# THINK launch 'virtual agency' as alternative to traditional agencies

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/03/22/think-launch-039virtual-agency039-alternative-traditional-agencies/
- Published: 2007-03-22T00:00:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Voluntary sector consultancy THINK Consulting Solutions is launching a ‘virtual 
agency’ to provide clients with an alternative to traditional agencies. It is designed
to combine the skills that charities already possess with services provided by THINK
and its strategic partners to create a ‘bespoke’ agency for each new project or 
programme of work.
The virtual agency is led by THINK’s director and creative strategist
Derek Humphries.

He believes that “charities need flexibility. There is now much greater expertise
among charity clients than there used to be. Many charities just don’t need all 
the hierarchies and services that come from the standard agency approach.”

He added: “So the virtual agency puts together a bespoke team for each campaign 
or project. We plan and deliver the work, but importantly we try to transfer our
skills to the client. We don’t tell clients they will need to rely on us for everything
for ever.”

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One element of traditional client-agency relationships that he wanted to avoid was
that “too often, the most experienced agency people are only around for the pitch
and the quarterly meeting and spend little time on the day-to-day work.”

All THINK’s consultants will be available for ‘secondment’ to virtual agency projects,
each bringing their own expertise.

There are currently two external partners to the virtual agency: TV creative and
production company, DTV Group, to form THINK-DTV; and creative communications agency
Taylor-McKenzie, which specialises in voluntary sector communications.

THINK has been trialling the virtual agency approach with clients for the past year
and is now introducing it on a more formal basis. Current clients include WSPA, 
Leprosy Mission, Maggie’s Centres, Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, and the School of
Oriental and African Studies.

Humphries believes that two types of charity are likely to want to utilise the virtual
agency concept. “There will be those charities that are using several agencies in
a fragmented way – e.g. one agency for DM, one for online, and another for telephone
fundraising – and want to get a strategic overview,” he said.

“Then there will be experienced charities who are looking for a more creative, fast
and flexible way of producing communications.”

THINK anticipates working on up to five virtual agency large-scale programmes during
2007. It claims that creative costs are expected to be about 70% of using a traditional
agency.

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