8 Essential Considerations When Selecting the Right Marketing and Brand Experience Partner
Brian Fallers
Not all agencies are created equal. And that’s a huge understatement. Over the course of my career prior to joining the agency world, I’ve had the incredible experience of working with a wide range of agencies.
The good, the bad and the ugly.
It’s a unique perspective that many of my Truelio colleagues and I bring to the table. For the record, this isn’t a passive aggressive marketing piece on Truelio, but rather some insights gathered over the course of a career. Finding an agency that aligns with your culture, goals and needs can deliver ROI in spades. But the process can be an arduous one. I’ve found that trusting my instincts is typically the right path. And, when you find the right fit, you’ve gained a valuable extension of your business, delivering energizing solutions, fresh perspectives and a team of people willing to go above and beyond to make you a hero. They’re also a partner in your decision-making and conscious of your time, people and financial limitations.
Here are some important considerations when selecting your agency soul mate.
A Solutions-Focused Approach
Too many agencies these days are focused on “selling” services. Services are commodities in today’s hypercompetitive marketplace. Look for an agency that’s focused on listening to your challenges and goals, gains an understanding of your precise needs and provides solutions. Solutions differentiate the run–of–the–mill agency from those that are driven by thought leaders with experience and a keen understanding of your corporate challenges, largely because they’ve walked in your shoes.
Experience and Expertise
I know. What’s next Captain Obvious? Don’t take for granted that every agency is level set on experience and expertise. Over the past five years, agencies have been multiplying like bunnies. Inquire about employee tenure and expertise. Do they have industry thought leaders? Evaluate their portfolio for successful campaigns and relevant case studies.
An important note: Some agencies are unable to showcase the entirety of their work due to partner confidentiality agreements. However, they can likely showcase work through a private portfolio presentation.
Marketing Services
Do they have a broad range of services? The more services, the fewer onboarding and sourcing headaches. It also ensures that your brand experience will be integrated across your entire marketing spectrum.
Determine if they manage both strategy and execution as part of their service philosophy. Some agencies excel at production work but struggle with marketing and creative strategy.
Reputation
Check out any testimonials and online reviews. LinkedIn is a good resource. Don’t be shy about asking for references and if you can speak directly to past and current partners. As noted previously, not all partners can be publicly displayed so it’s important you ask.
Performance Metrics
Look for an agency that is both quantitative and qualitative in their performance measurements. How do they measure success and ROI? Do they have a data-driven approach and use analytics to track performance?
Creative Capabilities
Inquire about their creative team tenure and how they infuse innovation into their work. Ask for examples of how they went above and beyond in both strategy and design execution. It’s important you partner with an agency that embeds creative into everything they do, including remaining current with the latest marketing trends and technologies.
Pricing and Cost Structure
Agencies come in all different flavors, and this applies to pricing and cost structures. Understand what’s included in any fees and what additional costs may arise. Also, make sure their pricing aligns with your budget. If not, don’t be afraid to explore alternative pricing options or if any flexibility exists. Be upfront about pricing so you don’t waste your time.
Marriage Material?
Look for a partner that’s interested in a long-term relationship and vested in your growth. It should be a win-win situation for both parties. Don’t underestimate the impact of culture and how an agency aligns with your own values and behaviors. Like a marriage, it’s a mutual commitment that requires trust and respect. It’s also important there’s a mutual willingness to collaborate and integrate across teams. Do your homework and make sure you enjoy working with your agency partner. Speaking from experience, it will make your life easier and pay dividends when you most need it.
Selecting the right marketing and brand experience partner can be quite challenging but provides game-changing rewards. Hopefully, these considerations will help you as they’ve helped me over the years. Paying our experience forward is a fundamental part of our organization’s values. Whether you choose to explore Truelio or another agency, we wish you the best in finding the right agency for your marketing and brand experience needs.
