A few months back, London-based thenetworkone, which is an organisation for independent agencies, declared the Mumbai-based Famous Innovations as one of the top 14 independent agencies around the world a few months back.
And, to celebrate the spirit of independence of agencies Julian Boulding, President and Founder of thenetworkone, was hosted by Famous Innovations for a get-together of industry notables in Mumbai on Tuesday.
In the past too we have seen independent agencies starting out on an encouraging note but somewhere in between some of them become a part of a well-known and bigger agency. Commenting on the same Boulding said, “It is not that independent agencies cannot do it. If you enter a sector where you need funding for technology or research, it is a different thing. But a creative agency does not need that. I do not necessarily think they need to be founded from outside. People might think if I get a good offer I will sell it- that is business and that is life. But I do not think they need to. I do not think there is any reason that a creative business needs to be owned by somebody else.â€
He also adds that there is a time for agencies to sell but the more important thing is whom they sell it to. “Do not sell it to somebody who is trying to do the same thing and wants to give you a refresh. That is the worst kind of sell. There is a right time for an agency to sell. But who do you sell it to, I think, is a much more interesting angle,†said Boulding.
But from the client perspective, some brands prefer to be associated with the brands they have worked for years. So, how difficult or easy is it for an independent agency to build its own niche? “Some clients want to stick to their regular agencies and play it safe. A client who wants to build a business and build their own reputation wants to work with people who are more committed, more involved, more entrepreneurial and will go with that. You do need a courageous client but you also need someone who will make that happen because the upside is bigger as well as the downside. So, if we are advising independence, we are saying look for a client who is at this stage of the life cycle of a company and not a client who wants stability,†said the strong supporter of independent agencies.
Boulding also adds that sometimes after reaching a certain milestone independent agencies tries to play it safe and are a little wary of taking risks. And, it kind-of makes them lose their independence because they think that they should not mess up the client’s independent and just stick to something that is less risky. In 2003, thenetworkone was founded. It works with more than 800 independent agencies in 106 countries worldwide. It also hosts The Indie Summit, the international conference exclusively for independent agency leaders.
In the last few years, we have seen many independent agencies emerge out of India as well but the numbers are not quite there now. Boulding says that initially he was very disappointed because some of the pioneers were sold out but now there is still a still hope with a rise of new ones. He says that there is a need for independence in the industry and both the independent and traditional agencies need to co-exist.