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MARCO SCOGNAMIGLIO, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, WWAV RAPP COLLINS LONDON

YES - Being big is not itself a virtue. Clients appoint agencies because of their strategic and creative capability in producing great work, not purely on the basis of a large headcount.

So does this mean that I am suggesting that size doesn't matter? Absolutely not. The ability to produce great work comes from the quality of proven talent and experience you can bring to a client's account. This is where a large agency has a number of advantages.

Our size attracts and retains a wealth of talent. The creative department alone comprises more than 30 people. We recruit the best people with direct experience in sectors ranging from financial services, utilities, healthcare, automotive and fmcg.

It also means we can provide a full service. Big accounts don't strain our seams or push us into territories where we have no track record. We can produce work across all channels including digital and DRTV in addition to mail, press and outdoor.

Our thinking is backed up by specialists in disciplines spanning brand communications and data planning. Our global network allows us to execute global campaigns supported by local presence.

We can also flex our resources to provide depth and breadth of thinking and creativity, plus the capability of full-service delivery for complex domestic and global campaigns.

Smaller clients also benefit from everything we offer our larger clients.

We can behave like a small agency when this is required and size up when the work demands. A small agency simply can't deliver against the same proposition.

CHRIS BARRACLOUGH, CREATIVE PARTNER, BARRACLOUGH EDWARDS CHAMBERLAIN

MAYBE - Assuming the number of people required to run a large account smoothly is a key criteria for selection, does size matter?

A larger agency will be able to identify everyone they need within current staff. The client may be reassured that there is sufficient cover and that size, as well as longevity, brings an element of stability. Of course, most agencies would have to recruit extra staff following a major win, as they're unlikely to have adequate resource sitting around doing nothing.

They will, though, have the structures and processes to handle a large account from day one, as they are likely to have other large accounts.

If the small agency has the better idea for your brand, should their size count against it? Appoint and they will certainly have to recruit, and that can take time. However, as a client you will benefit from getting an agency team and structure designed to service your business. If the agency principals have a track record working on big accounts, they'll understand the issues involved. If it's the agency principals you're attracted to, who, in a small agency, will be utterly devoted to your account, you know that they will be hiring people who suit them and their culture.

Most big agencies were small once and grew because a client believed in the principals and their ability to deliver. However, a large account may overwhelm a small agency before it has the chance to get everything into place. So you may need to ensure they're not swamped from day one.

First, choose the right agency and that comes down to ideas, chemistry and culture. Having size as the key criteria is putting the cart before the horse. It's a consideration, but only that.

NEIL SCAIFE, HEAD OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, MORE TH>N

NO - "Early last year we put the £10m MORE TH>N direct marketing account out to tender and, to the surprise of many, we awarded it to agency start-up Stephens Francis Whitson (SFW).

We weren't wedded to the idea of hiring a small agency when we set out. The pitch line-up contained large, mid-sized and small agencies and we were very happy to let them argue their merits.

SFW seduced us with its understanding of the financial services category and what we were trying to achieve with our brand, as well as the personal commitment of the proprietors that they'd be very active on our account.

Marco Scognamiglio, chief executive of WWAV, who is arguing the 'yes' corner, says that being big is not itself a virtue. I'm inclined to agree, and found it rarely to be so. Big agency networks can be inefficient from a client's perspective, having to bear the burden of a significant overhead and sometimes with limited accessibility to senior people.

Big agencies trade on providing a full service. With SFW we saw that the proprietors are very experienced practitioners, not least in the data space, which was a key requirement. It is rising to the task and in terms of our business, the resource has significantly increased - in creative, planning and account handling.

We haven't ruled out using big agencies.

If our needs were to increase very substantially or if we were to export the MORE TH>N brand beyond the UK, then the need for a big agency with bigger resources and broader reach might emerge. We're not at that stage yet.