There’s no shortage of digital agencies, so what sets one apart from the other? Here’s what 5 media and marketing specialists told us.

2. With no shortage of digital
agencies, what sets one
apart from the other?
Whether it’s swanky offices, multiple awards or a great portfolio, we wanted
to find out what influences the decision when choosing one to hire. Here’s
what 5 media and marketing specialists told us…

3. Download the infographic!
CLICK ON THE IMAGE

4. Meet the experts
Tanya Hemphill
Independent digital
marketing
consultant, lecturer,
trainer and speaker.
@DigitalTanya
Adam Freeman
MD, Bloomberg
Media.
@adamfreeman
Bryan Hunter
Senior Digital
Marketing Manager
for one of the world’s
largest office broking
services.
@bryanhunter77
David Ricketts
Partnering, demand
generation and
business
development. Head
of marketing at C24.
@C24Marketing
Bas van den Beld
Digital marketing
strategist, consultant,
speaker and trainer.
@basvandenbeld

5. What’s the most important
quality of a standout digital
agency?

6. TH: The ability to quickly understand what the client is trying to achieve, being honest about whether
their expectations can be met and offering alternative ideas if needed.
AF: Understanding how digital platforms can help grow a business.
BH: A sustained focus on the client’s business objectives.
DR: Industry knowledge and account management.
BvdB: There are many, but the most important is the quality of an agency to be flexible and really
understand their client’s needs. Most agencies just follow their own ideas and don’t take enough time
to do this. Ones that do will be most successful.

7. Awards. Case Studies.
Current Brands. Testimonials.
Which interests you when
visiting an agency website
for the first time?

8. Case Studies: 50%
Testimonials: 30%
Awards: 10%
Current Brands: 10%

9. TH: They demonstrate an agency’s approach to a specific problem and the outcomes of action.
AF: They’re live examples of what the team has done for others.
BH: Client lists, awards and testimonials are signals of a good agency, but it’s the tangible impact that
they’ve had on their client’s business performance that stands out as the most important factor to
me.
DR: You don’t necessarily have to show ‘growth of 100%’ increased sales of ‘£2 million’. You just have
to be honest and show how long standing relationships have delivered results.
BvdB: They show the work a business is capable off and the connection they have with their clients.
Why case studies win hands down

10. 18 questions you should ask
a new agency before hiring
them…

11. 1. What are your thoughts on our current activity?
2. How can we improve what we’re doing?
3. How are you going to demonstrate ROI?
4. How do you plan to grow my business?
5. Tell me about the team that will work with us?
6. Why have you lost past clients?
7. Describe some of your proudest achievements in working with your clients.
8. Describe a challenging time you’ve had with a client. How did you resolve it?
9. How does your billing process work?
10.What training do you provide for your staff?
11.Describe your onboarding process.
12.How do you report to clients, can you provide examples?
13.Tell me about your culture?
14.Can I speak to three active clients?
15.What is your retention rate with your staff?
16.What is your retention rate with your clients?
17.What do you do to improve knowledge in your agency?
18.How do you perceive my business?

12. What influencing factors
make an agency stand out?

13. Influencing factors rates from highest to lowest
1. Recommendations from peers and partners
2. Insight into agency personality and culture
3. Testimonials from satisfied clients
4. Details of in-house management and production
5. Portfolio of creative work
6. Agency website design and UX
7. Seeing other brands that trust the agency
8. The amount of PR coverage the agency has

14. How important is agency
culture?

15. 5/5 said VERY IMPORTANT
Why?
TH: A really great campaign comes down to two-way communication and having a good working
relationship. An agency needs to be able to deliver good and bad news because not everything
goes to plan!
AF: Motivated people work harder than less motivated people!
BH: We don’t have a large marketing team but we do have a strong culture, so it’s important that our
agencies and partners have a degree of cultural fit. We normally have daily contact, so it’s important
that we can get along personally and professionally.
DR: Cultures and common goals need to align – success is a mission.
BvdB: The internal brand culture will show you how the business will work with you. If they care about
their own culture, they’ll care about the clients’ as well.

16. Is it better to communicate
with an account manager or
have access to the whole
team?

17. Everyone agreed that it’s better to
have access to the creative team
because only having access to an
account manager can cause a
bottleneck.

18. Anything else that might
influence your decision
when looking to hire an
agency?

19. TH: Passion and enthusiasm – often under-rated and makes a huge difference to the working
relationship.
AF: Fees and performance related payments.
BH: There’s no shortage of agencies to choose from, so what sets them apart from others? Do they
have a unique angle, a smarter way of doing things, a motivated team, strong industry relationships?
Or does the sum of all their parts create something that can’t be copied?
DR: Profits and Loss (P&L).
BvdB: The knowledge level of the agency is important. They have to show me they aren’t using old
tactics and strategies, but are on top of things.

20. Any advice for young brands
before signing up with an
agency?

21. TH: Don’t get seduced by agency hype – think about whether the agency ‘gets’ your brand and what
you’re trying to achieve. It’s about building a relationship. Depth and honestly will stand the test of
time, not fluff and being 100% right about everything. Make sure the agency listens and talks (in that
order). Too many talk and don’t listen!
AF: Test them first on a project.
BH: I think it’s really important that they focus on what will grow their business. So they should choose
an agency who is relentless in that focus and who wants to reach and go beyond the client’s targets.
Young brands may not have much digital marketing experience, so they might want to choose an
agency who can take initiative, make the right decisions and really drive performance without a huge
steer from the brand.
DR: Do your homework.
BvdB: Don’t get blind sighted by first impressions and sweet talk, it’s like with dating: it’s more than the
outside, it’s about personality!