Across every industry, the most successful companies in today’s knowledge economy are creative—creative in what they invent; creative in what they build; and creative in how they operate. They are places of ideation and discovery; growth and continuous transformation. But for companies that aspire to this state, the path forward can be mysterious. “How do they do it? Where do great ideas come from? How can we reinvent ourselves?” An outside perspective can be useful and spark new possibilities. Enter the agency.
Agencies are not inherently bad. At their best, they are hives of creative pursuit that allow passionate individuals a diversity of undertakings they don’t find inside traditional companies. And for companies, the agency can provide a level of specialized expertise that is best accessed as an outside resource.
But for companies that are blocked, agencies can become an all too convenient way to outsource ideas and forestall—often permanently—the nurturing of essential creativity and risk-taking within their own walls. When that less courageous path is taken, the agency becomes a scapegoat for when things go wrong, and a vehicle to deflect understanding, accountability and, yes, agency.