Small Agencies: Big Ideas
by Donna Cooper, Jr. Copywriter
There is nothing wrong with being small. My mom always told me that great things come in small packages. Diamonds and Jewelry comes in a little black (or blue) box, right? So, why does an agency have to be wrapped up in a huge package in order to handle a larger client’s business? The truth is they don’t. It’s a common misconception that small means inadequate. But, that is all it is—a misconception.
As I wrote in a previous blog, about David and Goliath, I still firmly believe that the only thing holding the smaller shops down when competing with larger ones is the perceptions held by the prospective clients. I’ve been party to several new business pitches where we were up against larger agencies, which to an outsider seemed more successful. However, seeing what they offered and doing some research on the competition we knew that we were equally yoked, to the point that we almost always ended up in the top 5 agencies competing for the client.
The only noticeable difference between our shop and the other guys was the number of employees. However, the advantages of a smaller shop are many. By nature, we are more nimble and able to maneuver more effectively than the larger, clumsier companies. Agility is not the only advantage. With a larger shop, comes a larger client list where each client gets less attention. At smaller agencies, like ours, we practice a “no client left behind” policy and we are able to devote the maximum amount of time to meet each of our clients’ specific needs, regardless of whether they are a smaller client, our biggest client or a pro bono client.
As Mark Twain once said, “many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.” And the right kind of advertising doesn’t have to be from the large multi-billion dollar shops.