There are a lot of criteria to use in choosing an agency, but agency size should not be one of your decision factors. Remember that bigger isn’t always better and here’s why:
Individualised Attention
Your project will receive a great deal of individualised attention at a small agency.
At larger agencies, it’s common for employees to be responsible for dozens of clients which could result in them displaying little or no personal interest in the client or its marketing efforts, causing staff to complete the bare minimum amount of required work and then move onto the next project.
If employees have too much work on their plate, it prevents them from fully immersing themselves into each of their client’s projects because they are splitting their time between multiple clients competing for their attention.
It is common for smaller agencies to provide each client with personalized attention from every employee because they have fewer clients allowing each employee to become fully focused on every aspect of their client’s needs.
You’ll also be in direct contact with the creative directors, designers and the owners themselves .The small agency depends on it’s clients for it’s own success, therefore the small firm is highly invested in pleasing it’s clients. Their investment in your campaign is essential to not just your success, but also theirs.
Flexibility
Small agencies thrive on creativity. Staff of smaller agencies is expected to be experts at their jobs as well as grow in other directions to benefit each particular account.
With less corporate hierarchy, job definition is blurred as each individual staff is encouraged to reach client based goals rather than focus on defined job role goals.
In contrast, larger agencies tend to have corporate hierarchy, specific job descriptions, ways of doing things, and profit margins goals stemming from a legacy system. Even though all agencies are tasked with finding ways to develop and execute creative ideas, the big firms might face the constraint of a legacy system steeped in quantifying a specific type of deliverable.
Culture/Personality
In a small agency you have a dedicated team of people that want your success as much as you do.
An agency is about the people that work there, the team that is on your project. You are paying them for their time, talent and creativity. Do they represent you? Do you know them? Chances are you will meet 25-50% of the team in a small agency pitch, whereas you might meet only 1% of the big agency team at their pitch.
Choosing the right agency is kind of like hiring a team of people all at once. If you like the people that came to the pitch, you can be sure they represent the people that will be working on your account if you are going with a small agency. The culture and personality of a small agency can match or mirror your own company.
Quick Turnaround
Despite the resources that a large agency may have, small agencies will do anything to make sure their clients are satisfied, even if it means going the extra mile. Larger agencies sometime have a whole process to get in the work queue; so quick turnarounds are not always feasible.
Price/Budget
The more people that work for a company, the bigger the overhead ultimately resulting in higher project quotes than those from the small marketing firm. Smaller agencies provide a better bang for your buck.
If you are looking for a standard marketing execution and normal distribution channels, you might be best choosing any agency that can offer you the price you desire.
If you are looking for a fresh look in your industry, want to stand out from the rest, and risk breaking the norm, consider giving a chance to the smaller firm. The best agency for you is the one that gets you, the one that wants to see you succeed.
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