5 Reasons Why to Hire a Graphic Design Studio Over an Advertising Agency

Many businesses turn to an outside source at some point for marketing consultation and services. There are various types of marketing consulting firms; advertising agencies and graphic design studios are two such consulting firms that perform overlapping services in many instances. How should your business decide which type of firm to go with?

Advertising agencies are qualified to do everything from design logo and business cards to television commercials and everything in between. Large advertising agencies may also have a marketing department that will work with you to build and implement a business strategy which may or may not include a corporate identity, branding, advertising, telemarketing, etc. Ad agencies provide a lot of services from which you can pick and choose what you need; they may perform only one task.

On the other hand, a graphic design studio focuses on the project at hand. Graphic design studios typically do not have all the extras that are found in an advertising agency. Although some graphic design studios do have a marketing department available for their clients. Businesses generally need assistance with the message and brand in addition to a well designed piece of marketing collateral.

Advertising and design can get very expensive so it is important to understand which route you should take based on what you are trying to accomplish. As a designer, I often find that clients do not need to hire expensive advertising agencies; much can be accomplished with a graphic design studio, saving thousands of dollars. Don't get me wrong, advertising agencies have their place, but often a graphic design studio is sufficient.

When to Work with a Graphic Design Studio Instead of an Advertising Agency:

If a large scale advertising campaign is more than you are looking for. There are times when you simply need a brochure, a logo, business card, poster, or other collateral, but not an ad. When you work with an advertising agency, you may be paying for more than necessary because they offer so many services. Even if you are not using those services, you are ultimately paying a higher price for your projects because of the high overhead at the agency.

As a business owner, you can take on some of the responsibility of purchasing ad spaces instead of using the advertising agency for this purpose, and have a graphic designer work with you on the designs, but not necessarily placement. Many business already have established connections with the venues for publication. Therefore, managing the ad buying and placement is not a problem and can keep you within your budget.

For smaller projects. Ad agencies love the big project, that's where the money is at, but not everyone has large projects all the time. Graphic design studios are perfect for smaller to medium projects.

If you desire personal service. If you prefer working one-on-one with your designer, you have a better chance of that a graphic design studio. Advertising agencies use account managers to work with clients so you may never meet the designer.

Time crunch. Graphic design studio can typically turn things around faster than an advertising agency because there are fewer layers of people to go through. These days everyone has strict budgets and are trying to make a dollar stretch as far as they can. Choosing a graphic design studio over an advertising agency can help you to accomplish your goals while keeping your project in the black.


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Sam is working with Chris Howell, award winning Gold Coast Australia graphic designer, conceptor, art director, and lateral creative thinker with more than 15 years within the creative industry. Chris has executed creative ideas across a wide range of media for well known brands. More more information, please visit Gold Coast Graphic Design.