Celebrating the freedom of an independent agency
An independent healthcare marketing agency celebrates their unfettered ability to meet client needs on their own terms
Every year for nearly 250 years, Americans celebrate independence and freedom on July 4. We remember those brave men and women who dreamed of a better way of life; one not restricted by rulers more interested in coin than of conscience. We express gratitude to those who valued the freedom of individuals over subservience to aristocrats.
That autonomous mindset, that reverence to independent action, is still alive and well in America. It is built into our government, our laws, and our individual rights and privileges. The concept of independence is pervasive within our capitalistic economy, too. Countless numbers of small businesses, entrepreneurial endeavors, and even healthcare marketing companies are models of nonconformity and self-governance.
Agencies come in all different shapes, sizes, and business structures. An independent advertising agency is a company that is not owned by a holding company. There is no parent company, or oversight from external sources. Independent agencies are autonomous business entities that, at the end of the day, recruit their own talent, service their own clients, and pay their own bills.
The fundamental benefit of an independent agency is its ability to provide a company a creative or production capability it lacks or to offer an outside point of view. But there are certainly other benefits.
Independent agencies have big advantages
When it comes to identifying the benefits independent agencies have over larger networked agencies, it depends on who you ask.
On the brand side of things, some marketers might list faster results, flexible solutions, and more reasonable rates as top reasons to hire independent agencies. Other brand managers value deep industry insights or specialized skill sets.
If you ask the agency itself what’s so great about being independent, they value their autonomy. Their ability to make decisions based on client partnership not corporate profit is the backbone of independent agencies from which other benefits stem.
Quality creative is a big flex for independent agencies
Larger, network-owned agencies have clear-cut roles with their complex hierarchies and steep organizational charts. The status quo among larger creative teams is to stay on task—and stay in your lane. Put simply, copy does copy and art does art. This siloed approach can lead to discontinuous, disjointed creative.
Additionally, creative teams in larger agencies often compete for larger accounts, those with bigger budgets and more notoriety. Moving to new accounts is normalized. Many clients have witnessed this revolving-door creative and the resulting lack of momentum or consistency on the work.
Smaller independent agencies tend to have creative team members that have more well-rounded skill sets. A copywriter can be tapped to contribute to strategic plans. An art director can skillfully create copy when needed. When it comes to campaign ideation concepting, it’s not unusual for a smaller agency to invite individuals from various parts of the agency, even outside the designated creative team. This diversity of experience and perspectives can result in unusually insightful and impactful creative work.
CEO of QooQoo
“Anytime you add top-heavy partnerships and seals of approval, you risk sinking creative. Holding a traditional view of what creative is and how it’s produced can keep the best ideas from reaching the client. At QooQoo, we create outside the box. You don’t go inside for a breath of fresh air, do you?”
In a time of budget cuts, independent agencies to the rescue
Smaller, independent agencies become a more cost-effective solution to maintaining all-important share of voice during instability of marketing budgets. Smaller agencies tend to run leaner and can more quickly adapt to shifts in scope.
In a time of budget cuts, independent agencies to the rescue
Smaller, independent agencies become a more cost-effective solution to maintaining all-important share of voice during instability of marketing budgets. Smaller agencies tend to run leaner and can more quickly adapt to shifts in scope.
Innovation: the growth edge of independent agency
In October 2021, Deloitte published results of multipronged research into the digital transformation of healthcare. They reported that 76% of respondents reported investments in insights and analytics as a top priority. “They said their focus is on building unified data and business intelligence (BI) capabilities,” the article reads.
of survey respondents reported investments in insight and analytics as a top priority.
Yet, despite the desire for digital insights, analytics, and transformation initiatives, only 12% of survey respondents reported “enough full-time equivalents (FTEs)…and only a third had the right skill sets to support digital transformation.”
If you guessed that all healthcare marketing agencies are scrambling to fill that gap for healthcare companies, you’d be right. More and more digitally skilled talent are signing onto smaller, independent agencies. Why? Because an agency’s culture matters—and no one does culture better than an independent agency.
More and more digitally skilled talent are signing onto smaller, independent agencies.
Because an agency’s culture matters—and no one does culture better than an independent agency.
More and more digitally skilled talent are signing onto smaller, independent agencies.
Because an agency’s culture matters—and no one does culture better than an independent agency.
Culture as core value: happy employees create strong work
Independent agencies, with smaller, more closely knit teams, excel at infusing their culture throughout their process, their people, and their partnerships. According to a 2020 Agency Trends Survey conducted by Ascend2 and Research Partners, independent agencies are more likely to have happier employees.
Medical Writer
at QooQoo
“I find that I’m happier and more creative at a smaller agency. I feel my ideas and suggestions are respected. When employees feel heard, they are far more encouraged to contribute high-quality work.”
Time to give independence a chance
If you need some creative fireworks, spark up a conversation with a healthcare marketing agency that is proud to be strong and independent. Learn more about switching agencies.
QooQoo is an independent, full-service agency dedicated to healthcare marketing.
We invite you to evaluate where you are now, where you want to be, and who you need with you along the way. Contact your QooQoo healthcare marketing agency here.
