Top Ad Agencies

Understanding consumer behavior is the key to creating a successful campaign. Users will tell you what they need and want based on their social media behavior, online views and purchase history -- and ad agencies have access to the latest and greatest tools to analyze every brand’s unique audience.

Consumer behavior is even easier to track in the digital age. Agencies can monitor social media engagement, the user journey through a website, and top-performing content to craft a campaign for the best medium to achieve a client’s specific goals.

Advertising agencies produce a number of campaigns, including print ads, social media campaigns, influencer and professional collaborations, video commercials, website designs and banners, and other digital designs. A dedicated team will create a roadmap and focus on delivering results, allowing your internal employees to focus on other business tasks without sacrificing the promotional efforts.

The need for advertising is strong, too -- just because we’ve exited the Mad Men era doesn’t mean advertising is obsolete. According to Statista, revenue from U.S. advertising in all areas is on the rise and expected to surpass $332 million by 2021.

In addition to digital and print campaigns, ad agencies can create immersive experiences to build a brand’s identity and capitalize on emerging technology. These experimental designs include everything from pop-up shopping ventures to VR and AR installations -- and many young creative minds are the driving forces behind memorable displays that captivate consumers.

For example, Wieden+Kennedy China created a multidimensional experience called Reactland for Nike in 2017. This popup allowed users to run on a treadmill in real life while their actions controlled a video game right before their eyes, further cementing Nike’s status as an athletic and fashion leader. Top agencies are well-versed in executing these unique experiences for clients.

After the audience is analyzed and the type of campaign is determined, agencies will set intense yet achievable goals and measure them regularly with data-focused tools. These results will inform either the progression of the campaign -- particularly if it’s a long-term project -- or influence next steps for business growth following an advertisement.

The success of a campaign -- and an ad agency in general -- relies completely on results, so the best ad agencies have all the tools, resources and experts in place to deliver a successful return on investment for clients.

How will you create and measure campaign goals?

Creating specific goals will lead to a better success rate -- in fact, studies show that specific and progressive goals will improve performance by up to 90 percent. But these goals mean nothing if your advertising agency isn’t actively tracking, measuring and analyzing them. Don’t be afraid to grill potential ad agencies to ensure they can deliver the results you crave.

• What projects have you worked on that solve a similar problem or reach a comparable goal to our business?
• What campaigns have you created and what was their success?
• How will you determine the goals we need to achieve?
• What tools and metrics will you use to measure the results of the campaign? How often will you track the goals?
• If a campaign is not performing as expected, what is your process or plan to get the project back on track?  

How will you craft the team that will work on our campaign?

The most important aspect of choosing the best advertising agency for your brand is ensuring you have the right team working on your campaign. Ultimately, the agency itself isn’t working on your brand -- a curated group of experts is. Take the time to vet each and every team member, their expertise and what they will contribute to your campaign.

• What is the structure of the creative team?
• Who is each member of the team and what is their expertise?
• What will each member contribute to the campaign?
• Will these team members be dedicated to our campaign or working on other projects?
• Do you create consistent teams that can continually work with a client on multiple projects or do you create them uniquely for each project?

What is the pricing structure for campaigns?

Campaign cost should not be the end-all-be-all when choosing the right ad agency to promote your brand -- often, a higher upfront cost at a top agency will lead to a better return on investment for the business as a whole. However, talking dollars and cents is a necessary evil, and the below questions will give you clarity on cost.

• Do you charge a flat rate fee or per hour?
• What team members are we “paying” for in our cost?
• How does the pricing for long-term partnerships differ from individual campaigns?
• Do any elements or results factor into the final cost of a campaign?  

How will you adapt our campaigns to the future of advertising?

Emerging technology, new digital trends, and social media are constantly changing the advertising landscape. These changes are often immediate, but when an ad agency capitalizes on buzzy platforms and strategies, they can drastically improve a client’s campaign success. Find an ad agency that has a comprehensive understanding of where their industry is right now, and where it’s going in the future.

• What areas of advertising are the most lucrative right now?
• How do you see the advertising industry changing over the next 5 years?
• How do you plan to keep up with those changes?
• How will you create a long-term campaign that will evolve with changing trends?   

Be proactive in gathering information about the best advertising agencies, their previous clients, their successful (or unsuccessful) campaigns, and the emerging trends or elements you’re interested in incorporating into your own campaign. Not every agency will be forthcoming, so rely on yourself to get the information you need to stay in-the-know.

What’s more, ensure that any potential advertising agency does theirs as well. Any top agency will be able to immerse themselves in any industry, understanding competitors, and consumers before they create an ad campaign. Ensure that the one you choose is experienced in doing so. “Everything will fall into place once you truly understand what you are creating,” says Justin Jackson, art director at Merkley + Partners. “The imaginary idea bulb shines brightly.”

Although clientele and work experience are important, an agency’s company culture will tell you a lot about the employees they attract, their workflow and process, and whether or not they will be able to adapt to your brand identity throughout the course of a campaign.

Take note -- particularly during in-person meetings and pitches -- of their workspace and the employees around. Do they look like they are inspired, hardworking and enjoying their time at the agency? If you can, ask an agency what their core values and mission statement are as well. Chances are, if they align with your business’s beliefs and are upheld, you’ll be able to strike up a positive working relationship.

When you enlist the help of an advertising agency, you aren’t really hiring the company -- you’re hiring their talent pool. Therefore, it’s critical to recognize exactly who will be working with your brand and what they bring to the table.

Request potential team members’ names, previous experience, area of expertise and prior campaigns during the screening process. Plus, piggy-backing off of the all-important company culture, determine the draw of the company and the growth they have seen since working at the advertising agency. This will determine the growth and innovation that the advertising agency as a whole can foster, potentially increasing its worth.

Ultimately, you need to find the perfect advertising agency that suits every business need -- from cost to personal attention to innovation and production.

This is when the budget, in particular, really comes into play. For example, a small startup may not reap the benefits worth the high-cost of a world-renowned advertising agency. However, there are plenty of highly-skilled boutique agencies who will be able to work with smaller budgets and flexible resources while giving you the attention you deserve to excel.  

One of the most important attributes to look for in an agency partner is a proven record of success with other clients. Top ad agencies emphasize their portfolios and will be eager to share case studies that are bolstered by cold, hard data. While assessing a new partner, try to get a sense for the breadth of the agency’s experience. Have they worked with clients in your industry before? Have they tackled challenges that are similar to the ones you’re facing? The agency should be able to speak confidently about past projects and explain how previous experience positions them to be able to handle your account effectively.

There are benefits and drawbacks to choosing a brand name agency versus a smaller player. Regardless of size though, the best ad agencies are the ones that demonstrate commitment and passion to their industry through thought leadership. Look for an agency partner that regularly publishes blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, and other content that shows off their knowledge and skill. These materials are a great way to get a sense for where the agency’s expertise lies and can indicate an engagement with their trade that clients will benefit from.

The client-agency relationship requires a great amount of trust, which can’t be accomplished unless a true partnership is in place. Top ad agencies forge strong relationships with their clients through transparent communication. Switching agency partners every few years can be damaging and costly for your business because it takes time to onboard a new team and knowledge is often lost in the transfer. So it’s in everyone’s best interest to form a long-lasting partnership. Look for agencies who are able to keep accounts for long periods of time -- it’s a good indication that they value their clients and make strong communication a core value. 

Last, but certainly not least, is talent. Top ad agencies are only as strong as the talent they have on the team. The creatives working on your account are the ones who will make or break your campaigns. A strong line of copy, an exceptional vision for an ad -- these things can make all the difference. Take the time to try to assess the agency’s culture as this can provide clues about the types of people they’re able to attract. A culture that values creativity, passion, and experimentation is one that exceptional talent will gravitate toward.