The “big brand = big agency” myth

To become a big brand, you need a big agency. It’s precisely this kind of ready-made belief that keeps so many advertisers stuck in a state of chronic dissatisfaction with their agencies—running new pitches every 12 to 18 months on one-off projects (see the AACC study), hoping to finally find the rare gem that will unlock the full potential of their structure and internal capabilities.

In vain.

Along the way, they also inherit the inevitable toxicity of an outdated model that’s lost its profitability: opaque pricing, longer production timelines, runaway turnover, poor treatment of creative talent, and increasingly junior teams.

The acracy story

When we founded acracy, we wanted to put freedom—our core value—at the heart of how we operate (and of our name). To offer an alternative and move beyond sterile narratives that merely observed the agency’s decline without ever questioning it. To listen to the underlying desire for independence—from both talent and brands—and help it take shape.

So we’re not surprised that, a few years later, we’re seeing a massive rise in creative insourcing on the brand side—and freelancing on the talent side.

Today, if 70% of brands have already developed in-house creative capabilities, and if AI (including generative AI) is only accelerating the trend, it’s because there’s a growing need to break free from creative gatekeepers. A need to challenge models that can no longer address modern marketing challenges efficiently.

We see a real opportunity here for brands ready to take back control: to accelerate their transformation with a marketing model that’s closer to their DNA, more agile, and more efficient. A model more deeply connected to customer data—so you can scale without compromising creative quality.

acracy: the only consulting agency that strengthens Marketing leadership autonomy.

The only agency truly comfortable with the idea of disappearing—eventually.