ONE MORE THOUGHT
Insights @Work, Life, and Work Life
5 Agency Practices We Should Leave Behind in 2024 (and Never Look Back)
As marketing professionals, we’re all too familiar with the quirks of agency life — the good, the bad, and the “why are we still doing this?” As we turn the page to 2025, it’s time to challenge outdated norms and build a better way to work.
Here’s my New Year’s wish list for our industry — a blueprint for the kind of collaboration and creativity we should be championing.
No More RFPs: Relationships Over Red Tape
RFPs are an energy drain that often prioritize price over potential. Imagine if we invested those hours into brainstorming breakthrough campaigns instead. Let’s lean into what really matters: building trust, fostering relationships, and delivering work that clients and agencies are equally proud of.
Once upon a time, we poured our hearts into a massive RFP — full creative, strategy, budgets… the whole nine yards. Weeks of work, countless hours. And in the end? They went with someone they perceived had more experience in the space.
Here’s the thing: RFPs don’t tell the full story. They try to capture personality, but what can you really learn in an hour-long presentation? Isn’t the ability to learn, adapt, and bring fresh thinking to the table far more important than experience you had 20 years ago — especially when that experience is, let’s face it, probably outdated?
RFPs favor red tape over relationships. But the best partnerships are built on trust, collaboration, and chemistry, the kind of things no deck or pitch can replicate. If you want to partner with a healthcare marketing disruptor, this is the way.
Time Sheets: Marketing Innovation Doesn’t Follow a Stopwatch
We’ve all been there — logging hours for “thinking time” or chasing down the exact minute we reviewed a brief. Time sheets don’t measure value; they measure compliance. What if we prioritized output over input and let creativity flow on its own schedule?
Once upon a time, we were told: “If you’re thinking about it in the shower, bill it. If you’re thinking about it on the bus, bill it. If you’re thinking about it on the…well, you get the idea.” For some of us, that would mean billing 24 hours in a day — because if you’re anything like me, you’re probably dreaming about work, too.
Here’s the thing: creativity doesn’t clock in and out. It strikes when it strikes, whether you’re shampooing your hair or stuck in traffic. Without time sheets, we’re free to focus on the ideas themselves, not on tracking every fleeting thought. And that freedom? It’s where the real magic happens.
No Estimating Hours: Great Work Takes the Time It Takes
How many times have you guessed an hour count for a project, only to realize halfway through that creativity doesn’t fit into a neat little box? Great ideas don’t come with a timer. Let’s focus on delivering exceptional results without the guessing games.
I once had a very green copywriter take on a 3-dimensional mailer concept. Let’s just say she broke the bank on hours. By the time we tallied it all up, there was no way we could bill the client for the full amount — so, we ate it.
The solution? Mentorship. Not just to guide new talent but to recognize when a project is spiraling before it devours the budget. Collaboration and a focus on outcomes — not hours — keep us all on track. Because no one should feel like their creativity comes with a side of guilt.
No In-Office Requirements: Talent Isn’t Tied to a Desk
The future of work is remote. It’s time we stop pretending that physical presence equals productivity. At SFC Group, our 100% virtual model proves that great work can come from anywhere, whether it’s a home office or a hammock. We don’t follow agency trends; we establish them.
Think about the time you spend just getting to work — time picking out an outfit, commuting on the train or bus, grabbing coffee, chatting with coworkers, going to and from meetings, grabbing lunch, and yes, grabbing coffee again. By the time you sit down to actually work, half the day’s gone.
At SFC Group, we’ve flipped the script. No in-office requirements mean that time is spent where it matters — on productivity, creativity, and outcomes. Talent isn’t tied to a desk, a commute, or a dress code. It’s tied to results. And when you give people the freedom to work where they thrive, great things happen.
No Drama: Let’s Leave the Ego Battles Behind
A workplace should be where creativity thrives — not where egos clash or politics reign. The best work comes from a team that respects and uplifts each other. Drama is a distraction we simply don’t have time for.
The truth is, a no-drama workplace isn’t just about being nice; it’s about creating an environment where everyone can thrive. Respect, collaboration, and good vibes only. That’s the SFC agency culture.
Because when you strip away the nonsense, you make space for the kind of work that actually matters. And isn’t that what we’re all here for?
The Takeaway: The Value of the Full Package
What ties this all together? Value.
It’s about redefining what success looks like in our industry — not hours logged or hoops jumped through, but the trust, talent, and outcomes that make us proud.
Let’s leave the outdated practices in 2024 and move into a year of smarter, more effective collaboration.
