itself to every brand on Facebook that could utilize a social storefront to sell their items. Being a startup, my role entailed everything from sales and business development to writing new, unique blog content on a weekly basis for the company. The company’s goal was to put out enough content and attract enough readers that they could convert free accounts into paid premium members utilizing “Facebook stores” and a full ecosystem to sell things to their customers. Suffice to say, the lofty promises of startup culture at the time: “We’ll have offices soon, with ping pong! And kegs!” soon faded away. I stopped getting paid, and the reality of finding a real job set in.

Here is where the awkward DM (private message!) came into play. Because I had discovered Antoinette and her social presence on Twitter and Facebook back then, I knew she and the agency might be prime customers for the social selling platform – maybe even selling it to their clients. So, with my sales hat on, I sent Antoinette a message on Facebook. I think she ignored it or sent some tame follow-up. But, I let time pass and reached out again. By chance, that second message landed at a time when she was looking for extra help at the agency. A few more messages back and forth, and I had an interview set up for a social/content intern position. From there, it’s been nothing but growth together!

Your grandfather and father have been a big influence in your life. They are also oddly the perfect mix of experiences and interests relevant to your own career at Cohere. Entrepreneur, teacher, environmental, built-environment and team leaders - how have they shaped who you are? What values are you activating at your core that relate back to lessons you learned with them?

My grandfather was always a calming figure to me. He had such knowledge and awareness of both history and the present time, it was mind-boggling. You could sit and listen to him talk about experiences happening today and how they related to history for hours, and that wisdom was well-earned. As I grew to learn, he was a keystone member of Arlington County, VA in the 1960s and ’70s. This story does him more justice than I can – calling him the “Theodore Roosevelt for Arlington Parks and Trails” – he essentially helped to save and retain what makes Arlington County one of the most livable and desirable districts in the country through his work preserving the park system and smart development. As if that wasn’t enough, as the county board, he was instrumental in bringing the METRO to Virginia and DC. The lines that are now such a steadfast component of life in the DMV area were successful in part to his work and approach to urban development. Likewise, my father always talked about these success stories and experiences with a humble and low-key confidence that instilled in me that big things are possible, and they’re not always flashy or in your face. The combination of his entrepreneurial mindset and approach to subtle leadership has informed how I approach most all situations.

In my core, I’m activating those values I’ve experienced so organically. Leading with respect is huge. Leading by listening is key. Understanding that we’re all part of a much bigger system is important to being realistic and measured in responses to situations. My grandfather and father both serve as perfect examples of that philosophy and my natural upbringing to be strong but humble and low-key has been a common tendency of mine throughout my life.

There was this moment for me where I can point back to the time you shifted from employee to leader. In 2014 we were moving Cohere's offices, tripling in size and you looked at me and said "how can I help", and then you wrote a brilliant blog on it. I gave you a few higher level tasks that I didn't expect you to follow through with. Instead you blew me away and showed up with more commitment and results than I expected. Most of all your articulation of how moving can impact culture in your blog told me that you were poised for leadership and ready to grow to the next level.

Back then, I still had time to think about my own approach to blog content, and that was a natural extension of me just wanting to put thoughts out into the world! I’m not a very extroverted person on the surface, but I have a lot of thoughts. When you get to know me, you know that I share those thoughts in my own way – and I think the point you mention was a culmination of a lot of built-up ideas and feelings at a business and personal level. I saw the company changing right before my eyes and realized how important it had been what we went through, a huge change together – it was very physical and emotionally taxing: moving offices, changing leadership, and thinking to the future – and it was something I knew I couldn’t vocalize very well. Asking “how can I help” was my way of signaling that I’m in this for the long-run


What clicked for you during that time where you chose to rise to the occasion versus wait around for instructions?

Through my career, I’ve always worked for small businesses. The largest was a non-profit association with hundreds of employees, but I worked in a very small unit. The idea or notion of “rising to the occasion” has always been a part of my process. I don’t know how to NOT take on other tasks, or support preemptively. Waiting for instructions has never gotten me anywhere. I thrive in a startup and entrepreneurial environment and have always thought of myself as an “owner” in whatever I’m working on. Whether it’s a client’s project or working on our own business, I am empowered by the notion that I can always make a decision. Deciding to act, no matter how small of an action it is, keeps me moving forward.

With the official title of Managing Partner (which still feels funny) we are recognizing that I’m committed to the business. Being a partner means I’m invested in making something work for the long-run. Whether that’s the Cohere of today or a completely different evolution, I’m here for the decision making and conversations that keep us moving forward. What excited me about the prospect of being named Partner was that Antoinette can trust in my dedication and have peace of mind that there’s someone along for the ride. There are so many decisions, big and small, that a business owner makes each day. Sometimes that can get exhausting – So, to me, having someone else in a more equivalent/peer role really adds to the capacity and efficiency of what we can achieve together. Thinking like an owner, you can wear the hat of “does this help our company? does this advance our mission?” and start to alleviate some of the decision making from just one person. To me, that’s about helping, and that’s about providing support. As a partner, I’m not in it to help myself so much as help the company (which will help me!) That mindset hasn’t really changed since I joined, but it’s that thinking that continues to help Antoinette and others elevate themselves so they can continue helping the company too.


What does the future look like for Cohere now that you are leading it?

To me, the future is a continued evolution of doing what we’re all best at. It’s more apparent than ever that a company is just people. People all have goals, and people are all dealing with things at work and beyond that influence the day to day flow of a business. The sweet spot, in my opinion, is finding the right people – the people that just get it – and let them do their thing. Giving enough framework and structure to feel taken care of, but then giving the freedom to make decisions and learn from them. I would not be in the position I’m in if it hadn’t been for Antoinette’s willingness to let me learn, lead, and just make decisions. As a leader – I try to lead by example. I hope that people can see what I do, how I approach conversations, how I steer projects and take that as a “green light” to do the same. No one told me how to grow or lead from this position, it’s something I’ve worked into. But honestly, I haven’t ever “sought” to lead or define myself as one. I think if people take the pressure off the notion of leading, they will see that everyone can lead in their own way. You never know how much of relief you can provide by asking a simple question or tackling a small task for someone. 

Help people and you’re a leader. Listen to people and you’re a leader.

Stories About Agency

Stories about
Agency

Surround Yourself with People that Inspire You

Award Winning: Why Cohere was Awarded Best Restaurant Marketing Agency

Picking the Brain of Creative Mastermind Andre Rucker

Of The Culture - Our Music Activations and How They Cultivate Community

Chris Richards named Partner at Cohere

Stories About Agency

Stories about AgencyEverything

Surround Yourself with People that Inspire You

Award Winning: Why Cohere was Awarded Best Restaurant Marketing Agency

Picking the Brain of Creative Mastermind Andre Rucker

Of The Culture - Our Music Activations and How They Cultivate Community

Chris Richards named Partner at Cohere

Stories about
Agency