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Hiring a creative agency in Delhi to handle a corporate campaign can help your business shine. But going the wrong way about it can be disastrous. Here’s what you can realistically expect when you hire a creative agency for corporate campaigns, in terms of services and costs.
Delhi has a lot going for it. Banks, consultancies, PSUs, tech firms and multinationals all have a strong presence in the NCR. Agencies serving these clients are used to a lot of travel and tough compliance.
A normal creative brief won’t help you win business. A corporate brief is looking to shape what business investors, employees, partners and regulators think about the business.
Here is what you can expect from good agencies when it comes to corporate work:
- Brand and messaging strategy: making a positioning statement, and what the one overarching story is that you want to tell with your brand.
- Corporate branding: development of identity and creation of brand guides.
- Creative ideas and their execution, both in digital and traditional formats.
- Integrated marketing campaigns.
- Media planning, either by the agency or in conjunction with a partner.
- What do these corporate campaigns cost?
- Most agencies price their corporate work by the day. Expect to pay anywhere between 15,000 and 30,000 (plus taxes) per day, depending on what all you’re asking them to do.
- Reporting that connects back to the goals established at the start.
Some agencies produce excellent work in film, brand, digital or performance. Define what they actually do and what they outsource. Note who to reach out to when gaps occur.
What’s the difference between retaining an agency and hiring them for a single project?
With a project, you agree on a deliverable, say a launch film or an annual report design and scope out the terms, conditions and costs. After the work is done, you part ways.
For a retainer, you agree to pay a regular fee for a certain amount of work over a set period. The agency is then free to manage your work as they see fit.
- Retainer
- Fixed fee for agreed scope of work over a set term.
- Scope can be rolled over and reviewed quarterly.
- Flexible, project-based fee. Scope agreed in advance.
- Project work is best for a one-off event, launch or initiative.
A retainer is better if you are communicating with a range of stakeholders and/or continually changing or updating your offers.
How much does it cost to hire a creative agency in Delhi?
There is no set rate card. The actual amount will depend on the agency’s size, the team on the account and the extent of work covered under the retainer. Smaller boutique agencies in Delhi NCR will likely charge in the low to mid lakhs, while larger agencies with integrated offerings will charge in the mid to high lakhs. These are approximations, and you should get formal quotes.
The factors that will impact the cost the most are:
- Scope: the number of campaigns, number of channels and number of markets covered.
- Team: Having a dedicated strategist and creative director will increase cost.
- Production: Shoots, clicks, and events are normally outside the retainer.
- Third-party costs: Media, vendor costs will also be passed on, usually with a handling charge.
Ask for a breakdown of costs by role and hours. The biggest surprises with respect to budget come from vague exclusions, not from the headline fee.
What should a corporate campaign brief include?
A clear brief saves a lot of back-and-forth. Before your first meeting, come prepared with the following:
What is the business objective? Improving investor confidence? Attracting talent? Repairing the company’s reputation? These are real examples and will help the agency align their recommendations to your actual objective.
- Who are your key audiences? Prioritized?
- What is the one thing you want your audience to remember?
- How will you measure success? What are your baselines?
- What is your budget? Be realistic.
- What are your timelines?
- Are there any firm dates?
What happens behind the scenes when an agency receives a brief?
Depending on the brief, there’s a good chance an agency will push back on at least part of it. A good agency will justify its actions by asking questions. Sometimes a good brief will include both business and creative goals; if no one on the team asks “what’s the deal with the business goal?” that’s important to note.
To consumers, all marketing looks the same. To evaluate an agency’s portfolio, what are your thoughts?
The best showreels are beautifully packaged. To evaluate if work is effective, ask for case studies with numbers, or ask why they think the work is effective.
Before judging a body of work, check if the agency has relevant experience for your business. Has the agency worked in your industry and with your business size? Does their work align with your strategic objectives? Great consumer work doesn’t necessarily translate to B2B work.
- Consider using a case study to benchmark against the objectives the agency set.
- One great campaign surrounded by mediocrity says a lot about an agency’s discipline.
- To evaluate corporate work, ask if the people presenting the work are the folks who’ll do the work.
- Look for harmony when the agency aligns the right team to the right process at the right time.
Corporate campaigns require a lot of leadership buy-in. Passing through those gates says a lot about an agency’s discipline and experience.
What might the relationship between a client and a creative agency look like?
- From the agency’s perspective, this means having a clear platform and a couple of creative routes with rationales.
- From the client’s perspective, this means having defined sign-off processes with agreed-upon timeframes.
- From the agency’s perspective, this means having a project lead to coordinate the various roles (i.e., creatives, writers, film crews, vendors, and others) against a single plan.
- From the client’s perspective, this means having a plan B.
- From the agency’s perspective, this means having a regular cadence of reporting and adjusting the plan based on the feedback.
- From the client’s perspective, this means having named roles and determining what happens in the event a key person leaves.
- From the agency’s perspective, this means having processes and a cadence around intellectual property, revisions and approvals, and confidentiality.
- From the agency’s perspective, this means having processes and a cadence around reporting and determining what happens in the event the contract is terminated.
What should a creative agency retainer agreement cover?
This contract is in place to protect both the agency and the client. The following should be covered in the agreement.
- The scope of work: This includes the services and deliverables, the hours, what is considered “extra,” and what will trigger an increase in the monthly rate.
- The fees and payment terms: This includes the monthly rate, when invoices will be sent, and how additional services will be quoted.
- The team: This includes named individuals, what happens if the individuals leave, and what happens if the individuals take certain types of work with them.
- Intellectual property: This includes ownership and usage rights of the work and how revisions and approvals will be handled.
- Confidentiality: This includes working with the client’s competitors and what, if anything, is allowed.
- Reporting: This includes the types of metrics and what will be reviewed each quarter.
- Term and exit: This includes the length of the contract and what, if anything, will occur if the contract is terminated.
- Have your legal team look over the final draft and keep your exit clause short and simple, so both sides can leave cleanly if things aren’t working.
Last thoughts
Look at a creative agency in Delhi as long-term partners instead of vendors you brief once and never speak to again. For starters, give them a clear brief, evaluate portfolios based on results rather than looks, be clear on what the fee covers, and articulate how you guys will work together.
In the last round, talk to 3 agencies, assess how they respond to the above and pick the one that aligns best and challenges your thinking.
FAQs
1. How much does it cost to hire a creative agency in Delhi?
There is no fixed rate card. The cost depends on the agency’s size, the team on your account and the scope of work. Smaller boutique agencies in Delhi NCR usually charge in the low to mid lakhs, while larger integrated agencies charge in the mid to high lakhs. Always ask for a formal quote with a breakdown by role and hours.
2. What services does a creative agency offer for corporate campaigns?
A good agency typically covers brand and messaging strategy, corporate branding and brand guidelines, creative ideas executed in digital and traditional formats, integrated marketing campaigns, media planning, and reporting tied back to your goals. Ask which services the agency does in-house and which it outsources.
3. What is the difference between hiring an agency on retainer and for a single project?
A project has a defined deliverable, such as a launch film or an annual report design, with agreed terms and cost, and you part ways once it’s done. A retainer is a fixed fee for an agreed scope of work over a set term, often reviewed quarterly. Retainers suit ongoing communication with multiple stakeholders, while projects suit one-off launches or events.
4. How do I choose the right creative agency in Delhi?
Judge the portfolio on results, not looks, by asking for case studies with numbers. Check that the agency has experience in your industry and business size, since great consumer work doesn’t always translate to B2B or corporate work. Also confirm that the people presenting the pitch are the ones who will do the work.
5. What should a corporate campaign brief include?
Include your business objective, prioritized key audiences, the one thing you want the audience to remember, how you’ll measure success with baselines, a realistic budget, timelines and any firm dates. A clear brief reduces back-and-forth and helps the agency align its recommendations to your real goal.
6. How many agencies should I talk to before hiring one?
The blog suggests speaking to about three agencies in the final round. Compare how each responds to your brief, then pick the one that fits best and challenges your thinking.
