In July of 1998, Jennifer Henderson took a small step for herself that turned out to be a giant leap for businesswomen throughout North Texas.
The small graphic design boutique she opened then is known today as the J.O. Agency – and the agency is celebrating a quarter century of growing and transforming business in a variety of ways, including brand strategy, integrated campaigns, graphic design and public relations.
J.O. is one of the longest-running female-owned agencies in Fort Worth. In fact, it is one of the longest-running agencies regardless of ownership.
“When I started J.O. I was determined to make it work,” Henderson said. “I was pretty stubborn from the get-go and wanted to prove my place in a man-dominated field. Fast forward 25 years and here we are – outplaying and outlasting many other agencies.
“I’d like to think we’ve done it with flair. As a 25-year-old full-service agency in Fort Worth, we have beat the odds again and again.”
Her longtime clients prove the point. According to a January article by Forbes, the average relationship between a client and an ad agency has dropped to less than three years.
But Henderson doesn’t call her company an ad agency. She views J.O. as a storyteller. There’s a lot more to a client than the brand, she says, and J.O. prides itself on being the best at getting that message out to the world.
According to the American Advertising Association of America there are an estimated 22,000 agencies in North America and less than 1% are female-owned, putting Henderson and J.O. in rare company.
What’s more, Henderson has remained loyal to the folks who have been loyal to her. Born and raised in Fort Worth, she has worked with such well-known entities as TCU, Botanical Research Institution of Texas, Trinity Metro (formerly Fort Worth Transportation Authority), Texas Wesleyan University, Worthington Bank and more.
Worthington Bank CEO Greg Morse said his company is a portmanteau for Fort Worth and Arlington, combining parts of the two names into a single term (like brunch merges breakfast and lunch). The bank opened its first office in Arlington in a low-income area for Community Reinvestment Act purposes, always knowing that the next move would be into the highly competitive banking market of Fort Worth.
“We interviewed several firms, but J.O. had the best ideas by far,” Morse said. “I remember telling Jennifer Henderson that we didn’t have a budget to advertise with our mammoth competitors. She said, and I quote, ‘If you can’t advertise with the competitors, let’s advertise against them – proof that a kite rises against the wind and not with it.’ So, she came up with what I used to call the Little Engine that Could Campaign. The campaign raised a lot of eyebrows because it wasn’t like most stuffy bank ad campaigns.”
Henderson is “the best unpaid employee we have,” Morse said, giving her much of the credit for Worthington Bank’s success.
Morse said the bank tracks the source of new accounts.
“Ninety percent are referrals. One hundred percent of the remaining 10 percent indicate that they opened their account with us because of our billboards,” he said. “Funny fact is that we went for seven years with no billboards and people still claimed they were opening their accounts because of our billboards. Proof that advertising works.”
“CFOs hate billboards because there is often no immediate return,” Morse added. “Jennifer called the billboards ‘long-range bombing.’”
J.O. has also worked with international clients such as Galderma and Giant Screen Theatre Association, and eventually created The Cause Agency, J.O.’s sister nonprofit agency that helps other nonprofits market their services.
“Jennifer has quietly leveled up her agency over the years, not just by adapting but also by innovating,” said Debra Morrow, another female business entrepreneur who founded Morrow & Company.
“When you work with her, you feel like anything’s possible, and it’s that excitement that permeates every project,” Morrow said. “Jennifer’s energy, perseverance and inclusiveness have inspired many, including me. Collaboration is her driving force.”
Henderson thrives on giving back to the community. She loves helping young dreamers grow professionally, and created an internship program for current students and recent college graduates.
She stresses that interns at J.O. do a lot more than “fetch coffee or make copies.” The agency focuses on instilling in them a set of “real world skills,” Henderson said.
Henderson also makes it a priority to speak with young women, from middle schools to college, guiding high school graduates to get the most out of their college experience when they enter the work world. Among other assistance, her company helps students with portfolio reviews at college job fairs.
“It’s incredible to look back and see the changes and advancements that have shaped the industry over the last 25 years,” Henderson said. “It’s funny to think about now, but J.O.’s first website was designed by a teenager. I still remember our first virtual team meeting – it felt like working in the space age! You compare those moments to now and all that awaits with AI (artificial intelligence) – it’s proof that to last in this industry, you have to embrace change.
“It pains me to see that everyone is a ‘marketer or designer’ without real training in theory. But I love that there’s so much freedom in a creative space like ours – it’s always been one of the best parts of the job for me.”
In that same vein, Henderson said there have never been more options for how to communicate a client’s message.
“Wave by wave, technology has shifted the center point of media’s power and influence and to keep up, our team has made the decision to embrace the changes and find ways to make them work for our clients,” she said.
“The kind of creativity that the industry demands will never change,” she said. “From the very beginning in 1998, we have dared to be bold, being one of the few female-owned agencies in the area and continuing to aim high and defy the odds. I’m excited to see what shifts and changes await because what will always remain are people and organizations needing their stories to be told. We’ll be here doing that work with unbridled creativity for years to come.”
It’s all connected to Henderson’s vision that there is no limit to what women can accomplish in the business world.
The agency is planning a silver anniversary celebration in the fall, once the weather has cooled a little bit. Until then, J.O. will celebrate its achievements on its social media pages.
“We’re so proud to be a part of the Fort Worth creative community and one of the longest women-owned agencies,” Henderson said. “We’ve had the amazing opportunity to work with some of the best clients and creative partners, and because of that, J.O. will always be a part of Fort Worth’s history.”