The Power of Creative Collectives

“What is a creative collective and how is it different from an agency?”

This is by far the most common question we get from potential clients meeting us for the first time. And it's not surprising. Because agencies — ad agencies, marketing agencies, digital agencies, etc — have been around in some form or another for a while and are the de facto go-to for many companies with marketing and branding needs. 

Few know there’s an alternative to the traditional agency model. And those who do often assume the alternative (aka the creative collective) is just another type of agency.

So, let’s discuss.

What is a creative collective?

A creative collective is a group of creative professionals with different skill sets who come together to offer a range of services to clients. Typically, a collective consists of:

• A founder (or founders) who handles the day-to-day client outreach, project pitches, and overall team coordination
• A creative team made up of freelancers and part- or full-time creative professionals interested in doing additional work on the side

The majority of collectives operate remotely or hybrid, which means they often attract members far beyond their physical address with a diverse pool of creative talent and specialities.

How do collectives differ from traditional agencies?  

Though collectives and agencies can handle similar projects for similar clients across similar industries, there are some key ways collectives are different.

Tailored services

Collectives typically lack the hierarchy and structure of more traditional agencies. This often appeals to senior-level talent who tend to thrive in more flexible environments, need less hand-holding, and don’t feel as pressured to prove themselves. As a result, collectives attract highly qualified creatives with a diverse range of skills across a large number of industries. 

Meaning there are very few creative projects a collective can’t tackle. No matter how simple or complex a project is, most collectives have someone on their team with the exact skills you need.

Agile and efficient 

Collectives aren’t subject to the same project size limitations as agencies. In order to meet overhead expenses (full-time employees, office space, equipment, etc), agencies will usually only take on larger projects with larger price tags. 

Collectives, however, aren’t in the same boat. 

Need someone to throw together a one-and-done email campaign? No problem. Looking for a team to create your brand from the ground up? Look no further. Size really isn’t an issue when you have a big, diverse talent pool to pull from.

Cost-effective 

As previously mentioned, traditional marketing agencies frequently have additional overhead costs. 

Creative collectives, on the other hand, tend to consist of mostly remote workers — so no need for a full-time office space or office equipment. And because collectives primarily work with freelance or already-employed talent, they don’t have a lot of costs associated with employee overhead. 

This results in the ability to pass on additional savings to clients in the form of lower fees. 

Supercharged creativity

When you work with a traditional marketing agency, you're hiring a team of people who may have similar training and perspectives. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it can limit the creativity they bring to the table. 

With a creative collective, you're working with a group of people with different skill sets, backgrounds, and perspectives — and, as previously mentioned, they’ve most likely been in the creative field for a while. 

This diversity of thought combined with experience can and often does lead to more creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. Simply put, collectives are known for bringing the right creatives to each project rather than taking the agency approach and assigning someone with availability but less experience or expertise.

If you're looking for an agency that will provide fresh ideas, generate leads, and grow your brand, consider working with a creative collective instead. You'll get more creativity, greater flexibility and scalability + way better results. And at the end of the day, what really matters are results, right? 

Give Sheer Havoc a try — you might be surprised at what we can do for your business.

PS Clients aren’t the only ones who benefit from the creative collective approach. If you’re a creative and you’re reading this wondering, “But what’s in it for me?!”...stay tuned for our next post where we answer that very question.