Every week I talk to CMOs from all walks of life and I chat to them about working with independent agencies, I couple this with my experience pitching Lunar to Global brands and the same concerns always come up:
“Will they have the resources we need?
"Will they have the capacity to scale quickly at different points of the year?"
“Can they handle a big brief?”
“Will I have to spend more time managing them?”
Here’s the truth;
There are vast numbers of Independent agencies in the UK and all over the globe. A large proportion if they were honest wouldn't be able to deliver for CMOs at Global brands. They don't have the experience, team, processes, scalability etc. That said I'm increasingly seeing a Modern Independent agency model which is leaner, faster and more effective than network agencies if you work with them the right way.
How CMOs Get the Best Results from Independents
Treat them as a partner, not a supplier.
Independents work best when they have access to the CMO’s vision and the big picture, not just a scope of work. Invest time at the front and it will pay dividends.
Give them a clear stake in your success.
Independents thrive when they feel ownership of the problem, they are entrepreneurial, lateral thought is at the heart of their organisation and they can shape the solution without layers of approval.
Expect senior involvement, every day.
With an independent, the people pitching are the ones who’ll work on your account. They operate flat structures and are in the business to do great work not delegate to a junior team.
Make sure you specify that the people you buy into are the ones owning the work. Hold them to it.
Let them bring in specialist partners.
Great independents collaborate. If they need a PR or digital partner, let them build that fractional model, you’ll get senior expertise across the board, without paying for network overhead.
Push for outcomes, not outputs.
Independents are at their best when briefs are linked to results, not endless deliverables. The best in the business will ask to cover costs but will often take the risk with you on the profit. An agency that offers this will be truly confident in success and a bigger up-side.
The Soft Benefits No One Talks About
Speed / Fewer layers / faster decisions.
Access / You work with people who actually do the work.
Energy / For independents, your brand isn’t “an account.” It’s the dream client.
Flexibility / The right team, assembled for the right job, not an army of juniors.
Final Thought
Working with independents isn’t just a cost or speed play. If it's done right (I've seen it done amazingly and terribly), it’s the closest thing to having a fractional, senior marketing team on your side. People who are as invested in your growth as you are.
The brands that get the best out of independents don’t treat them as suppliers, they treat them as partners and get results to match.
The world has changed, networks have changed, Independents have changed. Time to embrace is.
If you have an opinion or would just like to chat on the subject, drop me and DM and we can get a call in.
