Advertising agency, Inhouse, or freelance contractor?

The heart of this question posed by Brian Regienczuk in Linkledin, speaks to tools, ability, and management when it comes to jobbing out creative services. We are perhaps not too different from our advertising agency clients when it comes to resource allocation. As a small business we know what it means to be agile in augmenting our internal resources with reliable contract help.

However, big difference: our clients are typically not immersed in the advertising industry - with expertise to properly select, manage, and take full responsibility for a complete marketing project of which creative is but a single component. Art, design, illustration, videography and copy writing is highly subjective. Unless a company has a really well-rounded art director on staff, this is probably outside most managers' scope of work - regardless of who they know that does any one discipline either on staff or works outside as a freelancer.

Our agency lives in the B to B world where many smaller accounts understandably feel like they have to do everything themselves. But how much more marketing value could a client receive if a well rounded, empathetic, B to B advertising agency were brought into the picture?

I would say to companies who are actually at the point of realizing they need creative help: make an effort to find an advertising agency, and be prepared to form a real partnership. Raise your sights to find a group with whom you feel comfortable sharing challenges, not just an order taker.

Who knows? In the best possible outcome the company gains a fresh resource to serve as their de facto marketing department. Save overhead while getting (on demand!) new market communications ideas professionally-created and designed to boost sales. Visit http://www.ejwassoc.com/what-we-do/creative/