Guy Bradbury On the Rise of the Independent Agency

 Independent agencies snatched 43 per cent of all Grand Prix Cannes Lions last year. That must’ve been a shock for the networks with their huge resources and infrastructure – and I predict this trend will continue at the festival as independents reap the rewards for their talent, innovation and commitment.

I also predict there will be fantastic learnings coming out of today’s Independent Agency Day at Cannes (Tuesday 23 June) when agencies from across the globe will be explaining the strategy and creativity behind their best work.

The success of the smaller agencies should not be a surprise when we consider four key factors: the clients, the talent, the process and the connected consumer.

The Client

When most clients approach an independent agency it usually starts with them wanting to try something different and challenge the status quo.

Clients are beginning to realise that the traditional approach of the big network agency is having less effect on their brand communications and they need to find new ways to engage with the connected consumers. This often means they are more open to the possibilities and want a fresh approach that comes with an independent agency.

And this fits perfectly with the ambition of independent agency founding partners. Who often leave behind the big agency job to create innovative work for brands. These founding partners are not only hungry to do this for their clients, but it also comes with the drive and determination to put the agency on the map by producing stellar work. For an Independent agency every campaign is personal.

This means both agencies and clients place a lot of trust in each other to do what is right. At Atomic we often talk to clients about their ambition, rather than what they want to make. And with this emotional buy-in we set out to create something that will truly transform their brand.

The Talent

For years most big agencies had access to the best talent, paying big wages, paid for by big client retainers. And with this came a healthy dose of competition within creative departments. But this fostered a culture where everyone works for themselves. For their own fame.

The big difference I have noticed with an independent agency is a cultural one. Rather than creative teams purely working for themselves, they feel like they are adding to the overall creative success and culture of the agency. They want to do great work for clients, that helps the agency win more great clients.

These types of people are often more entrepreneurial in their approach and collaboration comes to the fore as they share and build on one another’s ideas leading to better results. See some of the work coming from last year’s Independent Agency of the Year Forsman & Bodenfors.

In addition, most big agencies were set up to offer everything in-house and that is great for the bottom line but not necessarily for creativity.

With most independent agencies the set-up is different. We work with varied production partners to deliver standout work for clients. This means we can bring in the best TV producer, code designers or the smartest technologists rather than just making do with who's available internally. The working model is more akin to the film industry where we can handpick the best talent to produce the best result possible.

The Process

The third reason why I think the independent agencies are having so much success is that they realise the traditional agency process no longer leads to innovative work that connects with an audience.

The old linear approach of a brand planner writing strategy, a creative director editing the work of his/her teams, an account handler selling it in and a producer delivering it are long gone.

In its place independent agencies are finding more collaborative and agile ways of working by creating a creative leadership team made up of a creative director, technologist and creative strategy. And this means that everyone has to leave their ego at the door.

The Connected Consumer

The final reason I think independent agencies are doing really well is that they seem to be better attuned to today’s ‘connected consumer’.

Smaller independent agencies don’t always have the biggest budget to work with. They are often tasked with finding new, cheaper approaches for clients and the beautiful constraint of budget often sparks the most imaginative ways of reaching and engaging with an audience.

The connected consumer wants useful and entertaining content that offers added value rather than disrupts their experience. This content could be delivered via ‘traditional’ or digital media but it damn well better be relevant.

Consumers are now liberated by digital connectivity to act spontaneously, live in the moment and seek instant gratification. The nimbleness of independent agencies and their speed to market means they can create great work that meets these criteria and will have a strong cultural impact.