Independence enables agility

Yard is an independent agency. It’s a fact we’re very proud of. Being independent is a core part of who we are. It enables us to approach business in a wholly agile manner. Our structure and culture allow a level of flexibility that equips us to thrive. And that is an advantage to us and our clients.  

Agility is a mindset that bigger, networked agencies typically struggle to achieve. Our systems, methodologies, leadership and governance can change when needed with speed and relative ease. This also translates to our view of the world.  We see flexibility as a fundamental piece of the jigsaw if you want to remain relevant, and we share this approach with our clients. Being static in your market or rigid in your strategic plans is a guaranteed way to get left behind. The businesses that function ahead of the curve are those who regularly pivot their approach based on insights and embrace failure, experimentation and going against the grain to try something new.  

We all know that things can change rapidly. The pandemic has put a rocket under the digital marketing industry and forced a rapid change in companies that would – under normal circumstances – have taken a lot longer to embrace a digital-centric approach. This has had a knock-on effect of pushing agility to the forefront and independent agencies are well placed to take advantage. Independents tend to be structured in a way that breeds agility at its core, opposed to agency groups whose priority is to focus on rightsizing to maintain the existing operational mode. 

Our approach

As an independent, we focus on the future based on what we find in front of us now. For example, we are continuously investing in talent in new areas of the business. Fresh ideas bring a fresh approach, and our fluidity allows us to support clients to improve their future-proofing too.  

It also gives us the ability to invest in our technology platform, Cubed. Cubed can essentially transform any marketing team to an agile workflow overnight. The easy to use interface enables them to capture, analyse and act on data without delay or disruption. It’s a powerful and rewarding tool and can often be the first step to embracing an agile work culture.  

In addition, being agile attracts brands of the future. We are really excited to be working with a number of DTC start-ups that are global in their outlook and ambition but don’t necessarily want to make the kind of budget commitment that’s typically required with an agency group. It might feel a bit more a rollercoaster journey sometimes, but that tends to come with the territory. We enable them to see their customers for who they are, rather than try and fit them into a preconceived ‘one size fits all’ set of assumptions.  

We’re a great fit for these organisations because they are disruptive and innovative in equal measure – they are constructed in a way that means they take our insights on board and test the hypotheses we put before them. This advanced form of ‘test and learn’ means their teams are continually evolving and that puts them at the forefront of their market. There’s nothing better than seeing our clients compete with big established brands in their market – and we’re incredibly proud to be part of that journey.  

Without an agile approach, much of what we do wouldn’t be possible. Yet we’ve created an environment at Yard that champions innovation, new ways of thinking and disruptive ideas. If you’re feeling somewhat stagnant in your strategy, the team would love to help you embrace agile working – ping me an email stephan@yarddigital.com.