The creative work that a marketing agency does on behalf of their clients looks easy. I’ve had potential clients tell me they don’t need to hire an agency because they can do it themselves. Perhaps they could, but what exactly is it that an agency does to separate itself?

Agency Value

Before a project even starts, the response to a client’s proposal process begins. This can represent up to 40 hours of work and provides perspective and strategy for your project at no cost.

Agencies are on the job thinking about your project way beyond 9-5. Some of our best ideas come to us while we’re just about to fall asleep or we’re taking our morning shower. We pretty much have projects on our mind 24/7. That’s the reason we charge by the project, not by the hour.

If you are working with a smaller agency like KIMBO Design, they have an agile team that can do as much as a large agency because of easy access to technology. Smaller agencies have a faster turn around time because they are nimble and lean, with an added bonus of clients having access to the people who are actually doing the work.

Agency Experience

With the years of experience that come from developing and delivering the creative work that established agencies do, comes a clear and focused process. Agencies coach clients through systems that deliver results. These processes produce unique creative, which reflects your company’s spirit, and separates you from your competitors.

Agencies know branding inside and out. They live and breathe it. You know how it is always so hard to write your own resume or bio? Agencies provide the outside perspective of your brand and steer it in the right direction.

We do great work because of talented staff. We are always in training mode, and coaching our team to be their best. This means learning to use the most up to date tools, and mentoring staff to deliver high quality professional projects that engage your audience.

The right media platform needs to be chosen to engage a target audience. An agency is objective in the type of media it chooses to get the best reach and results. We work on the principle of what is best for you, the client. We don’t try to sell you on what you don’t need, as would be the case if you go directly to a media vendor. They are focussed only on sales success, and don’t care about your marketing strategy or your target audience. We represent you and are focussed on your success.

Agency Risk Management

An established agency guarantees their work as well as managing and guaranteeing the work of all outside vendors. The benefit to you is that you don’t have to think about all the pieces and people it takes to create your project. We do this for you, and we don’t sign off on anything until it meets our and your standards.

Marketing Agencies work with the same vendors time and again. We’ve established strong relationships with them and consider them partners. They are hand picked for the quality work they deliver and contribute to our client’s projects. The behind the scenes monitoring and negotiating of outside vendors is an invaluable value-add to projects and covers unforeseen liability on our client’s behalf.

What is seen on the surface and appears to be easy isn’t. Behind the scenes, agencies are working on your behalf bringing value through project experience, working with the best vendors, and taking on risk. That’s what you get for your dollars. You decide: is it a wise investment to take the risk of going it on your own? Probably not.