There are times when size certainly doesn’t matter, and one of those times is when it comes to agencies. Many clients simply don’t need a major holding company owned agency to deliver results for them.
The bigger the agency the more overheads they need to cover and the more processes they have embedded. Running a large operation is of course costly and those costs get passed along to clients.
Smaller agencies are nimble, proactive, and can scale when needed for each particular project. The advent of the gig economy, where many talented people opted to go freelance or consult, created a global pool of talent who relish the opportunity to jump in on a project for a brand and then move on to something else. An agency can have a small core team of focussed and skilled professionals in-house who can manage the client relationship and some of the more immediate work, and when needed they can tap into an endless resource of talent locally and worldwide.
Local knowledge
A smaller independent agency also brings with it true local knowledge and loyalty to the market they are based in. They understand the intricacies of navigating local Government, they have close relationships with suppliers, and of course they are committed as they have established themselves in their home city. All of this knowledge brings invaluable insights so as they can provide their clients with solutions that will not only resonate with a local market but also deliver results.
Can scale when needed
Another benefit of the smaller, local independent agency is that they are free to forge relationships with other independent agencies in other regions and markets, thus being able to offer their clients the ability to tap into other countries and regions for specific campaigns at a more affordable price than what would be possible if working with a major holding company owned agency.
Diversifying
Being smaller also allows for more flexibility and also to evolve their offering by adding different services made possible by the independent talent pool they have available to them. There are no barriers stopping an PR agency adding more digital marketing and creative services, video production, and traditional advertising resources.
So the next time you’re looking for an agency remember their size is no longer a measure of their capabilities or reach. Thanks to the evolution of the job market, and of course technology, the playing field is now wide open and it could be time to think small.
Joseph Henry is the founder and CEO of Vivaldi Public Relation Agency.
He is an expert communicator and influencer who has been helping leading companies achieve their strategic objectives in Asia for the last 20 years.
