{"id":76,"date":"2023-11-30T09:57:12","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T09:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/productive.io\/bold\/?p=76"},"modified":"2025-06-26T11:19:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T11:19:37","slug":"the-rise-of-indie-agencies-one-agency-owner-explains-how-underdogs-can-score-big-clients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/productive.io\/bold\/blog\/the-rise-of-indie-agencies-one-agency-owner-explains-how-underdogs-can-score-big-clients","title":{"rendered":"The Rise Of Indie Agencies: One Agency Owner Explains How Underdogs Can Score Big Clients"},"content":{"rendered":"

Interviews<\/a><\/p> –

{{minutes}} min read<\/p>

The Rise Of Indie Agencies: One Agency Owner Explains How Underdogs Can Score Big Clients<\/strong><\/h1> \"\" <\/a>

Stjepan \u0160andor<\/p><\/a>

November 30, 2023<\/p> \"\"

It looks like an established playbook – if you\u2019re a large multinational company, you will hire a large multinational agency. But in recent years, this trend has been questioned somewhat as indie agencies are stealing the spotlight and scoring high with big clients.<\/strong><\/p>

One example is studio Bien, a design agency of 10 people that\u2019s been around since 2016 and is working with international clients like Volotea and Rimac Automobili.

Luka Peri\u0107<\/a>, their co-founder, admits that there is a certain degree of safety when choosing a well-known name, but argues that hiring an indie agency will result in a tailor-made approach: \u201cThe benefit we can offer is having a whole team on the client\u2019s disposal and approaching every client and project based on their specific needs. Working with a smaller agency means you get to be the priority, no matter the scope of your project, or your budget. We\u2019re always ready to push the extra mile if needed, and we like to view ourselves as honest partners, not just as designers nodding heads and ticking the boxes.\u201d<\/p> \"\"

Sounds like a more personal relationship than usual? That\u2019s the benefit, adds Luka: \u201cOur team doesn\u2019t have a problem asking questions, expressing an opinion when we feel something isn\u2019t just right, or admitting when we enter uncharted waters – we\u2019re ready to learn and adapt on the go.\u201d

But how to do you attract those clients to begin with? Not surprisingly, one would have to be patient as the market is very competitive, but it takes a great team to build a lasting relationship with the client, and that will attract more clients in the long run. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot you can do to improve your visibility, but in the end, word of mouth is the most powerful advertisement\u201d, says Luka.

Being highly specialized also helps, so be sure to carve our your niche: \u201cEverybody knows that Rimac<\/a> makes the fastest production electric car, but if you want to travel across the Namib desert you will probably choose a Toyota Land Cruiser\u201d, adds Luka.
\u201cIn digital product design, you can specialize in building marketing websites, creating complex design systems like we did for Volotea<\/a>, e-commerce websites, or maybe branding and strategy for digital products. All those niches have smaller sub-domains in which your team can show its full potential if you combine them cleverly.\u201d<\/p> \"\"

So once you\u2019ve established your niche, Luka is convinced that clients will find you: \u201cIf you are known for having a high standard for aesthetics and animations and your focus is on building marketing websites for the EV industry\u00a0– after some time it becomes your signature and clients will start to notice.

To sum up, the experience is rewarding for your development as a business as well:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s not uncommon for big companies to work with multiple vendors, and you must be open to interdisciplinary collaboration. Whether you\u2019re in charge of the whole process, or you work on the concept and someone else is implementing it, it\u2019s always a great opportunity to gain experience and learn from and connect with great people from different industries.\u201d<\/p>

Connect With Agency Peers<\/strong><\/h2>

Access agency-related Circle channels, exchange business insights, and join in on members-only live sessions.<\/p>

Apply now<\/p> <\/a> \"\" \"\"

Stjepan \u0160andor<\/p>

Product Marketing Specialist<\/p>

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Bold Session Recap – Social Selling for Agencies<\/h2> <\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In recent years indie agencies have been stealing the spotlight and scoring high with big clients. One agency owner explains how they did it.","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":181,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"es_utils_meta_schema":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Rise Of Indie Agencies: One Agency Owner Explains How Underdogs Can Score Big Clients - Bold<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In recent years indie agencies have been stealing the spotlight and scoring high with big clients. 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