How to choose a creative agency

Choosing a creative agency? What to look for, what to ask and the warning signs to watch for, from a studio that would rather you chose well.

Choosing a creative agency is hard because everyone's website says the same thing. They're all strategic, collaborative and passionate. So how do you tell who's actually right for you?

Start by being honest about what you need, then look past the showreel.

Know the job before you start looking

A brand identity, a campaign and a website rebuild need different skills. Write a page on what's changing in your business, what you need and how you'll know it worked. If you can't explain the problem yet, say so. Some agencies can help you work it out.

Look at thinking, not just work

A beautiful portfolio tells you what happened. It doesn't tell you how. Ask them to take you through one project: what the problem was, what they rejected and what they'd do differently. Good people can explain their decisions.

Meet the people who'll do the work

The person who wins your business may not be the person who does it. Ask who'll be in the room each week, and talk to them. You're going to spend months with these people, so it matters whether you like them.

Hire the people who'll tell you when you're wrong.

Watch how they disagree

An agency that agrees with everything in the first meeting will agree with everything later too, and that's how average work gets made. You want people who ask awkward questions and push back politely. It's a good sign if they're willing to say no.

Warning signs

Be careful of anyone who proposes a solution before asking about the problem, promises specific results before they've started, or can't say who they aren't right for. Be wary of free pitches too, as they tend to reward the best presentation, not the best thinking.

Questions to ask a creative agency

Before you sign anything, ask these. What would you want to know about us before starting? Who exactly will work on this, and how much of their time will we get? Tell us about a project that went badly and what you changed afterwards. How do you handle it when a client disagrees with you? What do you need from us for this to go well?

Listen as much to how they answer as to what they say. Honest answers about what went wrong are worth more than a polished case study. Ask how they charge and what happens if the scope changes, so there are no surprises later.

Trust the feeling

After the sensible checks, go with the people who care most about your problem. You'll notice it in the questions they ask. Care is hard to fake for long, and it's what ends up in the work.