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It’s been about 20 years that I’ve been working in and out of agencies, and the creative and marketing industry more generally.
In that time, the beating drum of ‘the agency model is broken’ has been a steady one, most often from agency leaders who leave to go on to start another agency. Often with a model which looks little different from their previous agency.
Whilst I do think the agency model is broken, starting a new agency isn’t the flex or fix most people think it is. If your model is simply selling other people’s time, badged and branded and boxed, you’ve probably already missed the train.
With numerous reports of the knowledge economy being pronounced dead too, it’s going to take something more than “a core team with a network of freelancers” to weather the next few years. If your new business model is just do more of the same work, but without paying peoples’ pensions or investing their training and development - all you’ve done is remove the reason people would stick around.
The coming AIpocalypse at work is going to challenge the very notions of what value, income, skills, careers, wealth and security will mean.
So if you see any more ‘agency model is broken’ posts, hand them a deckchair to shuffle, and crack on with your radically different type of proposition.
I would love to see some radically different propositions - as an independent, what are you doing that’s different, or what have you seen that you hold up as a model for the future?
This week, a handful of OP folks (outsiders?) came together to discuss whether social content, commentary and thinking in public is essential and effective for independent strategists.
With an explosion in recent months (not least the few we find and curate here) of hot takes, “tiktok oracles”, deep-deep-deep dives and endless carousels and POVs on everything, showing your thinking seems to be the trend for many strategists right now.
The huddle examined whether it’s neccessary as a marketing exercise, whether it’s fruitful as part of the writing and strategic process, and whether it can become an albatross around ones neck, having to keep up the steady flow of a podcast, newsletter or feeding the algorithm.
» There’s an AI generated summary here, if you like that sort of thing.
» We’ve got an demo of adaily on June 10th at 1500BST
» We’ll be scheduling June’s huddle too - topic TBC, and always up for people hosting or suggesting topics. Let me know.
Running anything for ten years is an impressive milestone, but James and the crew at Group Think have been hosting monthly get-togethers for the London strategy scene for a decade now, and to celebrate, there’s an upcoming special 10th birthday even happening on June 12th.
They’ve booked out the pub garden of Rolling Stock (E2 8DA) in Shoreditch, London UK. Join from 6:30pm. It’s a free event so invite your strategy/planning pals too. And even if you don’t drink, there’s no pressure - plenty of folks that love a softy and a No-Lo!
» UN//SCENE, a brand new creative and marketing festival, from Lucy Barbor and co, is gathering pace. There’s a date to hold in your diary now - 17th September 2025 at Conway Hall, London. All profits are going to industry charities.
» Emily Penny shares a future optimism in the form of a social fiction taking us with a happy ending that might just be worth getting behind. What if, 'The Screen Age' is a tiny blip in the history of mankind?
» sibling studio cultural strategist Nina Maria writes on what we saw from brands in May
» Zoe Scaman on The intelligence after intelligence
» Matt & Tom on their highlights of this years D&AD
» Our productivity problem is linked to meaningless measurement - the problem with endless quantifying of everything, plus confusing objectives for metrics. Thanks Joel
» OpenAI provides ChatGPT to the UAE, as part of their Stargate offering. Massive partnerships between AI and governments, already has future-echos of the AI 2027 predictions, and Danny Roca’s take here too.
» I’m not too worried about taking on these robots in a fight, yet. (Thanks Ged)
» Nils Leonard on what building an agency taught him
» Everyone is cheating their way through college (Thanks Ann)
» What happened to GorpCore (thanks Angie)
» Honest ads. Could do with more of these.
Wanna share your work, ideas or thinking with the community? - drop me a message, and I’ll pop it in the next issue. This is a scrapbook of our ideas, so please open up your brains.
Every week, I’ll try and introduce a member of the community, so we can get to know each other better. If you’re keen to show your face, let me know
👋 Hi, I’m Jo Kerr
I have a 25+ year career in both client-side and consultancy-side strategy, brand and communications roles.I was previously the Head of Purpose at Brandpie before setting up on my own this year.
I am particularly passionate about defining the foundational elements that give organisations clarity and strategic momentum - corporate purpose, vision, strategy, values and brand positioning.
I speak and write a lot about purpose-driven business and the role I believe it can have in society. I have specifically worked with large, complex B2B organisations over the past 10 years where they have been going through significant transformation - largely in the energy, healthcare and professional services sectors.
As an independent strategist I hope to work directly with leaders of businesses going through strategic pivots, and as an associate with like-minded agencies who have chunky client challenges.
I believe the biggest benefit of working with independent strategists is the focus they can give the project and the expertise they can bring from tackling similar challenges elsewhere, and I think one thing clients should consider right now is the efficiency they can get from an independent strategist.
In a world of tight client budgets and fluctuating priorities, hiring an independent strategist can provide senior expertise in an agile, timely and cost-effective way.
Things I’m loving right now …
Right now, I am reading 'The Big Leap' by Gay Hendricks to get over my own (self-made) limitations :)
I am appreciating spending time with family in New Zealand, and I am loving the flexibility of running my business from the other side of world.
Say hello to Jo on Linkedin, or via the Community.
Briefs discovered and curated from across the stratosphere.
Promote your brief - or tell us if you’ve found work via the project.
Freelance B2B Content Strategist with SaaS exp (UK)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250530-playplay.html
Freelance PPC/Paid Social Strategist (London,UK)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250530-paidsocial.html
Content Strategist/Expert (Freelance or Contract) (Canada)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250530-opti9.html
freelance marketing strategist (US)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250529-wine.html
Freelance Creative Strategist (Social) for a Streetwear Brand Launch (UK)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250529-street.html
Innovation Strategist with consulting exp (NY,USA)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250529-proto.html
Freelance Senior strategists for pitch (NL,UK)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250529-mutant.html
Freelance Social Listening & Audience Insight (UK)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250529-mp.html
Freelance Associate Director of Brand Strategy (US/Canada)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250529-huge.html
Open Call: Creative Strategists (UK)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250529-flo.html
Freelance Paid Social Creative Strategist (UK)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250529-elements.html
freelance senior strategist with property exp (London,UK)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250529-edenmarsh.html
Freelance Senior Strategist with ents/streaming exp (Remote/PST)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250529-cms.html
Engagement Strategist with pharma exp (US)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250529-clutch.html
Strategic comms expert for B2B IT project with fluent German (Germany)
https://outsideperspective.co/gigs/20250527-vsnry.html
If you’re a business looking to work with independent strategy people - or want to build out your own virtual community of freelance strategists, across a range of disciplines, get in touch.
Whether it’s sharing your brief directly with our community (no more endless lists of comments on LinkedIn), building a bench, or dropping your freelancers in to our space so they can also benefit from the community - we’re open to collaborate. Drop me a note.
That’s all for this week.
mk✌️
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