Is your smaller agency well-positioned to take bold creative risks, pitch innovative ideas, and form collaborative partnerships? The traditional full-service agency model is crumbling under the weight of overhead, fragmented expertise, and a lack of collaboration.
In this episode of The Agency Blueprint podcast, I’m joined by Danielle Dufresne to discuss the changing landscape of creative agencies and how agencies can break free from outdated overhead-heavy structures. Dani is an Emmy Award–winning executive producer and The Aux Co founder. She has over 20 years of experience producing high-stakes campaigns for global brands like Nike and Hulu. She launched the Aux Co in 2017 to champion a new agency model, helping small and midsize shops grow smaller, collaborate better, and deliver bold, creative work without the overhead and burnout of the old huge conglomerate agency system.
Listen in to learn why the future of agencies lies in specialization, honesty, and early collaboration with production and strategy teams. You will also learn how agencies can thrive together, access bigger opportunities, and create lasting client relationships by embracing community over competition.
Key Questions:
- (05:23) Why do smaller agencies feel pressured to fake expertise, and what’s the smarter alternative?
- (08:06) Do you see other agencies as competitors or potential collaborators in your network?
- (14:00) If you can only deliver part of a client’s RFP, do you white-label partnerships or present them openly?
- [17:14] How can agencies leverage community and collaboration as a competitive advantage?
What You’ll Discover:
- (01:37) How low overhead enables small agencies to launch big ideas at a fraction of the cost of legacy holding companies.
- (03:47) The shift from the Mad Men era of limited media to today’s fragmented landscape of thousands of channels.
- (06:01) How small agencies can win bigger projects without faking expertise by being transparent and collaborative.
- (08:55) Why most agencies overestimate competition, when in fact collaboration can unlock greater opportunities.
- (09:54) Why agencies should stop competing for the same pie and instead lean into their unique strengths.
- (12:03) Why agencies should specialize instead of pretending to be experts in everything.
- (14:42) Dani on when to white-label partnerships versus openly presenting them as part of a network.
- (17:36) How bringing production into creative development earlier leads to stronger campaigns across every medium.
- [21:42] The power of community and collaboration as a competitive advantage in agency growth.
- [24:40] The importance of setting aside ego and instead focusing on making sure both clients and creatives are satisfied.
- [27:30] Why curiosity-driven questioning is essential for innovation, while “just get it to yes” feedback adds little value.
Connect with Danielle: