Finding the Right Marketing Partner

In Part 1 of this series, we discussed how to evaluate your marketing agency relationship and identify warning signs that may indicate it’s time for a change.

If you’ve reached that conclusion, the next question is obvious: How do you find the right agency partner?

Choosing an agency is a lot like hiring an employee. You’re not just buying a service; you’re selecting a partner who will influence your marketing strategy, customer growth and, ultimately, your business results. 

The wrong agency can lead to wasted investment, frustration and another round of scar tissue. The right one can become one of your strongest competitive advantages.

To add another perspective to this series, I spoke to Amy Ogden, founder of The Collective. Amy specializes in matching brands with agency partners and has facilitated over 330 successful brand-agency relationships over the past five years. She brings an independent perspective on what separates a good agency relationship from a great one. 

“The best agency search is not about finding the biggest agency or the cheapest option,” she says. “It’s about finding a partner who understands your goals, communicates clearly and has the capabilities to help you grow.”

Here are eight things every spa retailer should consider when evaluating a new agency partner.

1. Start with the problem you are trying to solve

One of the biggest mistakes I see retailers make is starting with the solution before defining the problem.

They say:

But the better question is: What business problem are we trying to solve?

Are you trying to:

The right agency depends on the challenge you are trying to solve. A great agency should spend time understanding your business before recommending a solution.

2. Understand what type of agency you actually need

Not all agencies are built the same.

Some specialize in website development or SEO, others focus on brand and messaging or growth/lead generation and others operate as a fractional marketing team that brings multiple disciplines together.

The key question is: What capabilities does my business need right now?

A retailer looking for a new website has a different need than a retailer looking to improve lead generation, automate follow-up or build a long-term marketing engine.

Make sure the agency’s strengths align with your goals.

3. Look beyond the sales presentation

Every agency looks good during the sales process. That is the easy part.

The more important question is: What happens after you sign?

During the selection process, ask questions like:

One common challenge in the agency world is that the senior people who sell the relationship are not always the people who deliver the work.

That does not automatically mean it is a bad agency, but you should understand who your actual partners will be. The best advice I got was from the chief marketing officer at the Red Cross, who said, “It’s not the name of the agency; it’s the people you have working on your particular project.” She would insist on interviewing every person who was going to work with us, no matter how large the team was. A great presentation means very little if the execution team does not have the experience or capacity to deliver.

It’s a distinction Ogden says brands often overlook.

“One of the biggest mistakes I see brands make is falling in love with the pitch instead of evaluating the partnership,” Ogden says. “The people you meet during the sales process may not be the people you work with every day. Meet the team that will actually be your partners. Do you like how they communicate? Do they understand your business? The long-term relationship after the contract is signed is what matters most.”

Listen to the SpaRetailer Podcast episode with Greg Haines

4. Ask what the first 90 days look like

A good agency should have a clear plan for getting started. Ask:

• What happens in the first 30 days?
• What information do you need from us?
• What accounts will you review?
• What opportunities will you identify?
• What early wins should we expect?
• When will we start seeing meaningful progress?

The first few months are critical because this is when the agency learns your business, market, customers and goals.

The best agency relationships are built on a strong foundation.

5. Does industry experience matter?

This is a question I hear often.

The short answer is: Yes, but it is not the only thing that matters.

An agency that knows the spa industry can often move faster because they already understand things like:

• Seasonal buying patterns
• Showroom traffic
• Financing promotions
• Manufacturer relationships
• Service and aftermarket opportunities
• Common customer questions

For example, an agency familiar with hot tub retail may understand which search terms are valuable, which ones waste money and how to structure follow-up campaigns.

However, industry experience alone is not enough. A great industry-specific agency that lacks strong marketing expertise will not produce great results. You need both marketing expertise and an understanding of your business.

6. Local vs. national agency: Which is better?

This is another area where there is no simple answer.

A local agency can provide:

• Face-to-face meetings
• Local market familiarity
• Personal relationships
• A national agency may provide:
• Broader experience
• Deeper specialization
• Access to a larger team

The question is not: Are they local or national?

The better question is: Do they understand my market, my customers and my business?

Beware of the mega agencies that service thousands of clients. They don’t bring economies of scale; they are designed as cookie cutters with the singular goal of grinding profits. There is one large firm that offers a combination of glossy magazines in upscale neighborhoods along with Meta ads. They had locked one of our clients (before we got there) into a three-year deal that we valued at about a quarter of what they were being charged. Even worse, all the ads were awareness. There was no search marketing or retargeting, and their whole budget was committed.

A smaller to midsize agency that understands your business and provides attention is likely a better partner.

7. Protect yourself from day one

Many of the issues discussed in Part 1 can be prevented before you ever sign an agreement.

Make sure you own your:

• Website
• Domain
• Google Ads account
• Meta account
• Analytics
• CRM data
• Intellectual property

Your agency should work inside your accounts, not require you to work inside theirs.

Be cautious of agencies that:

• Require long-term contracts without flexibility
• Use proprietary dashboards that hide data
• Claim special relationships with Google or Meta
• Will not explain exactly what you are receiving
• A good agency partner should be comfortable with transparency.

8. Ask for references and compare options

You should never hire an agency based only on a great sales meeting.

Ask for references and talk to current or former clients. Ask:

• Are they responsive?
• Do they deliver what they promise?
• Do they bring ideas?
• Do they communicate well?
• Would you hire them again?

I also recommend talking to multiple agencies, not because you need a formal bidding process, but because comparing approaches helps you understand different strategies, personalities and levels of expertise.

The goal is not to find the cheapest option; it’s to find the best fit.