Isobar Budapest Managing Director, Csaba Kötcsei: Startups are the new pro-bono? A new way to look at startup projects
CEOs, MDs, CSDs of agencies like myself have at least two inner voices in their heads regarding startup work. A childish-excited-enthusiastic pro-startup voice and a practical-self-conscious-serious anti-startup voice. “Oh, this great new precooked-pasta-delivery-for-pets-on-diets venture is so cool — let’s do the branding for them!”. Or, “Yet another meaningless venture that wants to suck out the blood of my already strained team with an unpaid and never-ending project.”
The topic ‘agency-startup’ relationship was on the agenda this year at Cannes Lions Festival at the Why Startups aren’t from Mars debate, and at Disruption by Design by RGA. I found some new ways to look at this issue, which I find worth sharing.
Generally, the interest of agencies and startups cannot be more different. Agencies look for long lasting client relationships with established brands. Startups are, per definition, unstable. Agencies try to bill as many of their hours as possible. Startups — if they buy any external service at all — want the ‘fixed price, at 50% discount, delivery date is yesterday’ kind of thing. Agencies work best when repeating what they already know — startups do what they do for the very first time.
On the other hand, startups often lack creative capital just as they lack venture capital. In a world, where every problem has 10 startups working on, ventures need senior marketing, positioning, branding talent to attract spotlight. Agencies on the other hand are looking for new ways to attract talent, clients and become innovation agencies.
So why work with startups?
- It helps to retain talent. The war for talent is over — and talent was victorious. If you can offer your team to work every now and then, even if for a limited time, on startup projects, it might hold them back from going for doing it full-time.
- Unleash your creatives. You work directly with the decision makers, which can be a refreshing experience for many of your team. Quick decisions, immediate feedback, often directly from the end users. Can be priceless — probably an experience worth more than many external trainings on emphaty or assertive communication.
- Experience a more agile way of working. Many of the communication tools, testing methodologies and generally the fast paced thinking will be useful at client projects.
How to bring those inner pro/anti startup voices together?
- Consider startup work as the new pro bono. You do work for free already, it is called pro bono. Look at startup projects as an alternative to pro bono stuff. Use part of your pro bono budget for startup work.
- Retention effort, not business. Your team will crave for a new, fresh problem to be solved in an unknown industry. Consider this part of your employer branding strategy.
- Training, not a project. Think of startup work as a way of training for your team. You might want to include startup projects in your training schedule.
3 easy steps to start
- Organise short workshops. Goodby Silverstein & Partners runs a 2-day marketing workshop for selected startups. They work on their branding or positioning. Startups have a tangible result at the end, a concept they can build upon.
- Take on only well defined sub-projects your team is expert in. Some ventures just need a well defined project to be completed. An intro video, a logo or a manifesto film. This is something an agency can do — and startups will possibly even pay for it.
- Provide physical space in your office. You might have spare space in your offices you can sublet to startups.
What do your inner pro-startup and anti-startup voices say?
Csaba Kötcsei, Managing Director, Isobar Budapest
Follow our Cannes Lions conversation on Twitter @Isobar #CreativeXDigital
