What Types of Marketing Agencies are Clients Hiring?

In the 2022 Setup Marketing Relationship Marketing Relationship Survey, we surveyed over 300 Marketing respondents to uncover the behaviors and priorities of Brand and Agency marketing leaders.

From discussing How Clients Feel About Their Agencies, to What Clients Want From Their Agencies, there is so much to reveal and explore. But what are marketers spending their resources on? What types of agencies are being sought after for their specific marketing disciplines?

In 2022, we found that Clients were working most frequently with agencies that specialize in:

Branding/Identity
Media Planning/Buying
Public Relations (PR)
Web/Mobile Design/Development
Content Creation/Video

Why might these disciplines be more of a priority?

Well, the world is now completely digital. Due to the pandemic, that’s also just how most businesses operate. So prioritizing Web Design is a must, alongside Media Planning/Buying so that businesses can reach their customers, who are living a lot of their lives online.

Despite being mostly digital though, Brands are finding success by humanizing themselves. Whether that is relating to their consumers through content or video, or having a solid, relatable brand identity, consumers like to know that there are people behind an organization.

With 2020 came a lot of revelation and reflection. People want to do right (or at least have the perception that they care). They also want to stand out above competition for what they bring to the table, thus making PR a priority.

Some changes from 2021 to 2022 were that Content Creation/Video work was not as much of a priority in 2022 as it was in 2021. Multicultural work by Agencies also increased fairly significantly.

Why does knowing this matter?

It’s important to know what other Marketers are spending on in the industry. Brands could also invest in these categories, or find an untouched discipline that would make them stand out. Marketing Agencies can use this information to inform their strategies, acquire or partner with other Agencies with these capabilities, or articulate their unique value in the market.

We are launching the 2023 Marketing Relationship Survey soon. Subscribe to the newsletter below to get updates on taking the survey and see the latest results!

Featured

How Client-Side Marketers Find Marketing Agencies

According to the 2023 Setup Marketing Relationship Survey, Word-of-mouth and Referrals consistently remain the most frequent methods Clients use to find new Agency Partners.

This has been the case for the last five years of the Marketing Relationship Survey.

What does this mean for Clients + Agencies? How can they optimize their efforts with this knowledge?

Setup Pulse - 4.29.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about the new Chief AI Officer role, latest news on the TikTik ban, X’s streaming services, dogs flying, super heroes coming to life, and more…

CMO Spotlight | Joe Foster - Reebok

Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with the Co-Founder of Reebok, Joe Foster, about the foundation behind building a strong brand, the importance of listening as a leader, Winston Churchill, and more.

The Evolution of Marketing: How AI is Reshaping Marketing in 2024

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, it might feel impossible to keep up. Staying ahead of the curb is as important as having your morning coffee – miss it, and you might find yourself dozing off at the wheel.

You can’t go anywhere without hearing people talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI), but it isn't just a fancy buzzword; it's critical to making sure you aren’t missing key opportunities. Elaine Fowler, Director of Market Strategy, Experience & Marketing at Sagepath Reply, shares how marketers can best optimize AI to improve their marketing strategy.

CMO Spotlight | Alec Hanson - loanDepot

Setup President, Amanda Thompson, spoke with Alec Hanson, the Chief Marketing Officer at loanDepot, about how his irrational self-confidence allows him to embrace his inner nerd, the beauty of perspective, the power of sales experience, and more.

Which Agency Services Are Clients Using the Most?

According to the Setup Marketing Relationship Survey, Clients leaned more heavily into content creation and video in 2023 than previous years by 15%. Since video content is more accessible to all types of people and is easier to consume and understand in short bursts, it makes sense that Clients would take advantage of platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. What other disciplines have been a brand priority?

Setup Pulse - 4.15.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about the new CBO role, how brands reacted to the Eclipse, AI news, and more…

CMO Spotlight | Alex Cwirko-Godycki - Aon

Setup President, Amanda Thompson, spoke with Alex Cwirko-Godycki, the Chief Marketing Officer of Human Capital and the Head of Digital Marketing at Aon, about his problem solving skills, the power of simplicity, United Airlines’ relatable motto, and more.

Client vs. Agency Side Marketing: Understanding the Different Career Paths

Marketers graduating from college often ask me whether they should pursue client- or agency-side opportunities for their initial job out of college. I tell them that in the long term, it is always best to get experience with both, but initially, a stint on the agency-side provides more opportunities to learn about different marketing roles, industries, and experiences than the client-side.

Joe Koufman, Founder and CEO of Setup, the matchmakers bridging the gap between agencies and brands, and Andrea Striebel, the VP of Marketing for Floor & Decor, share their thoughts on agency- vs client-side careers.

#MarketingMixer | Capability Showcase Recap - 10 Case Studies in 90 Minutes

At Setup, we work with some of the finest marketing agencies across the nation with an array of capabilities. Our most recent March #MarketingMixer gave our partners a platform to share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into their process, strategy, and campaign results in under two hours. Ten case studies in 90 minutes, with some fun trivia in between, featuring an array of brands like adidas, ParkMobile, PAMA, Prudential, and more.

Setup Pulse - 4.1.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about Meta’s political ban, toilet paper ads we’re stuck on, Starbuck’s CMO no more, and more…

CMO Spotlight | Amy Comeau - Emory Healthcare

Setup CEO and Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with Amy Comeau, the Vice President of Marketing for Emory Healthcare, to share about her journey from vocal performance and Opera houses to Healthcare, building collaborative bridges, passion for Publix, the power of her mother’s words, and more.

What Client-Side Marketers Want (and Don’t Want) from their Marketing Agency Partners

In the last 10 years, Setup has conducted five Marketing Relationship Surveys, connected over 800 Brands and Agencies, conversed with well over 1000 Brand-sides marketers, and enacted 50+ Agency Assessments for Agency partners. Here’s the secret: Clients just want to have good chemistry! But how do you develop it?

6 Questions for Inspirational Women in Marketing Series | Part 13

To celebrate women in the marketing profession and to continue highlighting them throughout Women’s History Month, we asked women marketing leaders to contribute to our Women in Marketing Series detailing their personal triumphs, tribulations, and advice about working in the marketing industry. Part 13 features leaders from Nationwide, NAPA, Neogen Corporation, and Pratt Industries, Inc.

Setup Pulse - 3.18.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about brand purpose, B2B Marketing efforts, Michael CeraVe, and more…

CMO Spotlight | Pam Piligian - Navy Federal Credit Union

Setup President, Amanda Thompson, virtually sat down with Pam Piligian, the CMO and SVP of Navy Federal Credit Union, to discuss her admiration for Chick-fil-A, her experience at Ocean Spray, and her ability to charm consumers.

March Madness is in the "Air"

It may be hard to believe today, but the Nike basketball sneaker department was hanging on by a shoe lace, struggling to make any headway against Converse and Adidas in 1984.

What steps did the Nike team take to put them back on the map? And how did Michael Jordan impact that success?

6 Questions for Inspirational Women in Marketing Series | Part 12

Our ongoing Women in Marketing series highlights marketing leaders from different backgrounds and industries who continue to innovate and push the boundaries of their role.

This segment features the advice and journeys of leaders from CVS Health, Prudential, and more.

Setup Pulse - 3.4.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about AI as a tool for marketers, Wendy’s cost experiments, Apple’s executive team, and more…

CMO Spotlight | Sheraun Britton-Parris - Cordance

In the spirit of Black History Month, Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Sheraun Britton-Parris, the Chief Marketing Officer at Cordance, to discuss why following her gut is her superpower, the importance of customer-centric marketing, and the inspirational story of how Nathan Nearest Green, an enslaved black man, taught Jack Daniels.

Why Clients End Their Agency Relationships + Why Agencies Think They Do

After surveying over 300 marketers on both the Agency and Client side, we were able to determine that there is a disconnect between why Clients fire Agencies, and why Agencies think they are fired. By pointing out this misunderstanding, both parties may be able to communicate better to salvage relationships or grow from the feedback.

Dissatisfaction with an Agency’s value is the number one reason why a Client ends an Agency relationship. But do Agencies know this?

Setup Pulse - 2.19.24

7 Notable Marketing Lessons from Super Bowl LVIII Ads

Evan Rosenthal, Setup's Business Development Manager and resident football fanatic, shares his take on the 2024 Super Bowl ads. As a company that focuses solely on benefiting and evaluating marketers, we've seen our fair share of ads. These were our favorite.

The Personal Touch of Technology in 2024

In this industry blog featuring the Technology sector, we have insights from a Cyber Technology + Services company, as well as a Wireless Services company, giving us a wide perspective of the innovation and next steps for companies protecting and expanding our networks.

The following responses are from Colleen Murphy-Gomez, Vice President of Marketing, iBwave Solutions Inc., and Noa Benari, the Vice President of Marketing at Sygnia.

Setup Pulse - 2.5.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about Sprite’s newest environmentally friendly product campaign, Setup’s anniversary, artists fight with AI, and more…

CMO Spotlight | Jacqueline Woods - Teradata

In the spirit of Black History Month, our CEO, Joe Koufman, recently virtually connected with Jacqueline Woods, the Chief Marketing Officer at Teradata. Join us in this insightful conversation that goes beyond marketing strategies and delves into Woods’ journey to becoming a marketing leader, advice she would share with other marketers, where she finds inspiration, and more. Let's honor and celebrate diversity, leadership, and the impactful journey of Jacqueline Woods.

CMO Spotlight | Ami Badani - Arm

Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Ami Badani, the Chief Marketing Officer at Arm, to talk about the power of relationship building, Louis Vuitton’s powerful impact as a brand, and more.

Marketing, the Applied Division of Psychology

Jake McKenzie, the CEO of Intermark Group, a leading firm in psychology-driven marketing, shares his thoughts on the Professional Services industry, and how marketers can improve their data use overall.

Setup's 10th Anniversary | Thank You

As Setup celebrates our 10th anniversary, we reflect on a decade of pioneering the art of marketing matchmaking. From our early days as AgencySparks to our rebrand in 2019 to become Setup and all the way to today, we've been dedicated to bridging the gap between brands seeking expert marketing support and agencies capable of delivering outstanding results.

Setup Pulse - 1.22.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about The Bear’s Emmy wins and it’s influence on marketing, Third Party Cookie updates, news regarding the CMO role, and more…

Marketing Industry/TrendsSetup - marketing matchmakersMay 9, 2023marketing relationship surveyComment

What Types of Marketing Agencies are Clients Hiring?

In 2022, we found that Clients were working most frequently with agencies that specialize in:

Branding/Identity

Media Planning/Buying

Public Relations (PR)

Web/Mobile Design/Development

Content Creation/Video

Why might these disciplines be more of a priority?

Why does knowing this matter?

Navigation

For Brands

For Agencies