At Butler/Till, we believe deeply in the power of alignment, bringing every employee-owner together around a shared vision and purpose. Since 2015, our first full year as a 100% employee-owned enterprise, we have carried forward the tradition of selecting a Word of the Year to serve as a guiding light for what is ahead. Over the years, those words, Momentum, Build, Dream, Focus, Agile, Intention, Uplift, Flourish, Elevate, Disrupt, and most recently, All In, have reflected both who we are as an agency and where our industry is headed.
In 2025, our word was All In, and we lived it fully. We leaned into growth, onboarding new clients, launching innovative products and offerings, expanding our capabilities, and welcoming new employee-owners into our organization. Being all in meant alignment, accountability, and shared ownership, showing up fully for our clients, our colleagues, and our long-term vision.
For 2026, our Word of the Year is Impact.
Why Impact? Because once you commit fully, the expectation becomes clear. What you do must matter. Impact represents the natural evolution of being all in. It is about translating effort into outcomes, strategy into results, and intention into meaningful change.
In 2026, we are focused on impact across every dimension of our business. Impact on our industry, in how we plan and buy media, and in how we show up as one of the only independent, women-owned and led, employee-owned, B Corporations in the world. Impact on our clients’ businesses, not only by helping them achieve real, measurable goals, but by empowering them to better serve their own customers and communities. Impact in the places where we live and work, through volunteerism, charitable giving, and being a consistent, trusted, and positive presence wherever we show up. And of course, impact on the lives of our employee-owners, by creating an environment where people can grow in their careers, thrive in their personal lives, and feel supported as whole human beings.
Impact is not about doing more for the sake of doing more. It is about doing the right things, thoughtfully and intentionally, and holding ourselves accountable to the difference we make. As we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, we are asking ourselves a simple but powerful question. Are we creating impact that lasts?
Cheers to a year defined not just by what we do, but by the difference it makes, for our clients, our communities, our people, and our industry.
Contributors: Kimberly Jones
