Two Good Agencies.
Different in the Right Ways.
RPA is an independent full-service advertising agency based in Santa Monica, California. They handle brand strategy, creative advertising, media buying, digital marketing, and integrated campaigns. Their long-standing client relationships include Honda and other national consumer and healthcare brands.
This comparison exists to help you decide. We'll tell you what they do well, where we differ, and which option is likely the better fit for your situation. We'd rather you make the right choice — even if that's not us.
What They Offer
Independent full-service agency with national media buying
RPA is a true full-service independent agency — brand strategy, creative, media buying, and digital — serving national and Fortune 500 clients. If you need a national media buy, large-scale brand campaign, or full agency-of-record relationship at national brand budget levels, they operate at that scale.
Where Sidestreet Is Different
Built for small and mid-size businesses
RPA's client roster — Honda, Fortune 500 healthcare and consumer brands — reflects a large-agency pricing and scope model. Sidestreet is built for small and mid-size regional businesses that need senior-level strategy and execution at budgets appropriate for their scale.
Broadcast-trained production
RPA handles large-scale advertising production. Sidestreet's production comes from a broadcast journalism background — different in scale and approach. For regional businesses that need brand films, testimonials, and commercial photography produced at a budget that matches their size, Sidestreet's scope is more appropriate.
PR and crisis communications
RPA focuses on advertising, media, and digital. Sidestreet operates a dedicated PR and crisis communications practice — media relations, crisis preparedness, earned media — alongside marketing and production.
Church media specialization
Sidestreet operates a purpose-built church media practice. RPA serves national consumer and healthcare brands without a faith sector focus.
How to Decide
RPA is probably the right choice if: you're a national consumer brand or enterprise client that needs a full-service agency-of-record with large-scale media buying and integrated national campaigns.
Sidestreet is probably the right choice if: you're a small or mid-size business that wants senior-level marketing and communications without national agency overhead, needs in-house production, or serves a faith community.
If you're genuinely unsure, talk to both of us before committing. Any agency worth working with will give you a straight answer about whether they're the right fit — and so will we.
How This Comparison Was Built
Everything on this page about RPA comes from their own published website and public materials — not speculation, not secondhand reviews. We describe their strengths in the terms they use themselves, and where we weren't certain about a capability, we said so. Sidestreet's senior team reviews this page and re-verifies it when either agency's offerings change.
Last verified: August 13, 2026. If you represent RPA and something here is out of date, email workwithus@hellosidestreet.com and we'll correct it.
400%+
E-commerce revenue growth for a manufacturer after a full-site rebuild and integrated digital campaign
0
Contract clients who stayed 1+ year and had a negative ROI — zero, ever
AI
Claude and in-house models integrated across campaign strategy, SEO analysis, and content — with senior editorial judgment on every output
75/25
Vote margin in a competitive county sheriff race — our digital campaign delivered a decisive win called before 7pm on election night
Still Deciding? Let's Have
An Honest Conversation
We'll tell you directly whether Sidestreet is the right fit for your situation — and if we're not, we'll say so. No pressure, no pitch. Just a real conversation about what you need.
Start the conversationRPA vs. Sidestreet — Questions Answered
Can't find the answer you're looking for? Get in touch
RPA is a large independent LA ad agency serving national brands including Honda. Sidestreet is built for small and mid-size businesses — senior-led, in-house broadcast production, PR/crisis communications, and church media at regional business budgets.
RPA's client roster suggests they primarily serve national and enterprise clients. Small and mid-size businesses would need to ask directly about scope and minimum engagement size.
Yes. Our marketing, web, and communications services are remote-capable. For production, we travel nationally including to California.
For mid-size LA businesses, Kobe Digital covers performance marketing + video, and Sidestreet offers full-service including production and PR, remotely. Both are better suited to mid-market budgets than RPA.
RPA focuses on advertising, creative, media buying, and digital marketing. PR and crisis communications are not among their primary stated services.