When should you hire an agency, and when do you need someone to tell you what is wrong first?

An agency is useful when the job is clear.

If the business knows which customers it needs to reach, what the campaign should achieve and how results will be judged, an agency may be the right partner to plan or deliver the work.

It also helps to know who will manage the relationship, what access is needed and what decisions the agency can make.

Get clear first when the brief keeps changing.

If different people describe the problem in different ways, reports do not explain commercial results or the proposed solution changes every time a new channel is discussed, the business may need diagnosis before delivery.

A focused review can help define the question, inspect the evidence and make a decision about what work should happen next.

Ask what the partner will be accountable for.

A strong scope makes the work, inputs, decisions and measures clear. It also states what sits outside the agreement. That gives the business a fair basis for judging both agency work and internal contribution.

• What outcome are we trying to change?
• What evidence will show progress?
• What does the partner own?
• What does our team need to provide?

You may need both, in sequence.

Diagnosis and delivery are different jobs. An independent view can clarify the brief, after which an agency can execute the right work. Sometimes the existing agency can do both if it has the right capability and the business is clear about scope.