Starting a partnership with a marketing agency can feel equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking. You’ve heard the hype, maybe even done some research, and now you’re about to sit down with professionals who promise to take your brand to the next level.
But what exactly happens in that first strategy session, and how can you get the most out of it? Let’s break it down.
The Purpose of the Strategy Session
Think of the strategy session as a foundation-setting conversation between your business and the agency. The goal isn’t just to nod politely and pretend your goals are aligned. It’s to give the agency a clear understanding of your brand, audience, objectives, and the challenges that have been holding you back.
This session is where the foundation is laid. A strong strategy starts with clarity: clarity on who your audience is, what success looks like, and how your brand differentiates itself in a crowded market. Agencies will use this session to ask questions, listen to your vision, and begin sketching out a roadmap that connects your goals to actionable marketing tactics.
It’s also about alignment. Agencies want to know how your team communicates, how decisions are made, and what the expectations are for reporting and accountability.
The session is about establishing a partnership that will allow the agency to work efficiently while respecting your company’s culture and cadence.
Finally, it’s a chance to get real about the numbers. Budgets, timelines, and KPIs come into play. The agency needs to understand not just your aspirations but the resources available to achieve them.
When everyone leaves the session with a clear understanding of constraints and opportunities, you’re already ahead of the game.
How the Marketing Strategy Planning Process Usually Works
While every agency has its own flavor, most marketing strategy sessions follow a similar process. Here’s what you can (usually) expect:
Pre-Session Prep
Before you even set foot in the room (or Zoom) agencies often ask for materials: past campaign results, analytics reports, branding documents, and any research you’ve done on your audience or competitors.
This prep ensures that the session isn’t spent gathering information but interpreting it to find actionable insights.
Goal Definition
The session usually kicks off with a conversation about what success looks like. Is it more website traffic, higher conversions, social engagement, brand awareness, or something else entirely?
Goals should be measurable, realistic, and tied directly to business objectives. A strong agency will help refine these goals if they’re too vague or overly ambitious.
Audience Deep Dive
Agencies will want to understand who you’re trying to reach. They’ll ask about demographics, behaviors, buying habits, and pain points.
The more detailed the audience profiles, the more targeted and effective the marketing strategy can be. This may include reviewing customer personas or looking at historical data from past campaigns.
Competitive Landscape Analysis
Expect some discussion about your competitors. Agencies need to know who else is operating in your market, what they're doing well and where they're falling short.
This isn’t just about benchmarking, it’s about identifying opportunities for your brand to stand out.
Channel and Tactic Exploration
Once goals and audiences are clear, the agency will discuss potential marketing channels and tactics. Should you focus on paid social, organic content, email campaigns, influencer partnerships, or SEO?
This is where strategy starts to translate into a plan of action, even if details like budgets and timelines are still in draft form.
Timeline and Milestones
Agencies will often propose an initial timeline with key milestones. These sessions are about setting expectations for when results might realistically start to appear and when major campaigns or audits might launch.
Next Steps
Finally, the session concludes with agreed-upon next steps. This might include additional research, internal approvals, creative brief development, or scheduling follow-up sessions.
A clear roadmap ensures that the strategy doesn’t stall after the first conversation.
What the Agency Will Want to Know
The better the agency understands your business, the more tailored their strategy can be. Here’s what they’re typically looking for:
Business Goals and Objectives
Agencies need clarity on what drives your company. Are you prioritizing revenue growth, lead generation, customer retention, brand awareness, or a combination?
Target Audience Details
Who are your ideal customers? Agencies will dig into demographics, psychographics, purchasing behaviors, and even the types of content your audience engages with most.
Past Marketing Efforts
What have you tried before? What worked, and what didn’t?
Sharing past successes and failures helps the agency avoid repeating mistakes and leverage strategies that have already proven effective.
Budget and Resource Constraints
Agencies need to understand what’s feasible. They’ll want to know your budget range, internal team availability, and any tools or platforms you currently use.
Brand Guidelines and Voice
Your agency will want to make sure any proposed strategy aligns with your brand’s tone, style, and messaging standards. This ensures consistency across all touchpoints.
Decision-Making Processes
Who signs off on campaigns, creative assets, and strategy adjustments? Understanding your internal approval process helps the agency plan efficiently and avoid delays.
KPIs and Success Metrics
Finally, agencies need to know how you measure success. Whether it’s engagement, conversions, website traffic, or ROI, aligning on KPIs early ensures everyone is on the same page.
How Breef Helps Make This First Meeting Smoother
The first strategy session can feel intimidating, especially if you’ve never worked with an agency before. Breef streamlines the process by connecting you with vetted, specialized agencies that match your specific project needs.
With Breef, you can submit a detailed brief in advance, ensuring agencies arrive prepared. No scrambling for documents or last-minute explanations. The agency already knows your goals, audience, and expectations.
The platform also allows you to review curated agency pitches side by side, making it easier to compare experience, expertise, and approach before the first session. This reduces friction, accelerates alignment, and sets the stage for a productive, strategic conversation.
By handling the matchmaking and briefing process, Breef ensures your first strategy session isn’t just another meeting. It’s a focused, actionable step toward building a marketing plan that drives results.
Ready to find the perfect partner to jumpstart your next project? Book a demo call with Breef.
