Can Indie Ad Agencies Thrive in the Merger Era?

Nimble and tech-savvy shops dodge both acquisition and bankruptcy

Inspiration meets innovation at Brandweek, the ultimate marketing experience. Join industry luminaries, rising talent and strategic experts in Phoenix, Arizona this September 23–26 to assess challenges, develop solutions and create new pathways for growth. Register early to save.

Inside a converted manufacturing building in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn, N.Y., lies an independent ad agency called Breakfast. Its tiny band of workers sits before a tight cluster of computers in the huge raw space. Breakfast (as in “break fast,” not scrambled eggs) has a full-time staff of eight, including its three principals. And in a Peter Pan kind of way, while the shop will continue to mature, the intention is to never grow beyond a dozen employees.

“We’ve always wanted to be very nimble,” explains Andrew Zolty, Breakfast’s co-founder and creative director, noting that the agency’s focus on unusual out-of-home creative has attracted clients like Major League Baseball and Google.

AW+

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

To Read the Full Story Become an Adweek+ Subscriber

View Subscription Options

Already a member? Sign in