Whether you’re looking for a new logo, a mass-media campaign or a strategic plan, there is no shortage of options when it comes to finding someone to help you with your marketing. The problem is knowing exactly which one is right for you.

Over the course of our careers, we’ve had the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of settings from large, international marketing agencies and boutique design firms to small local advertising agencies in-house marketing departments. Along the way, we’ve seen first-hand (and behind the scenes) the benefits and drawbacks clients experience with each.

To help you make the best choice on who you’ll turn to when you need marketing help, we’ve compiled the following industry breakdown.

Large Advertising Agency

Pros:

• Vast in-house resources
• Comprehensive service offerings
• May specialize in a specific industry
• Experienced, senior staff members
• High-end, award-winning work
• Knowledgeable and up to date on all industry trends
• Well-established media connections
• Clients get “wined and dined”

Cons:

• Expensive (high overhead)
• Selective on what clients they work with and clients with larger budgets and more prestige are given a higher priority
• Client work deemed lower priority is often done by less-experienced, entry-level staff members
• Agency culture (casual work environment, irregular schedules, etc.) can sometimes be at odds with “real-world” business culture
• Work can sometimes focus more on getting awards/gaining industry attention than achieving results

Small Advertising Agency

Pros:

• Experienced staff members
• Personal service
• Direct contact with senior staff members
• Knowledgeable and up to date on all industry trends
• Wide range of service offerings with connections to specialty subcontractors
• Open to clients of varying sizes and may have experience in a variety of industries
• Lower cost/less overhead
• High-quality work

Cons:

• Less in-house resources
• Service offerings may not be comprehensive
• Limited large-scale (national/international) industry experience
• May lack the prestige of a larger agency and the ability to “wine and dine” clients
• Experience is wider spread and less industry specific
• Can only handle a limited number of clients at a time

Boutique Marketing Firm

Pros:

• Has in-depth experience in a specific service offering (logo design, website creation, public relations, etc.)
• Highly skilled in area of expertise
• Depending on size, can be very client-service oriented

Cons:

• Expensive
• Can often be a slower and have a more time-consuming process
• Limited scope of expertise and may not always look at the whole picture
• Due to the limited number of projects available in area of expertise, may be tempted to take on work less qualified to do

Freelancer

Pros:

• Less expensive (no overhead)
• Hungry and eager to please
• Can be highly skilled

Cons:

• Tend to be young and inexperienced
• Limited experience working one-on-one with clients
• May have a full-time job and be inaccessible during normal working hours
• Projects may take longer to complete

As you can see, there really isn’t a perfect, one size fits all option out there. That said, if you weigh the pros and cons, we’re confident that you can find an organization (or individual) that meets your needs, budget and timeline while—most importantly—delivering results.