5 Things to Keep in Mind while Hiring a Design Agency

• What exactly am I getting?
• Where does the agency get the font and stock images from?
• What all team members will be working on the project? Will a copywriter be part of the team?
• Who will own the rights to the creatives?
• What will the circumstances be if I cancel the project midway?

Every brand, now or later, plans to invest their time and effort in hiring a design agency. The brand may or may not have an experienced Marketing Manager, or maybe is a start-up, and is considering a service provider to outsource its creative work or get a few new ideas to help it grow. Now, that you have found the agency that you were looking for, which has a great portfolio, a solid proposal, and some good people at the company, but you are still not sure to take the plunge? You are wondering if something could go wrong.

While you at it, I’d like to share a few tips that’ll help you pick the right agency for your brand. All the agencies these days are working on a similar structure, but a few of them are transparent and work with a pure spirit to help their client grow. While I was working at my previous agency for some brands, I figured out how it was stealing from the client, in terms of money, resources, and trust. As a brand signing up with an agency, you should be well-aware of what you are getting into. You’ll have to believe in the agency for your brand’s marketing success, so why not review a few steps before you get in bed with one. I would suggest that you get the answers to these 5 following questions while you are in the process of hiring your one true brand design agency:

What Exactly am I Getting?

Don’t assume things; don’t assume that everything shared during a Proposal Presentation is what you’ll get. Ask! Ask what is being promised, and ask what percentage of the promised will be fulfilled. Many times due to miscommunication, brands do not get what they were promised.So, while signing the contract you shouldbe consciously present.

We, at The Marcom Avenue as the integrated marketing agency in India have a transparent policy; we share the deliverables with our clients, and always meet the target within the allotted time. It is important for the brand to be able to trust their partner in growth, and yes, it is better to be safe than sorry and over budget.

Where Does The Agency Get the Font and Stock Images From?

Nowadays getting caught in copyright issues brings bad fame and makes an unnecessary hole in the pocket. The brand should be aware and awake as to where the stock images, vectors, fonts, icons, etc., are coming from? More specifically, you should want to know whether:

• The images and fonts used in the project are licensed.
• The sound used in the background of a gif/video/any other format is licensed.
• Are you allowed to use the licensed images and fonts separately, or if you can only use the license only as a completed project.

The Marcom Avenue, a design agency in India, offers designs with licence elements, which furthers builds trust and faith in the on-going professional relationship with its clients.

What All Team Members Will Be Working on The Project? Will a Copywriter Be Part of the Team?

While you are interacting or meeting with a design agency during the hiring process, it is a possibility that you are speaking with top management or sales or business development person of the organisation. You should know who will be taking upon your brand and working on it. Also, it is very critical that a copywriter is involved in designing the marketing agenda of your brands. It is because a copywriter is up-to-date on the current trends and can lead your brand amongst the trending topics.

Having a copywriter on the team is also important, as it’ll save the brand from embarrassing goof-ups. It’ll help in recognizing errors, and present a flawless marketing campaign. The Marcom Avenue is one of the most trusted design agencies in India. It has hired full-time content creators, designers, social media experts and SEO experts in their team to deliver the best results to its clients.

Who Will Own The Rights to The Creatives?

When there are creative people involved in a project, either it is a designer or a photographer or a content creator, it should be explicitly mentioned in the agreement or contract as to who will own the rights of the creatives post the delivery of the project. You should be aware if you have exclusive rights to the work, or could design agency also sell it to other clients and distributors? Some agencies retain the rights of the creative work, but some immediately transfer the rights of the work. So, it should be your responsibility to make yourself aware of the same, and take action in what so ever direction you are interested in.

What Will The Circumstances Be if I Cancel The Project Midway?

Let’s assume that for some uneventful reasons you have to quit working with the agency, what will happen then? How much do you owe the agency, how will this whole thing work out? This is a critical situation for the agency as well as for the brand (you). For such a scenario, you should have asked to create a clause. Depending on how kind is the agency, you can adapt the clause. Some agencies ask for a ‘Kill Fee’, a charge that the brand has to pay to quit from the project, whereas some agencies charge the full amount of the project, and some kind agencies only charge the amount for the work done.

Now that you have some questions answered, I’d still suggest that you weigh all your options and then make a final decision. Try to not feel overwhelmed and be more confident while going through this whole process. I understand that it is a tough decision to put your faith, money and time in an external organization, but the design agency is an expert in the field and will try to get you the results you have been looking for. Once you have selected the agency, get a review process in place and stick with it. While you are working with the agency, you should keep a check on the output of the work. And after all, it is going to be your decision, and your guts, which will make or break the situation. So, good luck in hiring your design agency!