Opinion: The case for hiring local creatives

Carly Asher-August

Everyone knows the merits of shopping local and what it means for an area’s economy and the significance to that local business. Beyond banking, books and baked goods, there’s another category for shopping local in Springfield where quality (and creativity) abound.

For decades and decades, Springfield agencies have been creating work for local, regional and national clients. You’ve likely passed by signage in the grocery store or driven past a billboard for a recognizable brand and never considered the source of that work is right in your own backyard.

Local names to know
Springfield Creatives, the professional development group for area commercial creatives, lists dozens of area agencies in its online directory for any work you might need, from branding and photography to video, mailers and more. Well established names like Marlin Connections, based just off Commercial Street, have a portfolio that includes brands like Stouffers and Blue Bunny.

Locke and Stache is an award-winning video production company making everything from commercials for American National Insurance to music videos. Claro Studio Works recently wrapped work for the Kansas City Royals. Fried Design has won more than 100 ADDY awards from the American Advertising Federation’s annual competition. Three Fried submissions have made it to the national level this year; a rarity for this region.

The advantages
Joey Thorsen, director of content and PR at Silver Dollar City Parks & Resorts, knows firsthand the value of working with agencies like Fried.

“Given the opportunity, I will always choose a local agency,” Thorsen says. “When I have budget to spend on creative work, my instinct is to keep that money moving in the Springfield market. It benefits our hometown, and frankly, it produces better work for us.

“That partnership with Fried has become one of the most valuable relationships in our work,” Thorsen adds, “helping Silver Dollar City reconnect with an authentic creative spirit that was alive in our advertising back in the 1960s and 70s, helping us translate that for a modern audience. That one relationship opened the door to an entire local creative network, and it’s sparked a genuine renaissance in how we approach our brand.”

Local giants like Silver Dollar City aren’t the only businesses recognizing the benefits of working with smaller agencies. Nationally, there is a trend moving toward smaller and more local creative agencies. In 2024, Liberty Mutual Insurance switched gears away from the global powerhouse Goodby Silverstein & Partners to work with newly formed Bandits & Friends.

Technology also drives this trend. It’s easier than ever to avoid limiting agency selection to a geographic boundary. Small shops can meet virtually without the expense of travel for the agency or advertiser.

When Stanley PMI, headquartered in Seattle, needed to create a stronger connection with millennials, it chose Wisconsin-based agency Hanson Dodge. The “Stanley Sightings” campaign invited audiences to spot Stanley products in over 40 movies and shows popular among millennials. From “Stranger Things” to “Seinfeld,” it showed how Stanley has been a part of great stories since 1913.

Smaller teams are also nimbler, moving quickly to complete projects. Large global agencies may have more resources, but size tends to come with bureaucracy and red tape. And the work itself can be more meaningful to a small agency; the significance of the project is greater for a small agency, which can lend itself to more effort and care.

Additionally, going local means working with people who will actually be invested in your work and therefore the outcomes. Chris Jarratt, chief creative officer at Revel Advertising agrees, saying, “The reality is that agencies right here in Springfield are producing nationally recognized work, while also bringing a level of passion, community understanding and personal investment that outside firms simply can’t match.”

When you don’t have to look far to find everything you’re looking for, the choice is clear – keep your creative local.

Carly Asher-August is a clinical assistant professor of management at Missouri State University. She can be reached at CarlyAsherAugust@MissouriState.edu.