Go big or go home…right?
While the ultimate Friday night mantra has its place in everyday business – particularly when we have competing deadlines – the idea of bigger is better or the best is a leftover from the days of over-compensation and size-based authority. Yep, our minds went there too.
Stated simply, big businesses and award-driven agencies do not have the agility or absence of ego to respond to dynamic briefs and tight deadlines; they tend to view change as inconvenient, shopping around as sacrilegious, and the competitive tender world their right. There’s a way of doing things, see, and the little guy (us) should fall in line, take our licks and get used to it.
Times Are Changin’
When deciding on what type of agency to hire, keep in mind that bigger is not always better. Smaller agencies create award-winning products with a flexible price tag while offering a unique personality & style that shows not only through their work but personal relationships with clients.
1. Different is Better
Let’s be honest…it doesn’t matter if you have 2 employees, 20, 200 or 2000, if your output is slow, slack-jawed and underwhelming on the innovation angle, you won’t get very far in the now-now-now climate we wade through every day. The post-technological age has cultivated an expectation of immediacy, excellence, and difference – it’s never been more important to do differently better than everyone else.
2. Specialized Services
Most smaller agencies (Freshlab included) offer a network of specialists from different fields of the professional world – they know what they’re doing and love to do it well. Big brands tend to like this pool of talent – perks, functional skills, and down-to-the-minute adaptability without the hassle of hiring a team short-term.
3. It’s Not About the Money
Some believe money – or a comparable lack of it – is the key driver behind big brands contacting smaller agencies, but they would be wrong. Instead, they focus on what we can do, our room to move, the way we think, and the strength of our team.
4. You’re Not a Trophy Client
There isn’t a person on this planet who doesn’t like to be acknowledged for their work, craft and dedication…but most small agencies want the approval and applause of their clients first and foremost. You shouldn’t play second fiddle to a checkbox on a marking sheet. Awards and accolades don’t make you better, they don’t push you to work outside your boundaries or engage the intended audience – if an agency aims for an award as a primary motivator, they aren’t interested in what they can do for your business, only what your business can do for their profile.
5. Fast, Like the Flash
You could say a small agency is the Speedy Gonzales of the creative world. Plucky, out-of-the-box, and always on the move, we don’t have the layers of bureaucracy most large companies suffer from or a confusing, multi-tiered approvals process that doesn’t make sense. If something isn’t working, we fix it and move on; our process is clear from start to finish and you’ll always talk to the same person or people. Fast, personable service – who doesn’t want that?
Smaller agency– it’s a big deal.
Drop us a line and find out why going small with Freshlab will lead to bigger, better, and faster results.
Get in touch.
We’ll bring the coffee.