CHOOSE

YOUR NEXT
AGENCY
LIKE YOU'D
CHOOSE A
RESTAURANT.
Sure this might sound crazy, but please bear
with me as there are similarities between choosing
a restaurant and an advertising/creative agency.
There’s a big difference between McDonald’s and
the famed restaurant Noma. One has its place as
something fast and cheap for the masses and the
other has a passion to their craft, they keep
exploring new ways to deliver fresh ideas that will
keep them on top of their game, aspiring chefs
want to work for them, they are not for every
diner, they are by no means cheap, and they like
to separate themselves from the pack. So while
you may only go to a top restaurant on special
occasions, choosing where you want to work and
develop a creative career is, in my eyes, a special
occasion.
Rodd Chant
@roddchant
@chantcreative
@nothinglikeacreativeschool
© Rodd Chant 2019
1. What's on the menu? If what is
on offer looks boring and dull
then a creative person wanting to
develop their career may not get
many opportunities for fresh
work and interesting projects.
Fast food restaurants have their
place in this world,
you know exactly what you're
going to get, there are no
surprises. Any agency that takes
the same approach are not
exactly inspiring to those who
want to push their creativity.
© Rodd Chant 2019
2. Do they have a specials board?
Are they experimenting with
different ideas? Are they
innovative? Are they willing to try
new things and be truly creative?
This is what separates the Happy
Meals from the Michelin Stars.
An agency that's content to never
try new things will not excite a
creative palate.

© Rodd Chant 2019

3. Are they doing something
different to other restaurants?
Could you walk down the street
and walk into another agency
where the only point of difference
is the name, logo, and address?
Agencies that don't have a point
of difference become a commodity
that often win business based on
price because they are doing the
same work as everyone else.
They are basically offering fries
with everything.

© Rodd Chant 2019

4. Is there a great Chef in charge?
Who is behind the creative
direction of what is being
produced? Does the person have
a good track record when it
comes to their craft? Do they have
enough experience to ensure you
will receive the guidance, advice,
and direction you need to ensure
your career won't starve in the
future? Are people joining just to
work with this person? If not, why
would you?

© Rodd Chant 2019

5. What's the ambience like?
Does it look like somewhere that
inspires creativity or does it look
like every other office space
you've ever seen? If a business is
claiming to produce creative work
you'd expect the environment it
offers up to its staff would in turn
be a place that inspires creativity.
There's a reason most fast food
restaurants look the same and top
restaurants don't.

© Rodd Chant 2019

6. What are the reviews like?
Today we live in a world where
doing some due diligence is not
that hard, a little bit of online
research can uncover some
insights about the agency you're
considering. Yes, some disgruntled
employees could write negative
posts on some sites, but if there
are too many of them you can feel
pretty confident there could be
some issues there. Trust your gut.

© Rodd Chant 2019

7. Are people flocking there?
Is it somewhere everyone seems
to want to work at? If there are
zero job openings that can be one
sign of its popularity.
Agencies with a high staff
turnover always seem to have
openings for obvious reasons.
Restaurants that are popular take
a long time to get a table at due to
everyone wanting to go there,
so find an agency that everyone
wants to go to.

© Rodd Chant 2019

8. Do they have a 24/7 drive-thru
service? You won't find a Michelin
starred restaurant that never
closes and where you can drive up
to a window to get your Boeuf
Bourguignon. Same rule should
apply to an agency you are
considering. Is it a sweatshop with
people strapped to their desks day
in and day out and into the night
and the next morning?
If so steer clear as it is a sign of
poor leadership and understaffing.

© Rodd Chant 2019

9. What are the chances you'll get
indigestion or food poisoning?
After considering all of the
previous points you should be able
to tell if an agency will make you
sick - physically and mentally.
There are no medals for all work
and no sleep and there is no place
in a happy career for a toxic work
environment. And if there are no
creative opportunities then that's
a no brainer. Don't order the fries,
opt for the truffles.

© Rodd Chant 2019