The New Wave ~ Tightknit Studio
The New Wave is Campaign Brief’s Q&A series spotlighting the next generation of independent creative companies and exploring how the indie model is evolving. From structure and speed to culture and capability, we unpack where these businesses are finding their edge and what’s driving client decisions today. Next up is Lee Simpson and Evan Roberts, Co-Founders, Tightknit Studio.
1. Give us the elevator pitch – who are you and what do you do?
Tightknit is a promise of how we work and what we deliver. Tightknit partnerships with clients. Tightknit ideas that deliver clarity, simplicity and ultimately turn complexity into something elegant and effective.
2. Are indies still challengers, or have they become the norm?
The numbers would suggest independents have become the new normal. IBIS data suggests there are more than 9,500 businesses in the advertising industry in Australia and you’d expect a large proportion to be independents (we can’t quite believe that number but there you go). And some marketing consultants have relationships with hundreds of independent agencies. Beyond the numbers, independents are increasingly finding themselves on the receiving end of some of the most important briefs in market.
But being a challenger isn’t all about size, it’s about spirit. And even as the presence of strong independents becomes the norm, the challenger mindset is something to hold onto.
3. What’s your unfair advantage over the networks today?
At Tightknit, our ambition is to take creativity to new places. That means tackling both familiar and new kinds of problems and the freedom of independence allows us to explore models that make that possible. For us that means delivering full mix marketing for an FMCG client from range reviews to NPD and pricing. It can mean remuneration models like licensing or equity deals or exploring opportunities to create products ourselves directly with manufacturers. Without the bureaucracy that naturally exists in larger legacy networks, these things can happen quickly.
That said, we’re not quick to dismiss the networks. Many of us built our careers there, know their strengths and see the many smart and resourceful folks working within them. We’ve discussed partnership models with networks and that is probably the real unfair advantage; we can work with anyone. We will build whatever partnership works based on the best interest of the client.
4. How are you using AI to compete above your weight?
AI is a huge advantage for newer independent agencies. From data analysis and strategy inputs to conceptual development, production and distribution, AI expands what smaller teams are capable of. You no longer need hundreds of people to compete with much larger players.
But the reason AI helps independents compete above our weight isn’t just the technology itself. The World Economic Forum ranked creative thinking among the most important future skills alongside analytical thinking (and it’s ok for both to be true). Independents are often home to experienced creative people working very closely with real client problems. When you combine that experience with the new possibilities of AI, creativity thrives.
5. What kind of clients are choosing indies right now – and why?
Everything from ambitious start-ups to some of the country’s biggest brands. Telstra choosing BMEOF is a good example of how much confidence clients now place in independents. And the likes of Special have done the tricky job of servicing global clients across multiple markets.
Our own mix of work reflects that breadth. We’re leading marketing for a cause-led FMCG business, repositioning an EdTech platform into a future-facing operating system for schools, shaping customer experience for a listed property business, supporting a fintech platform expanding internationally and helping a global sports entertainment platform build cultural relevance and loyalty.
The commonality across those is clients wanting the best problem-solvers close to the work, fast decision making and deep collaboration from partners personally invested in their success.
6. What’s next – growth, staying lean, or something else?
Ideally, growth and staying lean. For our business, it’s continuing to build a culture that loves the job – the problem solving, the collaboration and the craft.
Check out the other New Wave Q&As below:
Read Bastion Australia’s Q&A here
Read We Are Different’s Q&A here
Read SICKDOGWOLFMAN’s Q&A here
Read Kill Boring Dead’s Q&A here
Read Oblong Creative’s Q&A here
Read The Many Australia’s Q&A here
Read Bureau of Everything’s Q&A here
Read Art of the Possible ANZ’s Q&A here
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