Cost-effective, creative effectiveness.

"During the pitching stages, we usually get the big guns of the agency coming to us with their grand ideas and plans. We are sold on these people but when we start working with the agency, we end up with account management staff who do not have the same level of knowledge as the pitching team."

— Niro Nirmalan, former Head of Digital Marketing, World First

That quote perfectly captures something the industry doesn't like to talk about openly. But after nearly two decades inside creative agencies I can tell you the best work often comes from freelancers.

Not the full-time agency staff. The freelancers.

When agencies need to win big pitches, they bring in experienced freelance creative directors and strategists; the heavy hitters who know how to think and create under pressure. And when existing clients need specialist skills, agencies quietly hire freelance experts, then white-label their work as their own.

The freelancers are often the real creative firepower. They're just hidden behind the agency brand.

I founded the Pitch Collective because I realised there is an incredible amount of creative and strategic talent not working in agencies full time. And it’s being incredibly under-utilised (or only accessible to big clients with big budgets).

The problem nobody talks about

When you hire a creative agency, you're not really buying logos or campaigns or websites. You're buying judgment. Strategic thinking. The ability to understand your business and solve problems creatively.

But somewhere between the boardroom presentation and the actual work, that expertise gets filtered through layers of account management and junior teams. The strategic insight you were excited about becomes diluted. The personal connection you felt with the senior talent becomes a distant memory.

This isn't anyone's fault. It's just how the traditional model works. Senior talent pitches, junior teams deliver. Account managers manage. The system keeps running.

Until it doesn’t. And then it starts to cost time, money, opportunity.

What actually works

The breakthrough comes when you work directly with the people doing the thinking.

It’s when you have conversations with your brand strategist about positioning, and then they personally guide that strategy through to implementation. And when you brief the person who will actually be developing the creative concepts. And working with designers who understand your business objectives because they've been in the room for every conversation.

That's not how many agencies usually (or can) work. But it's how the Pitch Collective works. And it's how more creative partnerships should work.

The economics make sense too

When I explain our model to people (working directly with senior talent) they often assume it must cost more. But it’s the opposite.

When your creative budget isn't supporting large office rents, multiple management layers, and complex internal processes, it can focus entirely on what matters: the expertise that solves your problems.

You're not paying for the system. You're paying for the thinking. And that thinking is sharper when it comes from people who have direct relationships with your business.

Plus, you’re working with people with proven track records of ‘just getting it’. When it comes to pitches, they deliver in days or weeks at most. And then they’re moved on, and their thinking, their work, handed to someone else to bring to life.

Why collaboration beats coordination

The best creative work I've ever seen happened when specialists genuinely wanted to work together. Not because they were assigned to the same account, but because they believed in collaborative creativity.

Our strategists, creative directors, designers, and digital specialists each own their part completely. But they work as one team because they choose to. Because they've learned that great ideas get better when smart people build on them together.

This creates something special: comprehensive creative solutions delivered by people who are personally invested in your success.

What to look for

If you're thinking about new creative partnerships, here's what I'd focus on:

Meet the real team. Not just the pitch team. The people who will actually be working on your business. If they're not in the room during presentations, ask yourself whether they'll be available when you need them.

Understand how they really work. How do they collaborate? Who makes decisions? How do they handle feedback? The answers will tell you whether you're getting genuine teamwork or just coordinated handoffs.

Look for personal investment. The best creative partners care about your success because their reputation depends on it. When people take personal ownership of your challenges, everything changes.

Think about the relationship, not just the price. Great creative partnerships get better over time. Look for people who want to understand your business and grow with you.

The creative industry is changing fast. Marketing budgets are under more scrutiny than ever. Every creative dollar needs to deliver real business impact.

The businesses getting the best results aren't necessarily spending more. They're spending differently. They're finding creative partners who combine senior expertise with direct collaboration. Who care as much about business outcomes as creative awards.

This is why I created the Pitch Collective. Not to replace agencies (there’s plenty of great ones we’re happy to recommend if that’s what you need). But because we believe there’s opportunity for all; including our team of brilliant freelancers. A way that puts talented people and great work first, with everything else built around supporting that.

Making it work

If you're ready to try a different approach, start with the people. Find specialists who genuinely understand your challenges and want to solve them. Look for teams that collaborate because they believe in it, not because they have to.

Trust your instincts about relationships. Great creative work happens when talented people care about your success and have the freedom to do their best work.

The traditional agency model has worked for many businesses over many years, and it will for many more. But it's not the only option, and it's not always the best option.

New approaches like creative collectives are showing that you can have senior expertise, direct relationships, and fair pricing all in one partnership.

The question isn't whether these new models work. It's whether your business will benefit from them.