Now Is the Moment: A Call to Shape the Future of Agency–Brand Partnerships

A call for marketers and agencies to participate in the 2025 Marketing Relationship Survey, before it’s too late.

Every year, hundreds of marketers tell us the same thing in different ways: “This partnership could be better.”

Sometimes it’s communication. Sometimes it’s delivery. Sometimes it’s strategy, transparency, leadership changes, or simple misalignment.

But the feeling is consistent, and we have several years of data to back it up.

For six consecutive years, Setup’s Marketing Relationship Survey has tracked the shifting dynamics between agencies and brands. And if you’ve worked on either side of the relationship, you already know: the past few years have been… a lot. We’ve survived a global pandemic, and we’ve transformed our industry again and again and again to meet technological updates, industry changes, and consumer expectations.

A quick look at the last five years

Partnership performance is changing by the year…

• 2020: 1 in 3 brands said they would evaluate their agency in the next three months.

• 2021: 30% of brands planned to switch agencies within six months.

• 2022: That jumped to 38%.

• 2023: It spiked to 55% — the highest we’ve ever seen.

• 2024: It cooled to 40%, but nearly 70% of brands conducted agency reviews — a massive sign that dissatisfaction hasn’t disappeared, it’s just evolving.

If you’re a marketer or an agency leader, this probably doesn’t surprise you. The expectations are higher. The pressure is real. Business needs shift faster than scopes can keep up.

And the truth is, both sides are trying, but they’re not always hearing each other. That’s exactly why your voice is so important.

Why does the Survey Exist?

The 2025 Marketing Relationship Survey is a mirror to help the entire industry finally see the same picture.

Brands use the findings to:

• Understand how peers choose, evaluate, and switch agency partners

• Benchmark internal team structure, in-housing trends, and budget expectations

• Identify which agency capabilities are increasing (or decreasing) in demand

• Get ahead of performance issues before the partnership breaks down

Agencies use the findings to:

• Clarify what clients really care about (hint: delivery and strategic alignment continue to top the list) so that they can show up better

• Strengthen retention by understanding why clients leave — and how to prevent it

• Forecast where demand is growing (branding, social, CRM, and web continue rising)

• Improve communication, scoping, and team structure

This survey bridges the gap so both sides can actually do their best work.

Why Your Participation Matters in 2025

We’re at a turning point. Agencies are trying to stay relevant when AI is at the table; clients are trying to stand out strategically and creatively against all the noise. 

2023 showed the highest churn levels in years. 2024 showed the highest review levels we’ve ever seen. What happens next depends on what leaders like you share now.

Sharing candidly about your wins, your frustrations, your hopes for better partnerships helps shape an industry-wide understanding of what needs to change and how we can change. 

The more voices we have, the clearer the picture becomes, and the more of a bridge we can build. After all, communication is the key to any successful partnership. But working in silos and never expressing what is wrong won’t help anyone. 

What’s in it for you?

When you participate, you’re first in line to receive:

1. The full 2025 Insights Report + Early access to comparison data

Take a look at trendlines, charts, and recommendations you can act on. Benchmark your team or agency against industry peers.

2. A clearer view of what’s coming next

Notable shifts just from the last year:

• Branding/identity + social media rise to the very top.

• Content demand dips but remains #3 (still critical, just less “front-of-mind”).

• PR drops sharply (from ~50% needing PR to ~27%).

• Shopper marketing demand triples (from 5% to 15%).

• Multicultural marketing doubles in importance (5% → 12%), though still lowest overall.

We will share insights from AI adoption to in-housing to partnership expectations so you know how to prepare and where to allocate your budget in the new year. For agencies, do you need to invest your energy in specializations or more team members? Brands, where do you really need help?

Notable for brands:

• Your peers are investing heavily in brand, social, CRM, and shopper — the “front door” to consumer experience.

• The survey gives you a way to justify where you allocate external partner dollars (e.g., “others are leaning into branding + CRM; we’re underinvested”).

Notable for agencies:

• If you’re strong in branding, social, CRM, shopper, or multicultural, you’re sitting in growth categories.

• If you’re PR-only or heavily PR-weighted, the trend suggests a need to reposition, expand capabilities, or deepen your integration with brand + social work.

3. Tools to strengthen your relationships

Including scorecards, evaluation templates, and actionable checklists.

This isn’t research for research’s sake. It’s a practical toolkit for making your relationships work better — this quarter, this year, and long-term. Based on this research, we will develop guides to help you evaluate your agencies and partnerships better, and assess your chemistry. No more wasted time, money, or resources. Get to the point immediately. 

If You’ve Ever Said “I Wish My Agency/Client Just Understood Us Better…”

This is your chance to help make that happen.

The 2025 Marketing Relationship Survey takes 5-10 minutes.
It influences 365 days of better industry alignment.

Together, we can build healthier, more collaborative, more effective partnerships — the kind that move business forward and make the work fun again.

Ready to add your voice?