Weissman
Redefining the agency model: in conversation with Sebastian Harterink, founder of Weissman.
Hi Sebastian! Can you give us an introduction to Weissman?
I’ve worked in and with digital, creative and advertising agencies for longer than I care to remember. And at the core of every agency the idea is often very similar – work with purposeful brands to produce interesting work. How exactly those are defined varies of course depending on one’s own views and interpretation.
But turning an agency into a success is far from easy. Once you conquer the battle of bringing in work, you now have the challenge to deliver on your promises. You will often see agencies go on a hiring spree to meet capacity demands only to be left with huge overheads when periods of draughts set in – leading to a snowball effect of bad decisions.
When we started Weissman six years ago, we looked at the traditional agency model and turned it upside down. We chose to partner up with talented freelancers, contractors and other agencies. This took away any hiring, capacity and overhead issues and allows us to work with super talented people who would otherwise be inaccessible.
We believe that happy partners equal happy clients. We look after our partners by working with them on their terms and making sure they feel valued, and by setting realistic client expectations. And the results speak for themselves.
How would you define the aesthetic of the studio’s work?
The aesthetic of our work varies from one project to the next and is usually dictated by our clients’ brand and our partners’ distinctive individual style and fit.
Even though we work with people around the globe we always try to work with local talent. This region is a creative powerhouse, and you will not have to look hard to find it.
Whether it is the beautifully soft illustrative brand aesthetics from Sophie Selcoe Design to the UI and UX design journeys from Salo Creative – there is a talented fit for every project right on our doorstep.
Why did you choose Bournemouth to be the home for your business?
The obvious and cliché answer is of course lifestyle. Often people make out that Bournemouth is a place where everyone surfs in the morning, pops into the office for a bit of work and then finishes their day with a BBQ on the beach. The reality for most is a bit less “Instagram” than that of course. A lot of our clients are London based, and London is fab, but you know what’s even better? Not dealing with tube strikes, congestion charges, air pollution and being stuck in a seemingly constant rat race! I’ll take living in Bournemouth any day of the week – it’s incredible.
What’s next for Weissman?
After six years we can no longer pretend to be disruptors, but we will never stop to challenge ourselves to be better. Our business model is now widely adopted by clients and new start-ups alike, which is all the better for us. We are currently the main agency for Tate Britain and Tate Modern and we’d like to work with other meaningful organisations in the culture and heritage sector. Hopefully we can keep doing what we do for a long time to come because our journey is only just getting started.
Website → weissman.agency
