What Is A Creative Agency And The Different Types

A creative agency is an agency that offers a variety of marketing and advertising services. This can include strategy, design, content creation, measurement and analysis, and communication services. They serve as creative partners to help your brand tell its story.

One of the many challenges faced when building a business is defining your identity. It is particularly challenging if the industry you work in is not well defined or people don’t know much about the industry itself.

The identity of your business helps you to find clients, helps create a vision for the future and gives your employees direction. That is why it is important for clients to know exactly who your brand is and what you can offer them.

The services offered by an agency can also often tell you a lot about who they are. Most agencies offer a variety of services and some offer a few, usually being experts in those fields.

There are many different kinds of agencies in the industry, each offering different services and specializing in different fields. Services offered by creative agencies are usually broken up into four categories: strategy, design, technology and advertising. Strategy includes research, planning and consulting services. Design includes visual, photography, video and UX services. Technology includes systems, data and engineering services. Advertising includes PR, promotional and marketing services.

We have broken down each type of agency for you to better understand what they do and to help make your decision on which agency to use a bit easier.

–  Full service digital agency
These agencies work on large complex projects that require many disciplines. They offer all 4 service categories with advertising often being the main one.

–  Digital agency
Digital agencies are similar to full service agencies, but often don’t offer the full advertising services. Focus is put more on building products or platforms rather than advertising. Digital agencies look to build lasting relationships with clients and to help them create and execute digital strategies. The services focused on by digital agencies is strategy, design and technology.

–  Design agency
The main focus for design agencies is of course design. These agencies often work with external partners to fully execute projects. They offer both digital and print design services that include branding specializations, and sometimes interior and product design.

–  Interactive agency
Interactive agencies focus on building projects for the web. They are often hired to create digital experiences that includes innovative technology, websites and multimedia content. They often work with ad agencies and consultants on campaigns and other large projects.

–  Engineering agency
These agencies are technology experts. Engineering agencies often work with many technologies and platforms to solve complex technical challenges.

–  Advertising agency
Advertising agencies focus on marketing and advertising services. They work with specialist partners to build technology and complex designs. They include PR companies, social specialists and traditional ad agencies.

–  Consulting agency
Consulting agencies main focus is strategy and developing big ideas. A lot of research is done by these agencies and they often specialize in particular markets or industries.

–  Design innovation
These types of agencies specialize in using design to solve problems. They use insights and industry knowledge along with design thinking to develop innovative products and ideas. They usually focus on strategy and design, but can also include all services.

Are you looking to work with a creative agency? Contact PURE on accounts@purecreative.co.za or call on +27 (21) 424 6918 to set up a complimentary 20 minute consultation. Let’s create something great together!