How to Pick {n}‘The One’

It may seem silly, but selecting an agency partner can be a fairly intimate process. It’s not easy to trust someone (or multiple people) with your brand or let them into your marketing team's ‘inner circle’. While Breef can help with the first 75% — sharing vetted agencies that align with your brand, project, and goals — your team is responsible for the remaining 25%.

In our experience, there are a few key things to keep in mind while interviewing agencies and, ultimately, selecting the right team. During your first introductory call, get into The Practical.

The Practical

Budget: Sometimes easier said than done…don’t forget to talk about budget! While the initial project scope indicates a preferred range, it’s not uncommon for things to change internally as the potential for partnership becomes more real. Be transparent with each agency around your actual budget and how your team is approaching this investment (i.e., will this be a trial run or are you ready to dive in fully?)

Timeline: Do your best to provide a tentative timeline (i.e., the contract with our current agency ends at the end of August) so the agency can plan accordingly. Though not super common, there are instances where an agency has to recuse themselves from your project if they are unaware of your timeline and unable to plan ahead.

Capacity: Similarly, agencies tend to work with limited resources — people and time being the biggest ones. Be upfront with each agency about your expectations on deliverables and their level of involvement. Do you expect to have an hour-long call each week, or do you plan to connect bi-weekly?

Of the agencies that check The Practical boxes, consider the following during your next call or in-person meeting:

The Intangible

Team: There’s nothing more frustrating than the founder of an agency wooing you, winning your business, and then passing you on to a junior Account Manager who started two weeks ago. (We’ve all been that Jr. AM!) Don’t be afraid to ask about the rest of the team — and even request a meeting with the people managing your account.

Work Style: While the agency may have expertise in a certain area, they will not automatically be experts in your brand or how you work best. Ask the agencies about (i) their onboarding process and how they get familiar with your brand, (ii) what tools they use to manage projects, (iii) how they prefer to receive and provide feedback, and (iv) what you can expect in terms of communication and response rate.

Vibe: At the end of the day, you’ll spend a lot of ‘time’ with your chosen agency partner — whether it’s back-and-forth via email or in person at photoshoots. While you don’t need to end up best friends with your team, it’s incredibly important to resonate with them. More often than not, we hear clients say their selected team “just gets it.”

Every brand goes through its own unique process of selecting an agency partner — we’ve seen everything from spreadsheets and rubrics to in-person meetings and questionnaires. Take your time and do what you need to do to feel confident in your decision. Breef is here to offer support, suggestions, and perspective along the way.

Here’s to finding ‘The One’ on Breef 😉

Bonus Tip 💌

You are working toward a partnership with an agency — they are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them. Shift your mindset from “I am paying an agency for a service” to “We’re creating a fair exchange of value.” You should both be excited about the prospect of working together — this is only possible when there’s mutual respect and effective communication. (Some good life advice!)