Key Takeaways
- **Embrace Collaboration and Creativity:** The distributed creative model fosters collaboration between in-house leadership and freelance talent, leading to innovative and groundbreaking solutions.
- **Access Hidden Genius:** Agencies can tap into a global pool of freelance professionals, unlocking access to top talent and diverse perspectives.
- **Reduce Risk and Costs:** By contracting services only as needed, agencies can minimize overhead costs and scale their operations based on project demand, ensuring profitability.
Remember the days when you had to hire a full-time carpenter to fix a leaky faucet? Or when you needed a separate electrician, plumber, and roofer to build your dream home? Those days are long gone. Today, we have general contractors who seamlessly orchestrate all aspects of construction, ensuring a cohesive and efficient process. Inspired by this model, I propose a revolutionary shift for agencies: the “distributed creative” model.
Virtual Agencies: The Pros and Cons
In 2007, I eagerly embraced the virtual agency model, lured by its promise of streamlined service delivery. However, over time, I realized a glaring flaw: it fragmented the agency, hindering collaboration and stifling creativity. Outsourcing creative services led to a disconnect between the core team and the creative process, resulting in a lack of direction and guidance.
The Distributed Creative Model: A Solution for the 21st Century
The distributed creative model addresses these challenges by bringing key functions back in-house. Account executives, leadership, and administrative staff form the backbone of the agency, providing continuity and strategic direction. However, when it comes to creative production, the model embraces a project-based approach. For each project, the agency assembles a dream team of freelance talent, carefully selected to match the specific requirements.
The Power of Collaboration
The distributed creative model fosters collaboration like never before. With in-house creative leadership at the helm, the team has a clear vision and direction. Diverse talents from different backgrounds and experiences come together, cross-pollinating ideas and challenging perspectives. This collaborative environment nurtures creativity, leading to innovative and groundbreaking solutions.
Access to Hidden Genius
The traditional employment model often limits agencies to a narrow pool of talent. The distributed creative model breaks these barriers, unlocking access to a vast network of freelance professionals. Top talent is no longer tied to a physical location or a full-time commitment. Agencies can now tap into a global pool of expertise, ensuring that every project has the best possible team.
Reduced Risk and Costs
The distributed creative model also offers significant financial benefits. By contracting services only as needed, agencies can reduce overhead costs associated with full-time employees. This flexibility allows agencies to scale their operations up or down based on project demand, minimizing financial risk and ensuring profitability.
Inspiration from the Construction Industry
The distributed creative model draws inspiration from the construction industry, particularly the general contractor model. General contractors oversee project execution and manage subcontractors, ensuring a cohesive and efficient process. Similarly, the distributed creative model assembles project-specific teams, each with its own expertise, to deliver exceptional results.
The Movie Production Parallel
The distributed creative model also resembles movie production. In Hollywood, films are brought to life through the collaboration of diverse talents, from actors and directors to writers and producers. Each individual brings their unique skills and perspectives, contributing to the overall success of the project. The distributed creative model emulates this collaborative spirit, fostering competition, excellence, and a shared passion for success.
Bonus: The Art of Creative Assembly
Assembling the perfect creative team is an art form. Agencies must carefully consider the project’s specific requirements, the available talent pool, and the dynamics of the team. Successful agencies nurture relationships with freelance professionals, building a network of trusted collaborators who are eager to contribute their expertise.
Conclusion
The distributed creative model is a transformative approach that empowers agencies to deliver exceptional results while fostering collaboration, reducing costs, and accessing hidden genius. By embracing this model, agencies can unlock their full potential and become true innovators in the ever-evolving world of marketing and communications.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are the key differences between the virtual agency model and the distributed creative model?
The virtual agency model outsources creative services, leading to fragmentation and a lack of collaboration. The distributed creative model brings key functions in-house and assembles project-specific teams, fostering collaboration and access to a wider talent pool.
How does the distributed creative model reduce risk and costs?
By contracting services only as needed, agencies can reduce overhead costs and scale their operations based on project demand. This flexibility minimizes financial risk and ensures profitability.
How can agencies successfully assemble creative teams?
Agencies should carefully consider project requirements, the available talent pool, and team dynamics. Nurturing relationships with freelance professionals and building a network of trusted collaborators is crucial for successful team assembly.
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