Choosing an Agency

The last episode of season 2 features Abb-d Taiyo, the co-founder and director of Driftime® Media, a digital design practice on a mission to create social, environmental and economic impact through digital design. Abb-d spoke about using purpose and values as a filtering process for choosing an agency. He also shared his views on what needs to happen before (or instead of) a pitch, forming budgets together with clients and what makes an agency a good or bad fit.

Russ Avery and Tim Brown run a sustainable brand transformation consultancy, Avery & Brown. In the episode, they discussed the importance of sustainability and becoming a regenerative business, as well as what to look at when selecting an agency. They covered values, checking an agency’s reputation, and red flags. They also addressed awards, certifications and other credentials which might be of more importance.

Steve Richards and Ryan O'Keeffe are the founders of a personal branding agency with an emotional intelligence edge - Jago®. Ryan and Steve speak on the immense importance values, culture and purpose play when working with agencies, as well as how to use social proofing to check up on an agency. They also discuss pitching, agency red flags, and share amazing insights on how to communicate to resonate and attract the right people to you.

Suds Singh is the founder of Interesting Content, a video content production company that specialises in content for SaaS, Fintech and Beauty Brands. Suds spoke about the importance of transparency and honesty to attract an agency you can trust. He shared his opinion on pitches, awards and what makes an agency a good fit. Alex and Suds also had interesting discussions on how much values really matter, whether clients should look at accreditations of their agency and diversity in agencies.

Doug Dinwiddie started White Digital, an agency specialising in website design, development and SEO, with the goal to improve on the service offering other agencies were providing. Doug spoke to Alex about how clients and agencies should be setting expectations to get what they want and more, as well as how to run pitches and structure briefs to understand which agency is right for you. He also covered values, awards, budgets and how to check an agency’s reputation.

This episode features Adam Graham from Gray Matters – a business development consultancy for agencies. Alex and Adam cover how clients should respond to speculative approaches, how to innovate the pitch process for better results, and why you should be maintaining relationships with multiple agencies (not just your current partner!). Adam also shared why he believed sales, PR and marketing must work together for ultimate success, how clients can get the best work, check an agency’s reputation, and gave further tips on how to determine if an agency is a good fit.

This episode features Phil Blackmore, the Co-Founder & Creative Partner at Create Health, an advertising and comms agency bringing creativity to healthcare marketing. Phil shares his opinions based on 20 years of experience in the agency space. Phil speaks to Alex about his belief in the potential of creativity, which he utilises in his own work and encourages in others, including as a part of the initiative ‘Healthy Young Mind’ encouraging children to create solutions to the world’s big issues. He discusses what clients must be clear on to choose the right agency, how to determine an agency’s values and how to spot potential red flags. Alex and Phil also discuss budgets, pitches, full service vs specialist agencies, and how culture impacts a business.

In this episode, host Alex Holliman speaks to Sue Keogh, the founder of digital marketing agency Sookio. Sue speaks about pitches, budgets, awards and values, as well as giving advice to clients about how to get their briefs right, and how to smoothly run a campaign. She also shares how Sookio is making a difference and working to improve access to the agency space for young people and diversify it.

The latest episode features Fleurie Forbes-Martin, who at the time of the recording was the Business Growth Director at Studio Republic. She is now part of Stronger Stories. Should potential clients speak to existing clients? Is it important how your agency responds to mistakes? What are some red flags in an agency? These are some of the questions Fleurie answers. She also speaks on the importance of values and how an agency can demonstrate these, budgets, the credibility of awards as well as covering some indicators of a good partnership.

This episode features Kat Arney, the Founder and Creative Director of First Create The Media – a communications strategy and content agency for the life sciences. Kat spoke on how clients should work with their agency for the best results. She covered how you can help your agency achieve the best results, determining if an agency is a good or bad fit, as well as the importance of contracts and reviewing the work with your agency to determine new goals. She also shared her thoughts on agency awards, determining your agency’s reputation and values.

Alex speaks to Charlotte Nichols, owner and managing director of PR, social media and content marketing agency, Harvey & Hugo. Charlotte shares her most important tips for establishing fruitful relationships with agencies, covering the topics of pitches, budgets, pay-as-you-go results, and contracts, as well as sharing her insight on how to strategically look at agencies’ awards, avoid unrealistic promises from agencies, and maintain a good relationship with your agency. Find out more about Charlotte and Harvey & Hugo on www.HarveyandHugo.com

In this episode, Alex and Gavin Shinfield, co-founder and CSO at Kyan, deep dive into how businesses can find aligned agencies and improve the quality of work they get from their partnerships. After getting to know each other, they discuss topics such as what to look for in an agency, references from past clients, qualifications and contracts among many others. They also cover whether brands should opt for a full service or specialist agencies, as well as sustainability in business and collaborating with B-corps.

In this episode Alex speaks to the founder of Beyond Clicks, Steve Tarbard. In the discussion, they reveal the signs that indicate an agency is a good or bad fit, and what red flags to look out for. They also discuss what makes a great brief, what to ask for when asking for pitches, what to consider when looking at awards or partner badges, as well as touching on values and contracts.

In this episode, Alex speaks to Alice Rose, Managing Director of digital marketing agency, Fountain. They discuss how to ensure you get the most value out of your partnering agency, what to ask for and what to give during the pitch process, and what determines whether the agency is a good fit for your brand. Alice also discusses the topics of values, contracts, and partner badges.

This episode features discussions on the importance of transparency and value alignment in the pitch process, the benefits of awards, and working with diverse agencies. Spencer also talks about the due diligence brands should do when choosing an agency and the signs of an agency being a good or bad fit. 

Interview with Sean Carnegie, managing director of Radioville.

Interview with Ronke Lawal, founder of Ariatu PR.

Interview with Nick Redding, co-owner and managing director of Reddico.

Interview with Nath Lomax, co-founder and director of UK-based Quickfire Digital.

Interview with Matt Laybourn, Digital Performance Director at TMW.