By Claire Penney, Account Manager at SWC Partnership.
After a fourteen-year marketing career spent working client side, last year I made the decision to move to agency. Here’s what I learned on my journey, and an answer to the question: client or agency – which dark side is better?
I love marketing. I love crafting a campaign, seeing it fly, elevating a brand and helping people find the services they need. I love developing impactful content, creating marketing materials that sing, driving leads and planning events that engage and inspire. I love working across the mix and never getting bored.
Except, I was bored. After working in-house since the noughties for a variety of organisations including a children’s publisher, charity, healthcare provider and an ethical bank, I’d been lucky enough to have contributed to some incredible campaigns and worked on some fantastic projects. But, I felt like I was at a crossroads. I knew I needed a fresh challenge. A change of direction. So, I asked around. I did some research. And I landed on the goal of finding an exceptional marketing agency in Tunbridge Wells that could give my career and my personal development the turbo boost I felt they needed.
Finding the right fit
I’m lucky to live in a town which is a true creative hub. Soon I had several recommendations for an international marketing agency considered to be one of (if not the!) best in town: SWC Partnership. I heard they were dynamic, ambitious, had a fab culture and were doing great work. Luckily, they weren’t put off by my long stint over on the dark side (funny that both agencies and in-house marketing teams consider the other to be channelling Darth Vader). We felt we had good chemistry and I started last summer as an Account Manager, working with a specialist software B2B technology client, running their marketing campaigns across Europe and the USA.
Friends and colleagues had prewarned me that moving over to an agency meant I’d have to work harder, longer and possibly for less money. But that in return I would get more variety, autonomy, and higher job satisfaction. So, over half a year down the road, were they right?
Short answer: Yes. But not on all fronts…
What did I discover?
Collaboration
The first thing I noticed was how well the team communicated (and how often!) Projects moved fast, so it was vital that everyone stayed updated and kept others in the loop. No silos here – one major bugbear I’d put up with in virtually every role I’d had up until that point. This sense of collaboration and unity meant the team worked as one, supporting each other when the project work came flooding in and it was all hands on deck. Any project issues were swiftly dealt with, and despite how busy people were, they always had time to point you in the right direction or lend a quick hand. On client side it’s too easy for people to hide within the larger machine, and avoid contact, prioritising their own work. At an agency, there’s nowhere to hide and you’re all accountable and a part of the journey. The team’s success is your success and vice versa. It also means you learn more from others – from the way they work, to developments in the industry, it’s all more visible and shared.
Empowerment
I had to learn the ropes fast! The pace of work, together with managing multiple workflows and pre-empting needs on all sides was a true learning curve. I realised what an art this mad juggling act was! But once I started to master all the nuts and bolts, I was empowered by Stef, my Account Director, to crack on and manage relationships and projects with less and less input. No deferring to other teams or departments and waiting a fortnight for a meeting opportunity or response. Here, you’re given the autonomy to manage campaigns end-to-end as well as drive new business and create opportunities. Your role and your client relationships are what you put into them.
Excitement
Previously, I’d loved developing a brand in-house, knowing an organisation’s audiences inside out and working to achieve a long-term strategy. But with those benefits, came big drawbacks – lengthy waits to sign off new projects, struggles to get past internal gatekeepers, reviews by committees that watered down your big creative ideas, and oh the meetings for the sake of having a meeting! At times I felt like I was going through the motions, reinventing the wheel and doing nothing quick or exciting. Yet at SWC, we are proactive. We have the freedom to spot opportunities, think big and put those thoughts into action. No lengthy sign-off process. No red tape. For the first time in my career, I found myself working on tactical campaigns, responding to topical news and market changes, to create campaigns with real cut-through and personality. We can spot opportunities and activate a campaign in days, sometimes hours! YES!
And, action!
Need ideas for a campaign? Problem to solve? At an agency, you can swiftly get your heads together, come up with a solution or bank of ideas and action them. Simple. No drawn-out sign-off process, departments to defer to or bigger organisational projects that mean other worthy initiatives get side-lined. You can be far more assertive and agile as a business. SWC have a motto – ‘Live, Learn, Evolve’. We get under the skin of our client’s brand, audiences and market, and have a wider perspective than client-side organisations, keeping an eye on international and regional developments, rather than being inward looking. We also prioritise learning, both in the classroom and on the job. We take the time to share successes and best practice with one another, as well as getting to grips with emerging marketing trends like A.I. Then evolve what and how we do accordingly. Live, learn, evolve!
Job satisfaction
With added pressure to deliver, faster turnarounds and at times nerve-wracking client presentations, came the upside – a huge jump in job satisfaction. At an agency, your job is to understand what the client needs, help them solve a problem and think outside the box to come up with innovative solutions. Being creative and dynamic is your bread and butter, not an added bonus. The joyful fist-pump moments of satisfaction can be few and far between on client side. You might get one or two per quarter, when you pull off a big event or a milestone campaign goes live. Agency side they appeared almost weekly – a scope of work signed off, a record-breaking campaign, a tactical that went viral, a new idea that the client LOVED. SWC celebrates all its wins, whether big or small. They recognise the effort that goes in and celebrate each other. We get to do creative, exciting work, and we don’t take it for granted. We love what we do.
It’s no coincidence that in The Times’ Best Places to Work recent survey, with WorkL, SWC scored over 97%+ on all workplace engagement metrics, and ranked the highest on job satisfaction with (99%). Also proudly earning a 100% Net Promoter Score (NPS)!
Great culture
As a tight-knit team, culture is a huge priority at SWC. They put huge effort into making sure staff feel valued, supported and can have fun at the same time. Getting to know each other on a personal level is crucial for building those relationships, and they think up exciting ways to get the team together and engaged. For instance, on my very first day at SWC I joined their summer social at a local food and music festival Pub in the Park (score!) and we had the best time quad biking before our AGM. On agency side, they work hard and play hard! But they also make sure the team has flexibility and a good work-life balance. Mental health at work is a big priority, and it’s genuine, not a tick-box exercise. Managers regularly check in with you on a personal level, and want to see you not just succeed, but flourish.
Personal growth
Added to all that good stuff, far and beyond the greatest difference I’ve noticed moving from client side to agency side is how much I’ve grown as a marketing professional in such a short time. My existing skills have been stretched and tested, and I’ve gained a whole bunch of new ones. I feel like that new pencil case at the beginning of term; full of new rulers, compasses and sharp new pencils! And the best personal change has been the huge boost to my confidence. Being given the support and guidance to grow into this new role, as well as the trust and autonomy to run projects and create new opportunities, has been transformative. SWC punches above its weight in all areas, and the development and support of its team members is no different. I’m delighted I found a new home where I can see myself growing and developing for years to come.
The upshot?
With great power (to create) comes great responsibility! (Sorry). Agency side is harder, more pressurised, and at times you work longer hours. But it’s so worth it. I wanted a challenge, and I certainly got one. I also got a team that feels more like a family, a place where I feel creative and empowered, and the opportunity to do exciting, important work. What more could you ask for?
Read more about our B2B marketing agency here and stay posted for opportunities at SWC!
