The Generous Agency launches to fix a BIG problem
Do you know what business model sucks for both clients and employee culture? The advertising and design industry.
If you look at any famous agency like R/GA, Ogilvy, TWBA.Chait.Day, Vayner Media or a slew of others on Glassdoor, you will see the employees are miserable. Average ratings are two-three stars with universal comments like “be prepared for long hours, that’s the industry” or “toxic environment, they’ll squeeze everything they can out of you” And that’s not just for the big holding companies. This mantra is mirrored from global agencies down to the local level. And it’s not only employees getting screwed over but also the client.
Why? Because they have used the same business model for the last 60+ years of exchanging time for money. An industry that trades time for money and gives you neither. If your client pays for lots of time, then the agency cuts corners to earn lots of money. If the client pays for less time, then your employees put in the minimum amount of effort to create “commercially acceptable art.”
Without a doubt, the billing and culture model of the advertising industry is in severe dysfunction and see’s no signs of fixing the situation; in fact, it is getting worse.
I don’t know what the correct remedy is, but I am willing to try something different.
I believe in something different, a business model built on generosity, not winners or losers, or even competition. Those that work in this industry are some of the smartest, brightest, and most creative people you will ever meet. And our industry tears our employees apart, destroys client relationships, and turns all of us into meaningless cogs in a system. I want to do more for our employees and our clients. It’s my mission to share that talent with you to benefit your business, to inspire your customers, and to rally your employees.
My name is Erik Peterson, and I am the founder of The Generous Agency. I am going to build this organization around my vision of creating a world where businesses are more generous to themselves, the community, their clients, and employees. For 10+ years, I blazed through ad agencies, branding studios, non-profits, and corporations using my brain and talent. With words, photography, strategy, design, and insanely passionate people, I’ve been able to help businesses tell stories and inspire customers. I created The Generous Agency to fill an insanely large hole in the creative industry. Generosity.
The Generous Agency is something different. We’ve built generosity and transparency at the core of our business. No more hourly billing, no more corner-cutting, no more “sucking the life out of employees.” When we are allowed to do our jobs correctly, we solve problems with creativity, questions, and observations. We are the future model of the branding agency. Adaptable. Resourceful. Honest. We do more, give more, and share more. We are implementing a new way of thinking and a better way for businesses to respond to the world through generosity.
We believe by doing more, giving more, and sharing more, we help our business partners become more successful. And this is where you fit in — our dear clients, colleagues, and collaborators. We’re doing this for you. If you’ve been a part of this journey, we thank you immensely. If we haven’t met yet, we’d love to hear from you.
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The Generous Agency is a Dallas Fort Worth branding and graphic design studio that helps companies implement a better brand experience impacting employees and customers. Sometimes we develop cool stuff. Reach out for a FREE Consultation.