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While I agree it’s a massive oversight of the importance of strategy, this doesn’t shock me. Once you get some distance from the traditional big agencies (i.e. design shops, experiential, social, even just little creative boutiques) strategy is the first thing agencies try to get away without investing in. Their lazy logic is often “well my account director (or creative lead) is kind of a hybrid. They can think strategically and fill in the gaps.” It’s silly, lazy, and typically sets everyone up for a world of hurt in terms of revving on rounds and rounds of creative
This seems like a terrible idea to me.
Time on a client’s business makes the strategist more effective AND also time with the creatives at the agency.
I imagine many clients don’t care, because their perspective is often “I came up with the strategy anyway”. But most agencies don’t even try to explain the value of strategy in their process, because they… don’t really respect it. On the plus side, this creates a great opportunity for agencies who actually make strategy part of the offering to de-position everyone else.
We do it all the time to great success. We do have long term relationships with our senior strategists tho. Often times, the most talented people in strategy don’t want full time roles. They want challenge and diversity of projects.
As long as the work is good and solving the need, clients don’t care if strats are freelance or full time
We've pitched work where we've partnered with a strategist who has specific industry experience that we didn't. It was a single project, not an AOR pitch, and it worked pretty well for us. It would be a harder sell for me to have a freelancer in an AOR pitch.
I’m a key contributor in helping brand teams select agencies for creative development. When dollars are stretched thin, strategy is crucial. If we meet an agency with weak/low strategic presence, we don’t move the agency forward. Strategy should drive clarity - and hopefully - highlight creative opportunities. Teams without it tend to lack sharpness.
Wait, you’re focusing on the “does it serve clients well” question, but I think there’s an equally important consideration here that you haven’t mentioned.
The definition of moonlighting is having a full-time position at Company A while doing some work on the side for Company B.
But your question suggests Company B wants you to play a visible, a client-facing role in pitches and on-going business for Company B.
If that’s the case, that’s not “freelance”, that kind of visibility is reckless (you will be found out by Company A and it’s grounds for termination) and unethical of Company B (to suggest they can get as much of you as they want).
You do you, but personally this would make me very suspicious of doing any work for Company B.
This is 100% the model for smaller shops and consultancies moving forward. In an unpredictable world you can’t bank on FTEs, and it’s much easier to utilize freelance.
The start up agency of the future is relying on freelance or permalance relationships for strategy and creative plus AI (as a tool) with permanent jobs going to project management, executive/senior creative and C-suite. It's already happening and they are making money and stealing biz from much bigger shops.
Our Agency owns the client relationship, and we are transparent about whether an asset on a project is part of our team (FTE) or a role player in our collective. More often than not, only the account manager/lead engages directly with the client. I've found it works well to have that layer of professional buffering for both sides.