The Myth Of Big

A lot of companies right now are dealing with the issue of rapid downsizing. This particularly affects marketing communications companies. Maclaren McCann let 53 people go. A lot of talented people gone from Cossette. Even Taxi had a purge.

But did these companies have to be that big to begin with? Several years ago, I was touring the offices of ChumCity Television with John Gunn, one of the executive producers. He showed me the studios, the post production area and “Over there,” he said “That’s Space Television, the sci-fi station.”

It was 2 desks. Just a Creative Director and an Executive Producer.

I suspect that if CBC or Bellglobemedia were to start a scifi station, there would have been 30 employees within a week. But do they really need them?

I create campaigns for national clients. I work with a hand-picked, incredibly talented team of art directors, graphic designers, producers, media planners, web strategists, interactive designers, photographers, PR people, event producers, music composers and dozens more. I know them all personally and they come through with amazing work again and again.

And not one of them is employed by my company.

How big do you need to be to create the best product possible? It’s probably smaller than you think.

Ford Motor used to hire shepherds to tend Ford sheep on Ford land to create Ford cotton to weave into Ford seats on Ford Cars. That, of course, seems insane today.

What’s keeping you the size you are right now? Do you really need the scale or is it tradition?