Things to Look for in an Agency

Choosing a marketing agency to partner with is a lot like buying a car. Before you drive off the lot in your shiny new ride, you want to make sure that you’re happy with your decision and most importantly, the car is a good fit for your needs.

Having worked with several agencies before signing on with MassMedia, we asked Deborah Colby, Chief Marketing Officer of One Nevada Credit Union, to weigh in on the important but often overlooked characteristics that businesses should look for when picking a marketing agency to work with and why these ultimately led them to partnering with us at MassMedia.

VERSATILE, FULLY INTEGRATED

“A combination of wanting to advance our digital marketing strategy, keep all media management under one roof, and the desire to optimize some internal marketing duties is what prompted us to seek a fully integrated media planning and buying partner,” said Deborah Colby, Chief Marketing Officer at One Nevada Credit Union.

Connect the dots.

At MassMedia, we are a fully integrated agency. We have a versatile team and talent across all service lines from digital, social media, public relations to media buying, creative, and event planning. Our integrated approach allows our clients to get the most out of their marketing dollars and have succinct branding and messaging across all channels.

CULTURAL FIT

“Cultural fit was a significant deciding factor in our final decision,” said Colby. “We wanted a partner that was willing to work hard and play hard just like we do and help us advance our marketing initiatives.”

Eye-to-eye.

Cultural fit is the secret ingredient in any successful professional relationship. Assessing the values of the agency you’re considering on working with and getting a feel for their personality can help determine if the partnership will be compatible or not. After all, if you’re looking to date, you might want to think about compatibility for the long term.

DEMONSTRATED EXPERTISE

“In addition to culture fit, MassMedia’s capabilities and experience, the ability to provide media performance “intelligence” instead of just “reports”, and cost were important considerations,” said Colby. “We saw the strength of their experience and their commitment to providing reliable reporting and intelligence that could help us advance our media strategy.”

Dive in the deep end.

When narrowing down your list of potential agencies, it’s important to consider each agency’s expertise and experience working with businesses like your industry. Each industry is unique and learning the nuances can take quite a while. So, you ultimately want to choose a partner that demonstrates experience and confidence in your market in addition to bringing true value to your business. At MassMedia, we strive to not only deliver results and solutions for our clients but coupling that with thoughtful and forward-thinking insights.

TRANSPARENCY AT ALL LEVELS

“I think the best partner relationships come when each is unafraid to “tell truths” and “get real” about what we’re trying to accomplish together,” said Colby. “We saw that transparency in MassMedia.”

Just keeping it real.

Having transparency at all levels is a key component to a successful relationship. How will you know if the agency you’re vetting is transparent? They will tell you exactly what you’re getting into and will clearly communicate goals, expectations, and outcomes from the start.

GREAT COMMUNICATION

“MassMedia just seemed to get us,” said Colby. “They were easy to talk to and collaborate with throughout the RFP process, yet they were not afraid to give their professional opinion.”

Speak up.

At MassMedia, one of our core values is “Communication is Key”. Having open communication with our clients and ensuring everyone is on the same page is a top priority for us. The right agency will check in with you rather than assuming or guessing. To avoid wasting your budget and destroying your timeline, they’ll confirm deadlines and provide visual references, in hopes that the conversation at the end of the project will be over margaritas—not problems.

SUPPORTIVE AND FORWARD THINKING

“We needed a partner who would be willing to grow with us,” said Colby. “The MassMedia team is great to work with, very flexible, and supportive. As we work to embrace a new media strategy, we’ve had some internal hiccups and bumps to work through. Each time, MassMedia has remained flexible and helped guide us as opposed to getting frustrated with changes and production delays. We look forward to continuing to hone our strategy and performance with MassMedia’s support.”

Awww. All the feels.

So, there you have it. The “right” marketing agency is filled with passionate people who are eager to help you succeed – but also supporting you in navigating the inevitable twists and turns that can come with implementing a new marketing strategy. At MassMedia, we have a partnership mindset, meaning we operate as if we are part of the businesses we work with.

Our client’s success is our success. It can be hard to find someone who cares about your business as much as you do. But the right marketing agency should feel like part of your team, understand your company’s vision, and be able to execute your ideas with ease. We hope that these tips help you to nurture a blossoming client-agency relationship!