boutique agency
A small, specialized agency focused on a narrow skill, sector or style, usually with senior people closely involved in the work.
Definition
A boutique agency is a smaller firm that concentrates on a niche, such as a particular industry, channel or kind of creative work. Clients often choose boutiques for senior attention, flexibility and deep specialist knowledge. Limits can include less capacity for large multi-channel programs and greater dependence on a few key people. When evaluating one, ask about who will do the work day to day, how they cover absences, and which partners they use for tasks outside their specialty. Small does not automatically mean better or cheaper, so judge a boutique on the specific team, references and examples relevant to your problem.
In a sentence
The boutique agency specialized in launching direct-to-consumer food brands.
We hired a boutique agency because we wanted the founders on our account.
