5 ways to check you have the right creative agency for your business

We seek out the ambitious creatives and enjoy the collaborative process of working together, sharing our energy and experience. Like all relationships it’s a two-way street; you both need confidence in the partnership for it to be a true success. Here’s our handy guide to assess whether you are entrusting your design, digital and communications with the right team.

Matching your business with the right agency begins like a shoe fitting. Too big or too small will never feel right.

If your agency is too big for you, lots of aspects will be out of kilter, including the fees, time allocated, accessibility and outputs. Unless your business is a key account and appropriately profitable, you are unlikely to get the service you need. There is a known (bad) practice among the big-name agencies to sub out their smaller accounts. So you run the risk of paying the big bucks without even receiving the service. And who wants to be a minnow in the proverbial pool of much bigger fish? If you have a large budget, are a household name product or blue-chip business, a big agency is most likely to be a good fit.

Conversely if the agency is too small, they may lack the skillset you need. There might not be the experience or bandwidth within the team to flex as you need. A small agency inevitably will have a narrower range of services – which will limit your options.

We’d recommend your business is big enough to be a priority for your agency. It’s a careful balance.

A twitchy subject but it’s essential to tackle fees from the outset. Are you both operating at a similar level financially? If their day rate makes you wince it won’t be a comfortable place for you, especially longer term. Understand what’s included as well. You can usually expect meetings to be included in the time allocation as that’s where some of the best ideas happen – but how about travel time? Ask for a breakdown of costs and request a ‘no surprises’ billing approach.

You need to have a connection with the people in your agency. They will be responsible for publicly translating your brand – so it’s absolutely essential that they understand and empathise with your work. If they don’t get it, how can they communicate it? Look for the passion and interest; listen out for the probing questions and relatable experiences.

Arguably, you don’t need to like your accountants but you definitely need to like your creatives.

Does the agency you’re talking to have similar values to you? If you’re looking to tell a story and forge connections with your intended customers, are they off at a tangent just talking about lead generation? Does the agency appreciate how content generation is a slow burn to build a picture or are they just looking to pile it high and sell it cheap? Having values that are in sync with each other means you both know what good looks like and can work towards that harmoniously.

The final thing to look for is a similar outlook. Your chosen agency should be ambitious for you within a realistic context. They should be excited to work together with you, responding promptly, communicating regularly and providing a workable framework for your projects. One of the key drivers for a strong relationship is one where the agency is motivating and energising you and your team.

In summary, listen to your gut, ask the right questions, and suggest a trial period. Undertaking an initial one-off project is always a good way to test things out. If it works out, you have a good feeling and your research is positive, you’ve found your agency.