For brands, there’s a large — and sometimes overwhelming — pool of agencies to choose from.
According to data from Agency by Agency, the UK sector alone has almost doubled over the last ten years, with a diverse range of specialisms on offer.
Against this backdrop, we asked three experts about the biggest pain points brands can face when trying to connect with the right agencies.
Understanding the brand
According to Sophie Verachten, Growth and Partnerships Consultant, a central challenge is finding an agency that understands the brand: “For challenger brands, this is the most important consideration.”
Here, Verachten says that every customer touchpoint needs to represent the brand in the right way.
“...an agency needs to understand not just the product, but the brand, its positioning and what makes it different.”
But alongside this, brands are looking for an agency that they can grow with. Verachten notes that growth channels can evolve “significantly” over time, and while at first a channel might require only the right foundations and a light level of support, if it proves a successful route, a brand may seek to switch gears, up investment and scale quickly.
“The challenge is finding an agency that can support that journey, rather than outgrowing the partnership as the channel develops.”
At the same time, budgets can be a challenge, she says, particularly for challenger brands where priorities and growth ambitions can evolve quickly.
“Whether a channel is well established or still developing, brands need an agency that can deliver the right level of support for where the channel is today, while having the flexibility to scale its involvement as the opportunity grows. Finding that balance between investment, resource and growth potential is key.”
And partnerships are, crucially, about relationships, so finding an agency that feels like an extension of the in-house team is important, she adds.
“At a challenger brand, an agency often needs to operate as an extension of the internal team. The strongest partnerships come when an agency is embedded in the brand, understands the processes and ways of working, and builds genuine trust with the team. That connection is ultimately what allows an agency to move quickly, work collaboratively and deliver meaningful impact.”
Breaking out of silos
For Luke Fleming, Senior Marketing Manager at Silverbean, the pain point he hears most often isn't finding an agency, but trusting one again after a previously poor experience.
“That history makes brands cautious, and what they're really looking for next time is proof rather than promises, an agency that understands their sector, commercial model and customer acquisition goals, and can show how its existing relationships, data and experience translate into incremental performance for a brand like theirs,” says Fleming.
But here, with a growing emphasis on convergence, another challenge can be finding an agency that understands how it all connects.
“Brands don't want a partner who works in silos,” says Fleming. “They want one who can bring affiliate, content, influencer and emerging areas such as LLM visibility together across a single, coherent strategy.”
Another facet of brand-agency challenge is that brands are often presented with similar-sounding propositions around recruitment, optimisation and growth: “...but what really matters is the difference between capability on paper and an agency's ability to actually deliver against specific commercial objectives,” he notes.
Further, Fleming says that what consistently rebuilds trust once a partnership is live is transparency, through “proactive reporting and a compensation model that's visibly tied to the outcomes the brand actually cares about.”
Looking beyond price
Meanwhile, Affiliate and Partnerships Consultant Rachel Said says that when it comes to digital marketers balancing multiple channels, navigating the affiliate space can be overwhelming — especially when deciding whether to hire an agency.
Here, most brands she speaks with fall into two camps: either their live program is underperforming or non-compliant, or they’ve launched on a network and don't know what to do next.
“While a mature third camp exists, most need help taking that next step,” she adds.
Here, Said says that while an agency is “often the answer,” choosing the right one requires looking beyond price.
“While cost matters for emerging channels, value alignment matters more. Share your brand ethos and KPIs to see if an agency truly understands your business - not just partnership mechanics. Crucially, always ask about their approach to compliance and brand protection.”
Said also echoes Verachten’s emphasis on relationships.
“Beyond expertise, the human element is key; brands need a partner that they genuinely enjoy working with,” she says.
Indeed, research shows a strong correlation between the quality of agency-client relationships and campaign effectiveness. In a study by Aprais and Warc, it was found that 68% of agencies awarded for effectiveness were also rated “above average” by clients.
Streamlining the process
This year, to streamline and simplify the brand-agency matching process, PI LIVE Europe and the Agency Advisory Board (AAB) are building out the Agency Ecosystem Map, a free resource that brings together agencies across the affiliate, partnerships, influencer and creator economy landscape in one place.
Once launched, the directory will be updated every six months, mapping out agencies’ service type, the territories they serve, their specialisms, and accolades, so brands can be more easily paired up with the agency that fits their needs.
“Initiatives like the Hello Partner X AAB directory are brilliant for showcasing key players of all sizes in this space. Brands should use them to see who’s who, and then choose a partner that doesn't just manage a channel, but actively builds their brand,” comments Said.
Add your agency to the ecosystem map here.
