THE HOLDING COMPANY PLAYBOOK DOESN’T WORK FOR YOU. STOP COPYING IT.
By Chantal Sagnes, Fractional Head of Growth & Client Services
Every Thursday, THE BOARD BRIEFING brings you curated industry insights directly from our Members to your inbox.
One of the biggest risks indie agencies face isn’t losing a pitch to a holding company. It’s trying to act like one.
Somewhere along the way, we started confusing maturity with mimicry. We bought into the idea that if we looked like the big guys, we were automatically playing at their level. So we added layers of approval. Twelve-person pitch teams. Tailored bespoke decks for every prospect, even when the fit was questionable. These habits don’t show growth. They show insecurity.
The holding company playbook was never built for you. And it doesn’t serve your clients either.
THEIR PROCESS IS THEIR PROBLEM
Holding companies need that level of structure because they are massive and can be forced to operate within bloated structures. Process is what keeps the machine from breaking down. But if you are a lean, sharp indie agency, all that process does is kill momentum. It slows down ideas. It boxes in creatives. It creates an endless loop of overthinking and underdelivering.
You do not need a planning phase for your planning phase. What you need is clear roles, fewer steps, and a culture that trusts smart people to move.
PITCH LESS. WIN MORE.
Too many indie agencies exhaust themselves chasing every RFP. Just because it’s live doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Instead of following the holding company volume game, flip the strategy. Pick your shots. Focus on the opportunities where you have an edge through relationships, relevance, or insight, and move purposefully toward those.
You’ll always win more when you pitch from strength. Not from panic.
YOU DON’T NEED TO LOOK BIGGER. YOU NEED TO SOUND SMARTER.
A lot of agencies copy the big shop polish because they think it makes them look legitimate. But real credibility has nothing to do with slide count or buzzwords. It has everything to do with clarity.
If your case study needs 12 slides to land a point, it probably doesn’t. If your capabilities deck sounds like every other agency, you’ve lost before you’ve started. Say what you mean. Show the work. Cut the fluff. Double down on what only your agency can bring to the brand you’re talking to.
Clients are not impressed by layers. They are looking for partners who know exactly what they bring to the table and have a distinctive POV that separates them from the pack (that keeps getting bigger by the day).
BUILD YOUR OWN PLAYBOOK
The best indie agencies are different on purpose. They move fast. They stay close to the work. They speak like real people. And they don’t burn time chasing scale just to feel bigger.
You don’t need to imitate anyone. You have full permission to build a business that works for how you think, how you lead, and how you deliver. One that serves your team, your clients, and your actual goals.
The holding company playbook is outdated for agencies like yours. Toss it. Write something better.
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