Choosing the right creative partner is a daunting task, especially when every agency defines itself differently. Every agency has evolved from a different point in time and with a different ethos, which has been informed from its methodology, skill base and client needs. We also have our own belief or understanding of what a creative agency is, however as the following article hopes to illustrate, creative agencies come is all shapes and sizes.

Values are often used to differentiate agencies, and whilst very important they do not change what the agency does, but rather how they deal with you. In these highly pressurised times it is important to have good working relationship with your agency and a partner you rely on, trust and value their advice, so a chemistry meeting is always a good idea. However before you look at their values and fit with your brand, the first question to answer is what do you need from your agency. Here is a brief general breakdown of the different types of agencies so you can understand what they do and their strengths.

Branding Agencies

Brand agencies focus on the creation of brand identities for organisations or products. This could be a new product to market, a new company or a refresh of an existing brand. They often undertake market research to assist with the development of the brand to include the name, visual identity and positioning proposition. Brand agencies will create a set of brand guidelines that can be used to execute the branding. Branding Agencies generally have higher overheads and a high cost of sale because of the infrequency of a brand change. Therefore this can be an expensive option when rolling out a creative campaign or packaging range. Many Brands will often pair Branding Agencies with a Production Agency or Pre-media company to adapt the creative across different media or territories.

Advertising Agencies

This is the traditional above the line agency as seen in Mad Men. This is what everyone thinks of if they are asked to describe a creative agency. Tend to be campaign based, creating and developing advertising campaigns across print (magazines, newspapers, outdoor and in-store), online, TV and radio. They will either work with a Media buying agency or have that service within the group. Often part of a global group they will tend to work with larger brands, who can support larger budgets. Once a campaign is developed, and the campaign assets created it can be passed to a production agency to implement.

Boutique Agencies

Generally boutique agencies or hot houses as they are sometimes known, offer a high levels of creativity. They focus on content and bringing information to life with dynamic visuals, whether that is graphical or images. Often they are smaller agencies that are proprietor lead but do not have the resources for larger roll outs, so will partner with a production agency.

Digital Agencies

Of course digital has become a very important part of the marketing mix and as such specialist agencies developed. Digital agencies focus on strategy, user experience, design and technology within the digital real estate (website, microsites, social media, online advertising, and email). Some will even create digital products or use proprietary software’s for their clients. They will work with the guidelines created by the advertising agency or branding agency but may not have the resources to create large amounts of content themselves and would look to a partner for content generation.

Production Agencies

Production agencies are the least understood and are known by many names. These range from Repro House, Adaption Agency, Content Creation Agency, Artwork Production House through to a Premedia Company. Often with a more technical leaning to ensure less problems with delivery to the chosen channel they work with the Advertising Agencies campaign assets or the Branding Agencies brand guidelines to create content. Because their focus is on creative services rather than strategy they invest in automation and workflows with client portals to help manage complex projects with greater ease but also to deliver content as efficiently as possible. Some will offer an end-to-end creative content service including design artwork and repro for packaging as well as marketing content for digital and print channels. Image content service are often provided through CGI, photography and video studios in-house. Production agencies often have excellent relations with printers globally to manage quality and consistency which also makes them an excellent print procurement option for brands. The Pre-media company’s primary role is to act as brand guardians and efficient creative executers of medium to large scale national and international packaging and marketing projects.

Consultancies

Consultancy agencies will focus on strategy and the big idea. They will make recommendations rather than implement. Often used to solve a problem, they will do a great deal of research and analysis. They may specialize in a particular market or area, such as sales promotion and will outsource specialisms as they need.

Marketing Agencies

Marketing agencies focus on strategy and implementing the strategy within the business. They will have a more holistic view working closely with both marketing teams and the sales team using relevant data to build, track and refine performance based on the defined goals and marketing plan they have been set or developed. They tend to be Account Manager based with less focus on the creative.

Freelancers

Although strictly not an agency, freelancers are worth a mention. These are individuals who are skilled in a particular aspect of creative or marketing. Usually they have a Mac of their own and either work in your premises or remotely. Freelancers lack technological solutions to make themselves and the process more streamlined and efficient and although cheap on the surface, you do need to invest heavily in technology to get the best out of them. They are usually skilled in one area of the creative process, so make sure they have the right experience for your needs. Of course they will have a finite amount of time, so if the amount of support needed changes then they may not cope with the workloads. Also if your requirement changes they may not be suited to the new needs unlike an agency that will have all manner of skills and of levels of experience to draw upon. Freelancers may be more suited to a project that is very clearly defined and narrow in scope.

As you would expect from an industry as diverse and dynamic as the creative industry the above are generalisations and each agency will have some or all of the services mentioned which combined with their own culture and values will help inform you if they are the right fit for you. There are a few notable exceptions not discussed, they are:-

• Media Agencies, focused on planning and buying media space

• Promotional Agencies, focused on planning and developing retail promotions

• Interactive Agencies, focused on create digital experiences such as AR

• Social Media Agencies, focused on SM

• Public Relations Agencies (PR), focused on getting media coverage

• Print Agencies (Print Managers), focused on print buying

• Market Research Agencies, focused on delivering in depth insights

We hope you find this article interesting and helps you decide the best types of agencies for your brand. No matter which agency or combination of agencies you choose, they should be focused to grow your business. At WK360 we do this by putting people first and empowering them with technology. We work towards this by providing the tools and knowledge to make lives easier at work, to enable people to collaborate and work together in teams, spreading the load, and creating an environment where the individual can reach their full potential leading to promotion and growth of your brand.

Image source: Pixabay