Small is the New Big

It’s true that great campaigns make companies memorable. It is a vehicle to connect with your marketplace and generate leads and sales. While brands are often applauded for their out-of-the-box campaigns, it’s not usually them but their creative agencies that are actually behind-the-scenes.

Any marketing campaign that goes viral would force people to think that a big budget and big agency were involved. However, that’s not the case always. The tables have turned and today in fact smaller agencies are winning bigger brand projects.

As a brand if you are deciding on what type of marketing agency to hire, remember that bigger always isn’t better.

Owing to their track record of success, big brands hire big agencies. However, when it comes to making a big splash with a particular campaign, small agencies or creative boutiques are the way to go.

While they may not be granted retainers like Adidas or Doritos, they do stand a chance of winning a project here and there.

Why Choose a Smaller Creative Agency?

Most brands play ‘safe’ by hiring bigger agencies because they feel like they have the resources and infrastructure, and makes them feel rest assured. While we understand the trepidation, don’t let a smaller agency’s insufficient track record hold you back from working with them.

Here are five reasons why small agencies are the way to go:

1. Niche specialisation: Small agencies are often referred to as creative boutiques for a reason. They may not offer a myriad of services but are likely to have a very strong specialisation in a certain area. Since large agencies work with a variety of clients, they tend to have less expertise working with targeted markets. It’s like they are the ‘jack of all trades, but master of none’. For instance, if a brand wants to take their product or service in colleges or corporate offices, GingerCup’s unique branding medium realises this dream for them.
2. Creativity & Innovation: It is often noticed that larger agencies use similar cookie-cutter methods with each client because of their set internal procedures. While this may be fruitful for them to scale their agency, it’s not very good for their customers. Furthermore, they tend to become so set in their ways that they refuse to try out new tactics. In today’s highly competitive world, innovation and creativity is the name of the game. As a brand if you’re looking to get more ‘bang for your buck’, hire a marketing agency that offers an innovative marketing medium.
3. Small agencies care more: Typically speaking, each account matters to a boutique firm because they want to create a great portfolio for themselves. It’s all logistics. If you’re one account out of 100, your individual needs would matter less than if you were one of four. Smaller agencies are as invested in your results as you are. Not only do they want to see a client’s campaign flourish but also prove their chops. This could ultimately lead to referrals from other big brands and more great projects to their kitty.
4. Personalised relationships: A lot of big brands would agree that it is easier to work with a smaller agency. They bring a certain level of personalisation to the table and thus there’s very little room for miscommunication. Brand managers can directly contact the specialists working on the campaign rather than going through various gatekeepers. It also gives you a chance to develop a healthy work relationship.

If a small agency doesn’t scream a sea of possibilities, we don’t know what does. Here’s a perfect example:

Recently, Coca-Cola redesigned its packaging and introduced new flavours to appeals to the millennial generation. However, instead of hiring a large agency to churn out a new design, they opted for small, two-person design team from England.

If such a big brand could achieve great results by ‘thinking small’, what’s stopping you?

Your business is like your baby, and you definitely know what’s best for it. Choose a marketing agency that makes you feel like a valued client and not just an invoice.

Have any marketing questions, or need help getting your brand elevated? Contact us!