A lot of our focus in recent weeks has been on the processes and the benefits of using the Creative Services Exchange™ from a brand perspective. I don’t want to repeat them in detail here, but just in case you’ve been in the parallel universe where the only way to get creative work done is by way of a big network agency, then businesses which submit their briefs on the CSX have the benefit of better value, creativity, efficiency and choice.

So today I wanted to explain a bit more about what we mean by ‘choice’ –  by describing a little bit more about who is going to be pitching for the business that a brand is briefing. In other words, our Crowds of Creatives. When you have nearly 10,000 (watch this space for when that number is broken – we reckon somewhere around the moment that Kate says Will, I will) it’s not easy to profile all of them but here’s some characteristics to explain why, as a brand, you might like to do business with them, or if you’re potentially aiming to be the 10,000th, why the Creative Services Exchange is a good place to be.

First of all, before we get too involved, let’s say what our Creatives, and what our CSX isn’t. We’ve explained before about the importance of managed sourcing over Crowdsourcing competitions. We want to provide value to both the companies briefing, and to the creatives pitching.  This means that we’ll never have $50 logo competitions where the average return to a creative is approximately the square root of sweet fa cents per day if they’re successful and even less if they’re not. We want our Creatives to have the chance to work on significant projects for significant returns, but in a more direct, less heavy overheads way so that anyone briefing gets better value than traditional routes. It’s a fairtrade approach.

So what is this match made in heaven (curses, another wedding reference)?

Our Creatives come from the main broad disciplines reflected in the individual exchanges on the CSX: designs, marketing, writing, art and innovation. But it’s the next layer that’s of most interest. They’re qualified, professional and experienced and view the CSX as a great way to find business that they perhaps wouldn’t encounter from their own networks, perhaps because of region or simply just the closed shop that is often the case with companies and agencies. They’ll have broad design skills, or niche disciplines like games design; marketing for PR or marketing for start-ups in mobile. And so on. You’re getting the idea.

They include freelancers who just like working on their own stuff, mostly because they’ve worked in the large agency shops before. We’ve international creative directors, award-winning producers, published writers and artists ready to deliver.

Name a brand, and you’ll find one of our Crowdies (our affectionate collective noun) has worked on it. Think you’re asking for something that’s a rare skill – we’ll have someone who’s done it, and probably the leader at it. Sector-specific? More like any and every sector?

Our Crowds also contain a group known as the ‘Independents’. Those great creatives who’ve always worked on their own, building up their business on their terms. We see this particularly with our marketing consultants who are used to giving great advice and strategic input: it’s why we’ve always been able to deliver groundbreaking work in social and digital media, because we’ve got the people who’ve been digging up that ground from when it was ‘all fields out there’. And photographers in our b-uncut Crowd; delivering original work that will make you embarrassed by your old stock photo campaign.

And here’s the category that’s growing simply because they see the advantages that collaboration on the exchange can bring: the small to mid-sized agencies. Yes, a very sizeable component of our Crowds is agencies, something that surprises those who think that we’re anti-agency! We’re not, we’re anti the wrong way to deliver creative campaigns and alas, some less enlightened agencies still haven’t realised that they need to deliver smarter. So those agencies on the exchange realise that they are part of a very pro-active community, benefit from collaboration within that community and have a whole new business arm in the form of blur Group.

Oh and don’t forget that they’re from all over the world. Which if you’re thinking of briefing a campaign with global elements means that you’ll find someone who really understands regional markets. Or it might just be that the guy in Nepal is the perfect resource for your project in Northampton.

So, if you’re thinking of starting a marketing campaign then you now have some understanding that you’ll have access to some real creative talent and strategic experience. And, to emphasise a point we make often, you don’t have to know who, because we do. We’ll find the right pitches for you, so we choose from many and you choose from the top selections within that. Making it painfree, rapid and from the comfort of your desk. Time to brief?

And if you’re a freelancer, agency or independent who hasn’t yet come on to the Creative Services Exchange – what’s holding you back? As one of our Crowdies says “I’m working with companies that I wouldn’t have encountered in my own business and we’re both getting the best rates”. Add in the chance to showcase work, to read up on industry trends and opinions and feel part of a great community – there’s nothing to stop you! So join your Crowd now!