Production companies often get their start working directly with brands. However, as you look to diversify your client base, you’re probably thinking about how you can land jobs from advertising agencies, which also carries the hallmark of being a reputable production company.
Securing agency clients, however, is no easy feat.
Agencies thrive on trusted relationships and are cautious when it comes to new partnerships. Their producers and creatives are highly discerning, prioritizing the protection of their work and their clients. With high stakes involved in ensuring a production lives up to a campaign’s promise, agencies naturally avoid unnecessary risks.
So, how can emerging production companies break into this tight-knit circle and build their agency reputation?
One strategy is to initiate a pro bono project in collaboration with an ad agency.
For instance, if you’re considering assisting a friend or colleague with video needs for their venture (be it a social cause, restaurant, or a tech startup), consider inviting an ad agency to join and co-develop a fully fleshed out campaign.
To capture the interest of an agency, it's crucial to have a client who is open to an adventurous campaign strategy and who is fully committed to engaging throughout the process. They also should have a budget to pay for crew, equipment, and campaign placement.
If you can set up these conditions, many agency professionals are likely to embrace the opportunity. Begin by presenting a well-crafted initial creative brief to spark discussions and set the stage for collaboration.
Alternatively, you could offer to take on a pro bono client already under an agency's wing. While this route can indeed open doors, it carries the risk of typecasting your company as one that handles unpaid work. If you choose this path, it's important to set clear expectations from the start—that successful completion should lead to paid opportunities.
While initiating pro bono collaborations with advertising agencies can open doors, it does carry several risks. Allocating resources to unpaid projects leads to opportunity costs, mismatched expectations or lack of cooperation can derail projects, or the client’s business fails to take off and diminishes the value of the project.
But if it succeeds, this collaboration can offer a firsthand experience of working with an advertising agency and demonstrate your ability to meet their standards. Upon completing the project, imagine having a 30-second commercial and a series of engaging social cuts ready to launch.
A successful campaign serves not only the client's goals, but also demonstrates your capability to undertake traditional ad agency work. You may even make something that competes for awards. Congrats! You’re now developing a reputation with agencies.
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