Marketing agency types

by Rebecca Bellairs

"Agency" means a lot of different things.

A creative agency, a media agency, a performance agency and an influencer agency can all support marketing but they typically deliver different activities, work in different ways, and own different outcomes.

This guide breaks down the main marketing agency types, what each is responsible for, and what you’d use them for in practice.

Related guides:

Why agency type matters

Agency type affects:

  • what work gets delivered
  • what outcomes an agency should be accountable for
  • how collaboration works day to day
  • how you measure success
  • and what the right selection criteria should be

If you define the agency type early, shortlisting and pitching becomes much easier, and you’re more likely to appoint the right partner.

The main marketing agency types

Creative agencies

What they do
Creative agencies help define and express a brand through campaigns, ideas, and creative systems.

Typical activities

  • creative strategy and campaign planning
  • concept development and creative direction
  • brand storytelling and messaging
  • content direction and creative systems
  • campaign asset development (in partnership with production, in house, or specialist teams)

Outcomes they’re responsible for

  • stronger brand impact and creative effectiveness
  • campaign performance and engagement (when measured)
  • distinctive creative consistency
  • a creative direction the business can execute against

You’d use them for…

  • developing campaign ideas and creative platforms
  • shaping brand storytelling and messaging
  • launching products or entering new markets
  • creating creative systems that scale across channels
  • defining creative direction for in-house or production partners

Production agencies

What they do
Production partners help teams deliver marketing assets and content at scale - from campaign rollout to always on production. They’re responsible for turning strategy and creative direction into finished assets that are consistent, on time, and ready to run across channels.

Typical activities

  • campaign rollout production across formats and channels
  • versioning, localisation and asset adaptation
  • post production (editing, sound, grading, motion)
  • design production and asset resizing
  • tooling and workflow management for production efficiency
  • quality assurance and brand consistency checks
  • supporting faster iteration (including AI supported production where appropriate)

Outcomes they’re responsible for

  • on time delivery of production output
  • consistent asset quality and brand alignment
  • scalable production workflows
  • reduced cost and time per asset (where relevant)
  • reliable governance around approvals, usage and QA

You’d use them for…

  • scaling asset production across channels and formats
  • rolling out campaigns with high variant requirements
  • localisation and multi market adaptation
  • speeding up iteration and creative testing production
  • building production workflows that support always on marketing

Design agencies

What they do
Design agencies support brand identity, product marketing design, websites, and experience design.

Typical activities

  • brand identity and design systems
  • website design and UX/UI
  • product marketing and campaign design
  • packaging and digital assets
  • creative systems and templates

Outcomes they’re responsible for

  • quality and consistency of design outputs
  • improved brand expression
  • improved user experience (where relevant)
  • design systems that scale across channels

You’d use them for…

  • brand identity and design system work
  • website design and major redesigns
  • product marketing design systems and templates
  • improving experience design across digital touchpoints
  • building scalable design standards for marketing teams

Content agencies

What they do
Content agencies plan and produce content at scale across formats.

Typical activities

  • content strategy and planning
  • production workflows and creation
  • editing, QC and brand consistency
  • repurposing across platforms
  • content reporting and performance learning

Outcomes they’re responsible for

  • volume and quality of content delivery
  • consistency against brand and message
  • production efficiency
  • performance improvement through iteration

You’d use them for…

  • producing content at scale across formats and channels
  • running content planning and production workflows
  • building a reliable production rhythm
  • repurposing content efficiently across platforms
  • improving content performance through consistent iteration

Media agencies

What they do
Media agencies plan and manage paid media investment across channels. They’re typically responsible for media strategy, channel mix, buying, optimisation and reporting.

Channels they typically cover
Linear TV and BVOD (plus CTV where relevant), OOH, Radio, Print, Search (Google/Bing), Paid Social (Meta/TikTok/LinkedIn), Programmatic & Display, YouTube and online video, and Digital audio - depending on the brief, budgets and audience.

Typical activities

  • media strategy and channel planning
  • audience strategy and targeting
  • budget allocation across channels
  • buying and optimisation
  • reporting, insight and learning cycles
  • test and learn programmes
  • partner and platform management

Outcomes they’re responsible for

  • effective use of media budgets
  • improved performance and efficiency over time
  • consistent reporting and accountability
  • insight that supports smarter future investment

You’d use them for…

  • planning and managing paid media investment
  • building an integrated channel strategy across upper and lower funnel
  • improving the effectiveness and efficiency of media spend
  • creating disciplined reporting and insight cycles
  • running paid media delivery across markets and audiences

Performance media agencies

What they do
Performance agencies focus on measurable growth through paid channels, testing, optimisation, and structured learning.

Channels they typically cover
Paid Search (Google/Bing), Paid Social (Meta/TikTok/Snap/LinkedIn), Shopping / feed management, Display and retargeting, and sometimes App or Affiliate depending on the model.

Typical activities

  • performance strategy and account structure
  • campaign build and ongoing optimisation
  • bidding and budget management
  • creative testing frameworks (often in collaboration with creative partners)
  • landing page / conversion testing support
  • measurement and reporting
  • experimentation and learning cycles

Outcomes they’re responsible for

  • acquisition and conversion performance
  • efficiency (CPA/ROAS/CAC) and improvement over time
  • structured learning and repeatable optimisation
  • transparent reporting that supports decision-making

You’d use them for…

  • acquisition and conversion growth through paid channels
  • ongoing optimisation, testing and learning cycles
  • improving performance measurement and reporting
  • scaling performance activity across channels and markets
  • supplementing internal performance capability with specialist expertise

Social media agencies

What they do
Social agencies manage the strategy and delivery of always on social presence - including content planning, creation and channel execution.

Channels they typically cover
Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube Shorts, Facebook, X, Pinterest - plus emerging channels depending on your audience and category.

Typical activities

  • social strategy and channel planning
  • content calendars and publishing rhythm
  • social first content creation (short form video, static, stories, UGC style formats)
  • community management and engagement
  • creator / UGC coordination (sometimes)
  • social performance reporting and iteration

Outcomes they’re responsible for

  • consistent channel execution
  • content and engagement performance
  • audience growth and community management
  • learnings and iteration over time
  • a social presence that reflects brand and business priorities

You’d use them for…

  • running always on social channels at a consistent cadence
  • managing content planning and publishing workflows
  • producing social first content across formats
  • building engagement and community management capability
  • improving social performance through iteration and learning

Influencer agencies

What they do
Influencer agencies plan and run creator partnerships to drive reach, credibility, and content performance.

Typical activities

  • creator strategy and influencer identification
  • partnership negotiation and management
  • campaign planning and execution
  • content approvals, rights and usage management
  • reporting, performance and brand safety governance

Outcomes they’re responsible for

  • creator campaign performance (reach, engagement, influence)
  • high quality creator partnerships and content
  • governance around brand safety and compliance
  • efficient workflow across briefs, approvals, and delivery

You’d use them for…

  • developing a creator strategy and partnership programme
  • running influencer campaigns end to end
  • sourcing and managing creator relationships
  • managing rights, approvals, and governance
  • building influencer as a repeatable channel rather than one off activations

Martech agencies

What they do
Martech agencies implement and optimise marketing technology systems, automation, measurement stacks and integrations.

Typical activities

  • martech implementation (CRM, automation, analytics)
  • journey design and automation setup
  • data and tracking setup
  • integration planning and execution
  • documentation, governance, and handover

Outcomes they’re responsible for

  • system stability and usability
  • improved marketing automation performance
  • improved data quality and measurement
  • documented processes and capability building

You’d use them for…

  • implementing or upgrading marketing technology platforms
  • designing and building automation journeys
  • setting up measurement stacks and tracking
  • integrating marketing systems with CRM and data tools
  • documenting and handing over systems to support long term internal ownership

Choosing the right agency type (quick starting point)

Start with the outcome you need:

  • Brand shift / campaign impact → Creative agencies
  • Paid media strategy + buying → Media agencies
  • Growth + optimisation → Performance media agencies
  • Always on channel presence → Social media agencies
  • Creators + partnerships → Influencer agencies
  • Production volume + rhythm → Content agencies
  • Automation + measurement stacks → Martech agencies
  • Brand identity + systems → Design agencies
  • Scalable marketing delivery → Production partners

If you’re going to market soon

Most strong marketing agency appointments include:

  • a screening stage
  • 3–5 agencies on a shortlist
  • published criteria and timeline
  • stakeholder scoring with evidence captured
  • a decision trail and feedback

Use these guides:

FAQs - Marketing agency types

What are the main marketing agency types?

Common marketing agency types include creative agencies, content agencies, design agencies, production agencies, media agencies, performance media agencies, social media agencies, influencer agencies, martech agencies, and production agencies.

How do I choose the right marketing agency type?

Start with the outcome you need. Creative supports campaigns and brand direction. Media and Performance support measurable paid growth. Social supports channel execution. Influencer supports creator partnerships. Martech supports automation and measurement. Production supports scalable delivery.

Can one agency cover multiple types?

Some agencies can cover multiple areas, but capability varies. Many teams hire a lead agency plus specialists, with clear ownership and operating rhythm agreed upfront.

What agency type should I select?

It depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you need campaign thinking, start with creative. If you need paid growth, start with performance or media. If you need scalable output, start with content or production.