What Is A Creative Agency?
The marketing and communications industry is ever changing, and agencies’ roles continue to evolve with it. Back in the days of traditional advertising (think: Mad Men), the word ‘agency’ was one-size-fits-all. But today, it’s typically accompanied by some sort of specialization (think: digital, creative, PR). As marketing touch points expand, it’s nearly impossible for any one agency to expertly handle them all. And the ultimate goal of an agency, no matter what kind, is to expertly serve its clients.
Let’s dive into a few of the different agency types — and how they can work together to create a full-service experience.
Creative Agencies
Creative agencies create brands and bring brand stories to life. Creative agencies specialize in design and messaging that is rooted in strategy. They build brands from the ground up (think: visual design, company names, messaging) and create ongoing traditional marketing materials (think: billboards, packaging, radio ads).
Digital Agencies
Digital agencies manage a brand’s online presence. Digital agencies specialize in digital ads (think: social media and pay per click), website builds, SEO, and app development. They don’t create brands, but they help brands tell their stories online — and to the right people.
Public Relations Agencies
PR agencies promote brands and products. PR agencies manage communication efforts, such as press coverage and crisis communications. They are responsible for furthering brand reputation and raising brand awareness through earned media coverage.
Agencies Working Together
The truth is, many agencies do offer a full scope of services. For example, HDco is a creative agency, meaning that building brands is what we do best. However, we also have the ability to create websites and promote brands online and through the media. The same idea applies to almost any agency in the marketing and communications realm. It’s not that a digital agency can’t create a logo, it’s just that logo design isn’t what it does best.
Oftentimes, one specialized agency will collaborate with another to best serve its clients. HDco recently partnered with a digital agency to create a custom Shopify website for one of our clients. We are building the client’s brand and the digital agency is building the website. This is in the best interest of everyone involved: Our team is now free to focus solely on the brand and our client gets a top-of-the-line Shopify website.
Some agencies may white label these services (think: HDco takes credit for the website build even though it was technically outsourced). This is a common practice, but we are always up front about our partners. We’re intentional about the agencies we collaborate with, and we select partners that will best serve our clients. Our clients are our top priority, and we want them to have the best of the best. That’s why we have adopted the ‘experts hire experts’ mentality. We are not digital or PR experts. We are creative experts.
When agencies have a niche, you can be confident that they are experts at what they do. So yes, we can build you a website. But our most valuable service is our branding.
