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.