When the star client stumbles: Building resilience in India’s new-age ad agencies

When you’re a new-age ad agency, landing a star client feels a bit like casting Shah Rukh Khan in your debut film — instant visibility, credibility and a ticket to the big league. 

From Swiggy’s witty humour with One Hand Clap, to Amazon Prime’s cultural banter with The New Thing, to Dream11’s cricket enthusiasm fuelled by Tilt Brand Solutions, and even braindad’s recent work with Myntra — many of today’s most talked-about campaigns are emerging not from established giants like Madison and Ogilvy, but from younger agencies gaining significant traction through a single marquee client.

But here’s the flip side: what happens when your star client suddenly stumbles? For Tilt Brand Solutions, it wasn’t their only account but it was the one that gave them mass visibility and cultural weight. With the government tightening rules around fantasy sports and gaming apps, that spotlight dimmed overnight.

This raises the bigger question: how do young agencies, built around one or two marquee accounts, shield themselves from the risk of a single domino falling? And what strategies are they adopting to ensure they’re not just “one-client wonders” but resilient, future-ready businesses?

“A star client is a springboard, not a lifeboat”

For Aalap Desai co-founder and cco of tgthr (the agency behind Krafton’s Khali-led campaign), it’s simple math: star clients bring stability, but relying too heavily is dangerous.

“Putting all your eggs in one basket is always risky. That’s why agencies now maintain a mix of projects and star clients. It keeps revenue streams balanced and cushions shocks when the big one shakes.”

Devarsh Thaker co-founder of Braindad, whose team has worked on Myntra’s recent campaigns as well as for fintech player SuperMoney, adds that having a star client is almost unavoidable at the start — “it’s how any good services company begins.” But the trick, he says, is treating them as a launchpad, not a forever strategy.

Viren Sean Noronha, co-founder & ceo of The New Thing (best known for recent Amazon Prime and Tinder’s social campaigns), goes a step further. 

“A star client will fast-track your growth. They bring stability, volume, and visibility. But the biggest risk isn’t always revenue loss — they can skew your priorities, bend your principles and slow down new business development. When that kind of client pulls out, the aftershock is brutal.”

Caps, buffers and survival math

Should agencies set a cap on how much revenue one client can contribute? Viren is emphatic: “Yes, 100%. You don’t need to plaster it on a whiteboard, but you should know your threshold and track it obsessively.” At TNT, they monitor closely — if one client creeps up too high, they either say no to expansions or push to land new business until things rebalance. In the early days, he admits, it’s common for a single client to account for 40–50% of revenue.

Devarsh points out it also depends on the model: campaign-based agencies are less exposed, but retainer-driven ones need to be extra cautious.

Aalap admits no one says no to revenue but agencies are “definitely attentive” about avoiding overdependence.

The volatility trap

Many star clients today come from high-risk categories — gaming, crypto, and D2C. The money flows fast, but so do the exits. Aalap says tgthr tries to “isolate revenue” from such clients by attaching fewer full-time teams and focusing on projects. 

Viren stresses buffers: longer notice periods in contracts, lean staffing for volatile categories, and diversified income streams. “We use contractors or flexible resourcing for risky accounts. That way we’re not bloating full-time headcount on a maybe.”

Devarsh is blunt: “You can’t really insulate from volatility. The safer bet is to work across the board.”

Future-proofing beyond client rosters

If one lesson is clear, it’s this: resilience isn’t just about signing more clients.

For Aalap, the real wins come from spotting and riding the next boom before it explodes. “That requires analysis, informed guesswork, and a strong risk capacity,” he says.

Devarsh believes the moat of the future lies in creativity, not scale. “With AI democratising tools, content will look more and more gentrified. Agencies who think differently and adapt to new formats will win.”

Viren emphasises investing in people and services. At The New Thing, they’ve expanded from content into performance, creator strategy, and even production. 

“We pay well, upskill, and don’t slash the team when things dip. Finding a new client is easier than finding a killer team member. That’s what future-proofing really looks like.”