What came first the chicken or the egg? Why did the chicken cross the road? Should brands pick a London-based or local agency?
The biggest questions in life have long been pondered over. And unless chickens learn to talk, we may never have the answers to the first two questions.
George Vann, managing partner at Ingenuity North and John Schumacher, managing director north at Future Factory, take us through the importance of location when it comes to picking an agency partner.
Historically, advertising has been a bit like politics – very London-centric, with the north left neglected. London was seen as the ’emerald city’ that attracted the upper echelons of talent to become (alongside New York) the creative epicentre of the world.
But the pandemic has changed all that.
More and more people are moving out of the capital and combined with the current rental crisis, London is almost pricing itself out of the market.
Several large agencies have adapted, opening offices throughout the country, while more local creative agencies seem to pop up in the North each week, making the move away from London (or never moving in the first place) more viable for creative professionals.
So, while it was once slim pickings when it came to partnering with local agencies, brands now have the luxury of choice when it comes to deciding between a local or London-based agency.
Fit > Location
It’s long been said that you can work more closely with an agency which is local.
Face-to-face interaction allows you to really get to know the people you’re working with, creating a more collaborative partnership rather than a stagnated client-agency relationship.
But while face-to-face interaction is important, saying you’ve got to see the whites of someone’s eyes to forge a close relationship may be pushing things a bit too far.
There are no two ways about it, the pandemic has transformed the way we work.
The rise of hybrid working means most meetings are now calls, even if the client is based locally. Combine that with the increasing importance of sustainability, and the significance of an agency’s location is somewhat diminished.
At the end of the day, does distance really matter that much? Agencies could be one mile or one hundred miles from their client. As long as the effort is there to form a closer working relationship, that’s all that should matter.
That’s why picking an agency that fits your goals and work style is the most important thing. Of course, there are positives and negatives to both local and London-based agencies.
Local agencies have a unique advantage when it comes to understanding the nuances of their community and target market. They possess an inherent familiarity with local culture, language, and consumer behaviours, which allows them to craft campaigns that resonate more deeply with the local audience. But they also might have limited resources and lack the scope and scale to achieve national and international exposure.
On the other hand, London-based agencies might have access to a wider range of experts and specialists, as well as emerging marketing trends and technological advancements, which would allow their partner brands to stay ahead of the curve. This may come with drawbacks though – agencies of a greater size and scale often comes with a greater cost attached, and a lack of flexibility when it comes to quick decision making.
Consequently, the choice between a local or London-based agency ultimately comes down to a brand’s unique goals, target audience and resources. As long as there is an aligned cultural identity, location shouldn’t matter.
Local AND London, not Local vs London
As the above proves, the age-old saying of horses for courses rings true.
With technology acting as an enabler for location to matter less and transport links between London and the north improving – you can now get to the capital in two hours from the major northern transport hubs – this debate could soon become a thing of the past.
As such, London-based and local agencies should be working together to address the unrepresentative nature of the creative industry in the UK.
London represents just 13% of the UK’s population, yet contains 54% of the creative industries employment, 62% of businesses and 74% of economic output.
And while there has been some progress in shifting the creative sector out of the capital, with Manchester becoming the second biggest creative economy in Europe, and the BBC and Channel 4 moving their headquarters to Manchester and Leeds respectively, more needs to be done.
This change can only come through a combined effort.
Schemes such as Advertising Unlocked, which informs students on the wide range of opportunities available in the creative industry, are vital for alleviating the lack of awareness throughout the UK education system.
Similarly, more London-based agencies need to open regional offices in emerging cities such as Manchester, Leeds or Newcastle to access the opportunities they present to expand their client and talent-base.
The creative industry wields immense influence over public perceptions and cultural norms. Embracing representation and inclusion, geographically and culturally, isn’t just a matter of ethical responsibility but a strategic imperative.
By viewing this problem as a London AND local not London versus local issue, the creative industry can work together to create a more representative trade that harnesses the currently untapped talent spread throughout the UK.
