The Benefits of Working with an Independent Agency 

Over the last several decades, the advertising industry has undergone massive consolidation. Many independent agencies have been acquired by holding companies like WPP, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe and others. Whether it’s to take advantage of a client base or leverage service offerings, holding companies have been on a buying spree and now own most of the mid-to-large size ad agencies. 

Small agencies remain mostly independent, but they often struggle to evolve amid increasing client demands for data sophistication and AI integration. They’re also competing with clients themselves, who are bringing their creative and media needs in-house to save costs. 

Today, mid-sized independent agencies are relatively rare, and it can be easy for clients to discard the idea of working with an independent agency altogether. However, for clients that value agility and personalized service, an independent agency has distinct advantages:

1. Proactive evolution

Some independent agencies offer niche industry experience or specialized services. Others, like Jump, deliver a full-service model that spans creative, media, digital and analytics. In either case, an agency’s survival depends on evolution. The right agency will anticipate market shifts and adapt its services to best support their clients. This degree of nimbleness is hard to find outside the independent agency model.

2. Personal, flexible and scalable service

No client or project is the same. Independent agencies, like Jump, are flexible and can adapt to a client’s needs. Sometimes that means serving as the lead agency. Other times, it means plugging in as a specialist partner alongside an in-house team. Either way, you should expect scalable support designed around your organization (not the other way around).

3. Collaboration and integration

An independent agency’s ability to collaborate with internal teams and other partners is critical. But the best independents take it further by integrating multiple disciplines under one roof. Regardless of how a client collaborates with Jump, we leverage all our capabilities (creative, media and data) to deliver the best recommendations and results.

4. No “fussiness”

Some agencies are tough to work with. They can prioritize awards over outcomes or nickel-and-dime clients for every out-of-scope request. As an independent agency, Jump doesn’t have to answer to a parent company or shareholders. We make decisions based on what’s best for our clients and our partnership. 

5. Senior-level expertise

Independent agencies often bring senior-level talent to every client, regardless of size. At Jump, that means our most experienced voices will always guide a client’s strategy and execution (not junior teams learning on your time). The result is more thoughtful work and faster decision-making.

A smaller, independent agency may not be the right fit for everyone. But for clients who value a true partnership that prioritizes collaboration, flexibility and innovation, the right independent agency has the potential to not only help you achieve your goals but make your life easier along the way.