How Agencies Become Brand Masters
When the world presses pause, it gives us all more time to think about what it means to play. Creativity, kindness, positivity, innovative and agile solutions guide us all in an uncertain time, but the keystone to moving forward is trust. As you imagine, re-imagine or solidify your expectations and goals, it's important to assess the level of trust you've placed (or will place) in an agency that has pledged to meet your needs. We think the following criteria will determine if your marketing agency has what it takes to become your brand master.
Does your agency work for you, or do you work for them?
As you're looking to develop projects and campaigns, do you feel that your agency's communication strategy is curated to you? Shouldn't it be? If your team's inter-office chatter relies on Slack, roundtable brainstorms, or a check-in conference call first thing on Monday morning with a list of deliverables, you need an agency that picks up on these cues and delivers communication to you the way you want to communicate. Intuiting the most effective ways to get on the same page and implementing this protocol keeps everyone moving fluidly and mitigates delays from ideation to execution.
Are your account managers brand advocates?
Whether you've been working with your account manager for 6 weeks or 6 years, you should expect that they are completely in step with your goals and will overcome obstacles to ensure your success. Are your account managers actively listening to you? When challenges and questions arise, do they honestly and quickly address these with your best interests in mind? Have they done the research to know your brand inside and out? Or are you continually reminding your latest contact about the intricacies of your style guide? Your dedicated lead should be as familiar with your brand as you are so they can clearly explain your vision and goals to the project team.
In what capacities will this relationship improve your KPI's?
When you roll out a brainstorming session or a new initiative, does your agency ask questions to pinpoint your goals? Do they break down the KPI of each specific strategy (social campaign, direct to consumer, large event activations) and monitor these goals over time? Do they give you tiered options and realistic assessments based on the size and scope of your projects and effort/cost of execution so that they can become problem solvers as opposed to naysayers? Moreover, do they root for you in all stages of development? Quite simply, you deserve that. You should be working with people who are loyal to you, anticipate your needs, and keep searching for ways to celebrate and grow your unique brand as brand masters themselves.
(That's how we do business)
