When you start working with an outside agency, there’s a moment that can feel like the disconnect between fast food commercials and what you get at the drive through. Look at how they photograph the burgers, for one. The melted cheese, the fresh lettuce and tomato piled high. That would really hit the spot, wouldn’t it?

Then, you pick up your order and it looks like a sandwich that was found behind a vending machine then hit with a hammer. It not only doesn’t taste right, it’s simply not what you ordered.

Too often, large agencies serve up a similar disappointment. In the beginning, you meet a brilliant team who promises to deliver the solution your brand needs. Then once it’s time to get to work, the picture changes. Instead of collaborating with the people you know from the meet-and-greet, your project has been passed to a different team. They may be skilled, but you want the experts you were promised. And sure, you can speak to the CEO about it — are you free in three weeks?

When you need a sundae, you should get a sundae. And you shouldn’t settle for an agency’s B-team when your brand needs specialized expertise to move the needle for your project.

How hiring a specialized agency minimizes buyer’s remorse

Much like the difference between Applebee’s and your favorite neighborhood restaurant, bigger isn’t always better when it comes to creative agencies. But when you’re trying to find a creative partner who will deliver a difference-making campaign, size isn’t your only consideration.

After all, a firm may be small but have plans for growth and global domination. Ambition is great, but your brand will see the best results from an agency with a size and scope that allows them to focus on the work. You need the kind of attention that’s possible with a boutique creative agency.

At We The Collective, we’re not entirely comfortable with the “boutique” label. It conjures images of cavernous stores with six items on a rack that you’re afraid to touch. We’re a specialized, digital-focused agency, which means our size and area of focus are both chosen with intention. We’d rather take on less work than lose focus on interesting projects aligned with what we do best. But more importantly, we want to ensure what we do for our clients always reaches a consistent high level.

A specialized agency doesn’t have to dilute its work by taking on work just to cover the costs of a huge overhead. Instead, we can focus on the craft as well as whatever it takes to find the right solution for your brand’s problem.

Specialized agencies don’t have the overhead of second-tier teams

As you’re considering the right agency for your brand, you may feel drawn to a high-profile name that will turn heads in a meeting. But as you collaborate with a big, international agency, you may grow self-conscious about ensuring you’re getting the right work.

Maybe it’s not the first time you’ve teamed with them for an online ad, which means the work has started to feel a little routine on their end. Or maybe your brand lacks the same name recognition as the other companies on the agency’s roster. Whatever the case, your project has been passed down to teams with less experience, which gives you a sneaking suspicion that your needs are a lower priority.

At a specialized agency, there isn’t any room to support a B-team. When agencies increase their capacity to take on more projects, they wind up with extra roles they need to keep busy. As work gets passed around, the creative team assigned to your project may not have the skills you need.

We’ve consciously designed our agency so everyone has a common goal and the singular purpose of creating great work. In the end, your brand benefits most from our determination to ensure your brand always receives the right people for the job. At We The Collective, we only have an A-Team.

Boutique agencies have to be selective about internal teams

When you’re working with a specialized agency, the team has to be selective about the projects they take on. After all, only so many people are available to ensure the results still reach a high level. But that same need to be choosy also works in your brand’s favor when it comes to the quality of the team.

As work gets divided among more people, creative teams grow bloated and unwieldy. Eventually, it becomes easier for those working on your project to find places to hide. After all, coming up with great ideas is hard. A bigger team allows some of its members to fly under the radar and produce average work for your brand.

Our goal is to ensure everyone working on your project is excited about the project and eager to make great things. Plus, we want to build long-term relationships that allow our work to grow in new directions and constantly improve. As the collaboration goes on, that same team continues working with you and further evolves with your brand.

Ultimately, we have no choice but to hire people who are at the top of their game and hungry for more opportunities to perform at their best. With that kind of team, your brand gains the assurance it will receive the experience and insights your project needs — and the next one, too.

Why specialized agencies generate faster, stronger results for your brand

Operating as a boutique agency is a choice that’s a reflection of how we like to work. But a smaller, more focused organizational structure offers real benefit to your brand as well.

At We The Collective, our specialized approach prevents extra organizational layers from diminishing the clarity of what we’re trying to do. At the same time, the absence of those unnecessary structures increases your level of clarity throughout the process. Not only are you working with the same team you first met from when the collaboration began, you also have direct access to everyone connected with your project.

Whether you need to speak to the CEO or your project’s developer, you don’t have to navigate any extra layers to get the information you need. Since your team is smaller, you don’t have the overhead of playing a game of telephone. Instead of contacting the producer to reach the right developer, you communicate directly with the person you need. Consequently, you receive the targeted solution your campaign needs that much faster.

Does that sound like a collaboration that will deliver the results you need for your brand? Let’s cut out the complications and get started.