How to Choose Your Advertising and Branding Agency Carefully?

The image you put out into the world is very important in deciding whether your business will be successful or not. Presenting the perfect image with the rightly crafted campaign is absolutely essential. You will have to take a call on whether you will do it yourself or you will hire an outside agency for help. Oftentimes, it is seen that when a company tries to do their own advertising and branding, they lose focus on their core business functions. It will prove wiser to hire advertising agencies in Dubai to help you start out with your campaign.

An advertising and branding agency takes care of all your marketing activities right from attracting clients to public relations. Sometimes, they also do non-advertising functions such as designing the product. There are many top advertising agencies in Dubai that you can hire for these activities but not all of them may be a perfect match for your company. You have to be very careful in choosing the right advertising and branding agency that can work well with you and provide you with the services that you want.

Here are a few steps to guide you in choosing the right agency for your business

Clarity on your requirements

This is the first and most significant step in making the right decision. Ask yourself whether an advertising agency is what you require and if so, what the services are that you will require from them. You have to have clarity on what you require and once you have that vision your task becomes a lot easier. When you know what you want, you can choose an agency that will deliver it to you. Also make sure that the key decision makers in your company also know what your goals are so that all of you can take a decision unanimously.

Create a list of agencies that suit you

This step requires some research. Once your requirements are clear to you, the next step is to do proper research and shortlist those agencies that you think will do the best job. You can get to know about advertising companies in UAE through referrals or searching on the internet or even using online freelancing platforms. Another way to find a great agency is to find a campaign that has impressed you very much and search for the agency that did that campaign. Once you get a list of agencies, visit their websites and profiles and shortlist the ones you like the best. The website or social media pages of an advertising agency can tell you a lot about the quality of that agency’s work.

Analyse their portfolios

Portfolios of agencies show the work they have done so far. Analysing portfolios gives you a chance to find out details on the campaigns they have conducted, how they dealt with their clients and the outcome of those campaigns. This can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of the agencies. Question the agency on all that you need to know. Their answers should give you greater clarity on whether they will meet your needs.

Find out whether the agency has experience in your niche market

If an advertising agency has previous experience in your industry, they will know what are the challenges that may come your way, and what the industry expects from a business like yours. They will be better prepared to face everything that may come your way and so provide a smooth service. But hiring an experienced agency also has its setbacks. They might be too invested in their already established routine and might not think of newer and more unique promotional strategies. An agency that is completely new to the industry sees a big opportunity before them and they might be able to come up with newer ideas to promote your business in the best way. They will be more excited to get into a new industry and will do the best they can to establish themselves there. You have to decide whether you want an experienced agency or one without any experience after interacting with them.

Analyse the channels on which they offer their services

Different agencies have different experiences on various channels of marketing. Some agencies may offer their services on only one platform while some may offer their services on two or more. The type of marketing channel depends on the agency. Knowing your target market gives you an idea on how to reach your clients. Different consumer segments are exposed to different platforms. Once you know what the platforms are, you can choose an agency that provides the best service on those platforms. The best advertising agencies in Dubai offer other services in addition to advertising. These can be an added benefit when hiring an agency.

Request and review proposals

After you have again shortlisted the candidates to hire after analysis of their portfolios, request proposals from them. This is when you can really get to know about the different agencies. Carefully review these proposals and do not be afraid to negotiate on any clause. After all, you are looking to get the best value. After careful review and negotiation, you can decide on the best agency that will represent you and hire them.

An advertising and branding agency can help you reach a wider audience. As long as you carefully analyse and hire the right agency, they can help you put out the right image to the right audience. You can always ask for the opinions of industry peers when hiring an agency but keep in mind your gut instinct and your affinity with the agency can provide the best results.

An advertising agency in UAE can provide you with some of the best services in the industry and take your business to a larger market. Take your time and carefully analyse the choices you have to choose the one you think is the best fit for you. The right agency will give you a good return on investment and take your businesses to places that you might not have been able to reach alone.