REDEFINING THE WAY CREATIVITY IS BOUGHT AND SOLD

TitleREDEFINING THE WAY CREATIVITY IS BOUGHT AND SOLD
BrandTHE LIBERTY GUILD
Product/ServiceTHE LIBERTY GUILD
Category B01. Operational Transformation
Entrant THE LIBERTY GUILD London, UNITED KINGDOM
Idea Creation THE LIBERTY GUILD London, UNITED KINGDOM
Credits
Name Company Position
The Liberty Guild The Liberty Guild The Liberty Guild Transforming the industry

Why is this work relevant for Creative Business Transformation?

We have redefined the way creativity is bought and sold. But don’t just take our word for it. In the words of the ex-CMO of Google Jigsaw: “How do you create the most effective work in the world? Replace client services with technology, let creative and strategic talent work from anywhere, and get consumer feedback every step of the way.” We are the first real scaleable alternative to the current Advertising agency model.

Background

The state of the advertising nation is as sad as it is alarming. A multi-billion-dollar market still running on a broken business model created in the 50’s. Lethargic, ego-driven, and political, clients marginalised, consumers ignored, and the focus on selling hours has made it slow, adding unnecessary layers to pack the margin. The Liberty Guild set out to: • Transform the industry, by breaking its obsession with size as well as shape. • Create the future where our workplace is not ‘one front door’, or ‘horizontality’, or ‘global team whoever’. • Embrace the pool of outstanding freelance talent around the world. • Prove that the creative and strategic elite has the skillset, and the working practices clients and agencies need. • Show the industry that high-performance teams have an optimal shape and size. And it’s small. Not big. • Engineer that ‘optimal’ structure that can be replicated time and time again and therefore become eminently scalable.

Strategy & Process (30%)

Like with anything creative, the best way to start is with a blank sheet of paper. We had to ensure product market fit, before we developed the MVP, before we took it to investors. Product market fit started with interviews with 600 marketeers, creatives, strategists and production businesses. We shared our business model and asked, ‘how could it be better?’ We concluded that it’s just not about the creativity anymore. The reason all of us got into the business. It’s about the money. The margin. We spent a year talking to and understanding the hopes and fears of the nomadic community of ‘A-list’ creative and strategic talent who have made the decision to leave agency life. We listened to people of all ages, all genders, all over the world. And there was a desire for a viable alternative to working all hours God sends and having zero work/life balance. We could see the start of an exodus to a portfolio career. Some had private clients, some worked with agencies, some worked directly with brand and some have personal projects. And they were all flourishing.

Experience & Implementation (35%)

We have co-created the model our industry actually needs. For our Clients - we have made the experience an efficient pleasure - with quality, value and speed being brought together for the first time; we have fulfilled the Creatives need to do creative work without politics and interference; and - for ourselves - we have developed an efficient, forward facing ‘lean’ business. This transformation has allowed us to; BREAK GEOGRAPHIES Our tech stack uses the most powerful solutions available, enabling us to bring the work to the talent, freeing them up to do the best work of their lives. CREATIVE CASTING AND COMPENSATION On each project, we use a mixture of data analysis, ‘passion’ casting and years of psychographic profiling to select the perfect team for the brief. WE STAND FOR, AND WITH, THE INDEPENDENT CREATIVE COMMUNITY No one stands for the talent in the global debate about the future of the business. They are the 'sine qua non' of the business that we all love. Up until now, they’ve had no voice. We are sparking the beginning of an industry-wide shift in power, culture, motivation, and value, back to ideas and those amazing people who have them.

Business Results & Impact (35%)

We’ve created a structure, a process and culture that allows us to thrive creatively and positively impact our client’s business. The shift in our business model from FTE’s to A-list independents, and from shackled to liberated has allowed this culture to flourish. Everyone works with us and for us because they want to, because they enjoy it and because they thrive. The material impact on our business has been transformative too; • We have shown independent creative talent that there is another way: 251% increase in our Creative and Strategic community (now 300 people across 27 countries). • 120% increase in projects, showing the greatest customer loyalty imaginable. • 100% repeat business. • 87% average Purchase Intent score against our creative work • Our model was awarded a Management Today ‘Best Use of Innovation Award’, shortlisted for Marketing Week Masters and scooped both The Drum Business Transformation Award and Grand Prix 2021. • We're certified a Great Place to Work and shortlisted for Oystercatchers Best Small Agency Culture. • We’re on our way to being Certified a BCorp - with a score equal to Ben & Jerrys • 203% increase in our revenue, with same the core team (permanent staff)