Think smaller.

Size ins't everything.

In the creative communications industry, which includes the industry once known as 'advertising', branding, design, and the like, I often see new agencies and existing ones talk about how they want to grow the number of staff they have.

Big is not better.

Maybe I am an outlier here but I firmly believe that much smaller is much better. Just like any job that needs to be done you bring in the right person for the right job at the right time.

When you buy a house you don't have a teams of tradespeople living in the house with you, you call them in when needed. If you can afford to have a plumber living in your house full-time hats off to you, no need for that plunger sitting in the corner.

There's a lot of talent out there in this big 7.6 billion person world we live in. All of them bringing a different perspective to the work they do.

My view of what a creative company of today should look like is similar to a band. I've written and talked about this in the past but I will recap.

Let's look at a big and successful band, in the past I have used U2 for this so I will continue with that tradition.

U2 is a band made up of four creative people, that, for all intents and purposes, is the 'creative company'. They of course have a manager and that person is also integral to the 'company'. So let's just say they have a five person global creative company.

A quick Google search tells me that in 2017 U2 were worth €645 million. That's not a bad number at all. I'm pretty sure there are many creative companies that would love to see that number on their books.

Sure, U2 would have some permanent staff such as assistants and some others, but nowhere near the thousands often found in the offices of some ad agencies in New York. Some of the bigger agencies in NY house 1,000 to 2,000 staff. That's a lot of free donuts needed on a Monday to placate the masses.

Back in my big agency days I was once sitting in a boardroom where the Chairman announced that we were currently at 1,500 staff in our New York office and he wanted to get that to 2,000 in six months. I asked this question - "So we're at 1,500 people now. Can someone tell me what 1,350 of them do?" It was seen as a joke, but I wasn't joking.

When a band such as U2 want to tour they hire the appropriate road crew, hire the gear and equipment needed, and hit the road, no full-time staff - all freelancers. When they want to record an album they rent a studio, hire a producer and engineer, and also hire a photographer for the album photography and a designer for the album artwork. All freelancers. When they need a music video they hire a director and his/her production company to make that. Again, no full-time staff. You get the picture I'm sure.

Yes I know there are different dynamics and situations between a band and a creative company, but there are lessons to be learned from how they operate. And having come into the ad business from the music business and playing in bands and working as a roadie I have to be honest and say creative companies and bands are not really that different in my eyes, having worked both sides.

My view of a creative firm of today is one made up of a core team (the band members) who have the appropriate knowledge to make stuff happen for their clients (the audience). You'll need a creative leader, a strategic leader, a business manager, and a client relations person, and of course a bean counter. There's your five people right there. Now add a few assistants to help you get stuff done when you're busy and we seem to be at the same numbers I mentioned for U2.

Lead Singer - Your creative leader. Often ridiculed behind their backs by the rest of the band (literally because they stand at the front and they often have the biggest ego - which is often needed to quell stage fright, well that and some bourbon helps) but they are the front facing person who is delivering your creative product to the audience.

Drummer - Your strategic leader (they are often solid thinkers, all drummer jokes aside. Q: What's the funniest thing a drummer can say in a band? A: "Hey, can we try one of my songs?" Sorry, I couldn't resist.).

Bass Player - Your business manager (usually the silent one, nobody wants to hear his solo, they just want him to keep things running smoothly).

Guitarist - Client relations person (they always seem to be a crowd favourite and a bit of a show off when it comes to solos, which is good).

Band Manager - Your bean counter. The one that makes sure you get paid for all your gigs and who make sure your freelancers are paid to keep them happy and loyal.

It's simple really. No rocket science needed.

U2 are not about to add endless members to the band with every successful album or tour, if they did there would be so many people on the stage you wouldn't know who is who - and that's what it feels like when you walk into a creative company packed to the walls will people sitting at their desks tapping away like an old school typing pool or sweatshop. No, U2 keeps it small, have done since 1976. Saatchi & Saatchi started only a few years before in 1970, but they now have over 6,500 staff.

So you can keep it small in numbers today and still have big ideas. In the past we had no way of connecting with talent around the world, now thanks to both technology and social media that has changed. You can find talent on Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo, LinkedIn, and of course Facebook. You can work with them via Skype and email. Easy.

There's nothing stopping a creative company in New York from working with talented people remotely in Tokyo, Sydney, Bangkok, and Cape Town all at the same time. It's unrealistic to think that people holed up in an open plan office five days a week can stay fresh, that environment is not exactly conducive to 'fresh'. That system, in my eyes at least, is broken and past its use by date. Why do so many creative companies work as if it is still the 1970's?

Welcome to 2018, we don't have flying cars as yet, but we do have the technology and connectivity to work with anyone, anywhere. Personally I see it as a very exciting time to be in such a business. Where once you could only work with people in the same room as you now someone in Barcelona can be in the same room via Skype.

So while we live in a big world, there is no need to be big in that world. Small is the new big. Small is nimble. Small will win the race.

Rodd

I'm a Creative Director / Writer / Strategist / Thinker and a bit more. I work with clients/brands directly and with agencies and production companies. I also teach creative thinking and idea generation to groups and individuals. You can read more of my LinkedIn musings here. You can also find me on Twitter,  Instagram and on Facebook. Or drop me an email – [email protected]

Words Copyright Rodd Chant 2018

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