Creative agencies come in all shapes and sizes. Some house thousands of employees and numerous departments, while others—like TTC—succeed with fewer people and more focused departments. So, what separates a small agency from a big one, outside of size?
Brittany Allen-Ambrose has some thoughts on the subject. She’s the Brand Manager for i-Health©, a company dedicated to making science-backed supplements available for everyone. In her three and a half years at the company, TTC has worked closely with Brittany to maximize the advertising, marketing, and PR potential of their products.
In our interview, we took the opportunity to ask Brittany about her experience with agencies of different sizes.
Q: What are the main differences you’ve noticed between working with a smaller agency, like TTC, versus working with a larger agency?
BAA: The challenge for me is, while resources with a larger agency are plentiful, timelines are often stretched because there are so many people that need to see or touch things. A project that we may lean on to be done in a week with TTC may take 4-6 weeks with larger agencies. In terms of timing, smaller agencies tend to be more efficient than larger agencies with similar projects.
Q: Would you say efficiency is one of the main reasons why your team decides to work with a small creative/PR agency like TTC for certain projects?
BAA: Definitely—but also execution. The speed and accuracy with which TTC’s small but mighty team gets things done helps with our decision to choose a smaller agency like yours.
Q: Are there any potential drawbacks or challenges your team considers when choosing a smaller agency?
BAA: I think that many people feel that smaller agencies won’t have the same breadth of services as their larger counterparts, so the larger ones may have employees with specialties that smaller agencies don’t, or a perception that with more headcount, they’re able to work on more projects simultaneously.
In many cases, company executives—who don’t work with the agencies on a day-to-day basis—may think that a larger agency can save on budget allocations by bundling resources.
But for me, a smaller agency means better results because of more involvement from everyone. Not only do smaller agencies mean faster turnaround, but a team more focused on my business and its success, too. That’s been my experience with TTC—the level of collaboration and insight, even things I’m not thinking of, that happens because you know my accounts intimately.
It helps that we’ve had such a longstanding relationship and that you guys are really invested in my brands.
Q: Looking back on your experience, what is most memorable about working with a smaller agency?
BAA: The flexibility and agility of working with a smaller agency, and truly owning the output. That’s one of the most enjoyable components: truly owning the output that we’re putting in.
Throughout our conversation with Brittany, we were reminded of the benefits that smaller agencies, like TTC, can offer. The flexibility, efficiency, and effectiveness of smaller teams ensure clients are satisfied with the result. While smaller agencies have fewer people, the level of care and collaboration is a measurement of quality, not quantity. Thank you, Brittany, for showing us that small agencies can have a big impact.