8. You're feeding your own ego
If your larger agency is making you wait, in spite of their depth, then you have lost nothing by moving to a small agency. For many small clients you don’t need depth of thinking in every area, you just need the proper amount of attention. Small agencies can provide you with the attention you need to be successful.
Make sure the agency is still delivering value to your company. You might think, "So, I don't have the biggest online budget on the world; but hey, my agency is the same as that top 10 web property's."
My friend, unless you are a pro-bono client of that agency, you are an idiot.
Clients hire agencies. Smart clients hire creative and media teams at agencies. Agencies are a collection of teams. There are winning teams of award-winning creative talent, efficient, highly competent account people, digital strategists who just seep the internet out of their pores, and media people who can integrate with all of them.
And then there are the teams that arrive on the short bus.
If you are a small client in a large agency remember that your money is still green. If the agency has the talent and processes you need to succeed, then work a little harder to stay on their radar.
Most interactive shops have a dozen or more clients. Take the time to let the office manager know who you are and what your objectives are. If he or she knows you personally, then that person is going to feel obligated to make sure your account gets the attention it needs.
Most clients don’t reach out to their interactive agency's leadership team, so by doing this you will stand out immediately. If you don’t get a warm hand reaching back to you from the agency's upper management team, then you have to find an agency that gives you what you need to succeed and appreciates your business.
Another option is to find an agency -- a small shop, something that was formed from those great players at top interactive shops (they are constantly being formed) -- and take your account to them. This situation is ideal, but it may be tough to find.
If you are a foundation client at their shop, then you will get phenomenal top name talent, great ideas, and execution, all at a slightly lower cost that the larger shops. You just may not initially be able to do as many projects as you like, but with luck the shop will grow and grow with you. And the major players at the shop will be indebted to you for helping them achieve their dream.
Do in interactive what Weiden Kennedy did with Nike in offline. You will both be better off for it.
Things to consider
Remember, if you do go to a small shop, be prepared to live without many of the things a larger agency can deliver. With a small agency, you will frequently have to wait for your work: they do not have the depth that a larger agency has.
If your larger agency is making you wait, in spite of their depth, then you have lost nothing by moving to a small agency. For many small clients you don’t need depth of thinking in every area, you just need the proper amount of attention. Small agencies can provide you with the attention you need to be successful.
Next: You're a bad fit
