Bell & Porter started in 2019 with a simple idea: build the kind of marketing agency we'd want to work with ourselves.

At the time, our founders were both working full-time in different corners of marketing. Brittaney's background was in digital strategy, data, and performance marketing, with deep experience across advertising platforms, ecommerce, and online marketplaces. Patrick led marketing and creative operations at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, after earlier roles in public relations and communications leadership.

Together, they'd worked with agencies of all sizes. They'd seen great work, but also how often the fundamentals got overlooked: clear communication, thoughtful strategy, accountability, and simply doing what you say you'll do. So they decided to build something better, together.

Our name has a few layers, and each one means something to us.

First, there's Annabel (Bel) and Porter, our founders' two dogs and the original inspiration. Bel was stubborn, spirited, and entirely her own personality. We lost her in 2026, but she's still very much part of the company, in name and, we'd like to think, in spirit. Porter, meanwhile, continues to live up to his name. Loyal, dedicated, and always ready to lend a hand, he's a fitting reflection of the commitment to service that's become part of who we are.

The name also shares our initials, Brittaney and Patrick. It’s a small detail, but it makes the name feel even more fitting.

And then there’s service. In college, Patrick spent his summers as a bellman at the historic Athenaeum Hotel in Chautauqua, New York. It was an early lesson in hospitality, attention to detail, and making people feel genuinely taken care of. It still shapes how we work with clients today, because while we’re in the business of marketing, we’ve always believed we’re in the business of service, too.

We’ve never set out to be the biggest agency in the room. We want to be the team our clients trust, the people they enjoy working with, and the partners who care as much about the outcome as they do.

That means pairing strong creative thinking with technical expertise and practical strategy. It means being transparent, staying accountable, and treating our clients’ businesses with the same care we’d give our own. It’s what we set out to build in 2019, and it’s still what guides us today.