Small agencies like Taproot, Creativeland, Scarecrow winning big brands such as Airtel, Audi, Nestle & Pepsi

MUMBAI: While pitching for business from a prominent marketer, Agnello Dias, the founder of independent advertising agencyTaproot India, had his audience's attention even before a single slide hit the screen. He walked in for the presentation alone, armed with no more than a pen drive and a satchel. The marketer was unused to such minimalism.

Dias had just been preceded by a large agency with an impressive global pedigree and a small army of staff. Yet, the relatively tiny size and lack of international affiliations did not get in the way of Taproot bagging marquee businesses. The agency's portfolio includesPepsiCo and Airtel. And it is by no means the only creative independent shop to win highly prized accounts.

Shortly afterCreativeland Asia completed a project on Audi A8, it was given the marketing communication portfolio on the entire brand. AndScarecrow, floated by Raghu Bhat and Manish Bhatt barely a year ago, already boasts of an assignment withNestle for a new-to-market product.

More than ever before, marketers chasing big game-changing ideas are giving a chance to independent agencies.

"After working with an international network agency over three years, we thought we need to bring some new creative ideas and some freshness to the marketing communication," says Clemens Ollmert, head of marketing atAudi India. He finds "a really nice mix of craziness (unconventional creativity) and realism (grounded strategic thinking)" in Creativeland Asia.

Not long ago, independent advertising firms helmed by creative people used to be regarded as boutiques, with portfolios full of ads for either small or very local brands. Lack of serious strategic muscle and a vast network of offices and staff would often keep big business away. All of that has changed over the last five years or so.

"Agencies like Taproot bring in unique advantages in terms of freshness of perspective and the ability to triangulate cultural insights with consumer and brand truths to create big fearless game changing communication ideas," says Deepika Warrier, PepsiCo's marketing director-beverages.

She, however, admits that there is a definite role for scale companies like JWT, especially at a time when "marketing teams churn more than agencies". Typically, large marketers begin working with the independents via a single project, which acts as a foot in the door, leading to a more long-term association.

In the case of Taproot, it was a very prestigious assignment: conceiving of the ICC Cricket World Cup campaign 'Change The Game' for Pepsi. Shortly afterward, Taproot made it to PepsiCo's roster of agencies