If you’ve ever seen an episode of Mad Men, you know what people tend to think about marketing agencies. They’re creative (hell yes), unorganized (couldn’t be us) and all play, no work (we wish). While this romanticized view of an agency is kind of fun, and some parts may in fact be true, we’re here to debunk the myths that scare people away from the fast-paced, innovative and always interesting agency life.
So, without further ado, here are four myths about marketing agencies and how we’re proving them wrong.
1. agencies are unorganized
Starting off strong, we have the popular misconception that agencies are a mess. Post-it notes cover the office walls with scribbles of unfinished ideas, and no one dares use a planner to keep track of their tasks. Everyone simply brainstorms, draws, writes, brainstorms, drinks and repeats. There’s no finish line.
Although this work environment (mainly the drinks part) sounds a little enticing, nothing would ever get done. And at KM&A, we get things done. We even have a whole team dedicated to staying organized: Accounts. This team is responsible for overseeing tasks in our comprehensive project management platform that assists with simplifying our processes and keeping everyone on track with deadlines. We may feel like a mess sometimes, but we give ourselves credit for always staying on top of things.
2. creative people and accounts people don’t get along
When some people are deadline-focused and others need time to get their creative juices flowing, there’s destined to be tension…right? Wrong. Except when Jack roasts Val for being the first to die in a pretend Zombie apocalypse, then things at KM&A can get pretty ugly.
In all seriousness, our creative, communications, events and accounts teams all get along, maybe even too well. We hold each other accountable, learn from one another and have a blast while doing it. Each of us brings unique expertise, ideas and jokes to the table. After all, our differences only make us stronger.
3. agencies play all day and work all night
Going back to the unorganized bit, it’s commonly assumed that since agencies spend the day messing around, they must work late into the night to meet deadlines. We miss family dinners because we’re stressing over strategy. We log in on weekends because we can’t focus in our zoo of an office. We never have time to rest because our brains are always flooding with good ideas. Well, that last part is the only one we can relate to!
At KM&A, we pour our hearts into the work we create. However, that doesn’t mean we disregard work-life balance. We’re all about having fun during the workday, but there are deadlines to meet, people! Work now, play later. That’s our mantra. Or it’s one of them at least. We have lots of mantras.
4. if it’s not New York, L.A. or Chicago, it’s not worth it
In the world of marketing, it’s often assumed that the best agencies are found in the biggest cities. They’re the agencies with massive client budgets, decades of experience and the greatest talent. They’re the homes of the actual Mad Men—the quirky, creative geniuses that constantly spit out brilliant ideas.
Of course, there really are tons of cool, creative people in those places. But there are also cool, creative people in Indianapolis, IN and Tampa, FL. Maybe even cooler, more creative people, in our humble opinion. Growing agencies in smaller cities, like KM&A, are just as capable of developing innovative marketing strategies and driving results as our larger neighbors. Our team is tight-knit and unique, and we get to build relationships with clients of all sizes.
Working for KM&A is inspiring, rewarding and perhaps a little chaotic, but it’s the perfect way to dive right into agency life. The real agency life, minus the crazy myths. And now that you know more about us, the logical next step is to explore our career opportunities. Working for a marketing agency has never sounded better.
