Hiring a Marketing Agency? Read This First.

Hiring the wrong agency doesn’t just cost you money. It costs you time, energy, and momentum.

It usually starts with good intentions. You’re busy, your marketing team is stretched, and you know you need support. So, you hire a marketing agency. Fast-forward three months, and instead of celebrating results, you’re still explaining what success looks like.

Sound familiar? I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count. And here’s the important part: it’s rarely because the agency isn’t capable. The problem usually lies elsewhere - at the very beginning of the relationship.

Why Most Agency Relationships Go Wrong

The truth is, most agency partnerships falter not because of poor delivery, but because of shaky foundations.

The culprit? The briefing and selection process.

Great agencies want clarity. They need to understand your goals, your audience, your challenges, and - crucially - how their work will be measured. Without that, even the most talented agency is forced to guess. And when they guess, expectations quickly diverge.

But here’s the catch: writing a great agency brief is hard.

It’s not just a to-do list of deliverables or a wish list of marketing tactics. It’s a strategic roadmap. One that balances ambition with reality, sets clear KPIs, and provides the context agencies need to perform at their best.

And most businesses don’t have the time, or the experience, to get that right.

What a Strong Brief (and Process) Looks Like

When done well, a proper briefing and selection process can save months of wasted effort and thousands in budget. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

1. Write a sharp, strategic brief

A strong brief should define clear goals, outline realistic budgets, and set meaningful KPIs. But it should also tell the story of your brand, your market, and your customer. Agencies need to know why you’re doing something, not just what.

2. Run a fair, efficient pitch process

Endless rounds of presentations drain energy and often cloud decision-making. A streamlined process, with focused conversations instead of beauty parades, keeps things productive and respectful - for you and the agencies.

3. Shortlist the right-fit agencies

It’s tempting to choose the loudest, the cheapest, or the closest. But the best results come from agencies that truly understand your market, your challenges, and your ambitions. Fit beats flash every time.

4. Provide onboarding and oversight

The work doesn’t stop once the contract is signed. Agencies and clients need alignment on expectations, ways of working, and accountability. Good onboarding avoids the “lost in translation” problem.

Why It’s Worth Getting Right

When the upfront work is solid, the results follow. It’s simple.

Good brief + right-fit agency + clear accountability = campaigns that actually move the needle.

On the other hand, when you skip steps or rush the process, you risk:

• Months of rework and frustration

• Misaligned expectations

• Underwhelming results

• Damaged trust on both sides

And nobody wants that.

How I Can Help

I work with businesses to bridge this gap, helping them prepare properly before they bring in an agency. That means:

• Writing strategic briefs that agencies can actually deliver against

• Designing pitch processes that are fair, fast, and effective

• Shortlisting agencies that are the right fit, not just the most visible

• Providing onboarding and oversight to keep everyone aligned

Because when both sides are set up for success, the partnership works.

If you’re thinking about hiring a marketing agency, don’t leave it to chance. The right preparation at the start doesn’t just save time and money. It sets the foundation for campaigns that actually deliver.