The Growing Influence of Boutique Agencies

What images or feelings come to mind when you hear the word “boutique?” Small yet elegant? Cozy and intimate? Specialty and unique? According to Dictionary.com, boutique is defined as:

1) A small shop or a small specialty department within a larger store, especially one that sells fashionable clothes and accessories or a special selection of other merchandise.

2) Any small, exclusive business offering customized service.

In marketing we hear a lot about “boutique agencies” these days. The staff is small and is composed of high caliber talent. A boutique agency will often call in freelance talent they would consider ideal for the work at hand. These talented small teams are often engaged to augment the work of a brand’s “agency of record” and in some cases they may actually replace the larger agency.

Boutique marketing shops endeavor to provide a concierge style of client experience while offering highly effective specialty services. Boutique agencies rarely have more than 5 or 10 full time staff and many only have 2 or 3. Whatever the size of the boutique, a large amount of value comes from the owner’s business network.

Typically, she has been an advertising and marketing professional in larger organizations over the years and has developed valuable contacts in creative as well as digital and broadcast production services. She understands business from both the client and agency sides of the table because she’s sat in both chairs.

According to the mainstream notion, a boutique agency usually specializes in the creative aspects of advertising. In the past they have tended to offer only those services that have to do with the creation of advertisements. Today, however, the term "boutique agency" #boutiqueagency is used in a few different ways. Business executives tend to view such agencies as small companies that represent a limited client list and offer highly personalized service. Most boutiques don’t focus on market research and studying demographics. Their work tends to be creative in nature and clients approach them when seeking specialized insights.

A boutique agency tends to keep its client list short, and it can be very selective about the types of jobs it accepts. Agency principals are respected as strategists as well as artists and creators. They strive to develop highly individualized print, web and video campaign concepts along with message creation and copywriting. Companies seeking to revitalize their brands and stand out creatively may choose to tap the talent pool of the boutique agency community.

This niche business model has grown from the necessity of “the new normal” – the economic conditions that have stifled growth and permanently eliminated many corporate jobs. Highly talented and skilled people have, in record numbers, discovered they can put their ambition and talent to work in a newly frugal marketplace that welcomes smallness, simplicity, low overhead, nimbleness, cost effectiveness and independence.

2DiFore Marketing Solutions fits the contemporary definition of boutique agency to a tee! If you want to take your best creative swing to grab your customers’ attention, go with the pro. It makes sound executive sense to work with a small, specialized team that understands every aspect of the course. The competition may be fierce but the club pro always knows the best approach to the green. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!