Creative Agency vs Start-up Culture?

It's well known that large agencies are losing creative talent to start-ups. These people often leave agencies because of something called love. The new generation of workers do not necessarily seek money, but want professional recognition and a different working environment, where they can have fun in the office. Often, start-up businesses attract people who are passionate about their work... and that makes all the difference.

Even before launching my start-up – formerly known as @agencybrazil but now called ▲OF UNKNOWNN▲ – I had worked in other successful start-ups, all of which contributed to my overall learning process.

The first thing that captured my attention in start-up culture was each employee’s dedication to the job, as well as the number of professional titles they each held. The start-up business model operates on innovation – which is what makes it stand out – and the majority of people are young and willing to do above and beyond their remit, because they believe that their contribution may change and improve the world in which we live in. This is what motivates them. They are there to be stimulated and not to be paid. 

This approach doesn’t really exist in the corporate world. Most people generally work so they can pay their bills or because they enjoy the social status afforded to them by being in a competitive role. Changing this environment so that it is friendlier would be challenging for many agencies as they would struggle to maintain the new talent within their rigid, vertical structures.

Start-up cultures may seem utopian but they’re not. I’ve worked in big agencies like Publicis Brasil and SapientNitro where despite the size, the start-up culture has prevailed because of the youthful and charismatic leaders who consistently search for innovation and encourage their teams to do the same. In Young & Rubicam Peru, under the leadership of Eduardo Grisolle and the creative control of Tin Sanchez and Fernando Iyo, I can see that they understand the importance of creating a collaborative culture – as this means the agency can produce the best work. But this rare. I’m lucky to work for such a big agency that continues to pursue innovation and allows passionate people to do what they love.

But most of the big agencies are not like this. The majority continue to think traditionally, which is why so many millenialls are tempted by start-ups – it’s an escape from the rules.

I created my first start-up, digital agency@AGENCYBRAZIL in Brazil, to decode the digital world for various clients and create interesting content across social media, using influencers and PRs.

Start-up employees have to develop varied skills quickly. There are not many requirements for start-up life, but those employed need to be capable of learning on the job and balancing lots of projects simultaneously. As this is the reality of start-up culture.

Last year, ▲OF UNKNOWNN▲ launched a laboratory of innovation to discover ideas on how to disrupt the well-trodden business model of Latin American. We don’t want to offer turnkey solutions. We want to ask questions, and make the client think about the longevity of the business and make any necessary cultural, ideological and technological changes.

One of the biggest problems that could affect the future of advertising is the reinvention of talent. Each generation thinks and consumes differently and we need to think about how to continue seducing the client with brilliant ideas and to convince their employees that the people need to be moved by emotion. The more people that are passionate about their job, the more the business is going to stand out from its competitors.

Regardless of whether you’re the owner of a start-up or of a big agency, your team’s passion is everything. Daily motivation, retaining that start-up spirit, breaking the rules and multi-tasking people are the keys for the successs of any creative business.