Marketing is critical. Even great products and services can fall by the wayside if a brand’s message doesn’t connect and elicit a response. You need great creative, excellent design, and a targeted message.
So now comes the big question: How and who? Do you hire an ad agency, or bring someone in-house?
Cost Isn’t Just a Number—It’s a Trade-Off
Often, the first move a marketing VP makes when in need of fresh creative and design is to scan the deliverables and start doing mental math:
“What’s the most cost-effective way to make this brand shine?”
It’s a fair question. The perception is that agencies are expensive. But if you’ve been anywhere near the HR world over the past few years, you know that employees have become much more costly.
Cost is a two-sided factor:
- Bottom-line cost
- Opportunity cost
Either way, you’re buying access—to experience, tools, objectivity, and creativity.
But Can an Agency Offer Even More?
What if you could tap into a brain trust that’s been through the fire with dozens of brands—not just yours? What if you could get a mental variety show of new ideas, strategic insight, and fast execution?
So the real question becomes: If I can “afford” an agency, what else might come along with it?
1. A Well-Oiled Machine
Agencies aren’t just a team. They’re a plug-and-play network with all the ingredients a brand needs to succeed: Creatives, developers, animators, media buyers, and platform pros—people and tools you’d spend months trying to find (and trust) on your own. Need a niche expert who can turn something around yesterday? Done. Want early access to a beta tool? We’re probably already in it. You’re not just hiring what’s on staff—you’re unlocking a vetted ecosystem.
2. We See Patterns You Can’t From the Inside
You know your brand better than anyone. But we see what’s happening across industries, audiences, and budgets—in real time. That means fewer guesses and more informed decisions. What worked for a DTC brand last quarter might unlock something huge for your B2B funnel tomorrow. When you bring in an agency, you skip months of trial and error and start with momentum.
3. You’re Buying Experience—Not Just Execution
You don’t need another vendor checking boxes. You need a partner who can help steer the ship, especially when things get choppy. The best agencies don’t just think about your current campaign. They think about the next campaign and long-term brand equity. We’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. And we’re not afraid to challenge assumptions if it saves you time, money, and momentum.
Now Back to the Budget…
You do the math on the new hire—and we’ll pack as much design, creative power, and trust into your budget as possible. Compare those numbers, and I bet we start looking a lot more budget-friendly—with extra perks baked in.
Bottom Line
When you’re sizing up how to accomplish your marketing mission, zoom out. Think about the who, the how, and the why. You’re not just buying services. You’re buying insight, clarity, connections, and foresight. You’re not paying for tasks. You’re investing in traction.