We review the eight keys that you should take into account when looking for an Iberian marketing agency.
The agency sector is in good health in the Iberian Peninsula, despite some stagnation in the COVID years, the sector continues to grow. In fact, Spanish CMOs are allocating a higher percentage of their turnover to marketing (3.5%) than the world average. This is reflected in the record turnover of the communication consultancy sector in Spain during 2022, which amounted to more than €455M. In the case of Portugal, and despite the pandemic situation of recent years, more was also invested in marketing and communication, especially in traditional media, although digital investment continues to increase compared to previous years.
This continued growth has resulted in new agencies, new mergers and specialized agencies. Brands now have a wider variety of agencies to choose from, ranging from boutiques, to those specialized by service, to integrated agencies, which in most cases are multi-market.
This tends to generate some complexity when deciding which agencies to call for a tender, although from the Iberian perspective, i.e., having offices in both countries, the offer is reduced.
We wanted to highlight what we consider to be the eight keys that you should take into account when looking for an Iberian marketing agency:
Number of offices in Spain and Portugal
Having offices in Madrid and Lisbon is essential to operate in the Iberian market, but it would be desirable to also have offices in other relevant cities in the country.
- Success stories and years of experience
We recommend collecting your success stories to learn more about your experience. The agency may have some cases of interest, but we must make sure that they have specific cases in our sector, that cover the objectives we are looking to achieve and that are specific to Iberian campaigns.
- Awards
These are a good source of accreditation of the agency’s ability to generate good ideas and results contrasted by other specialists and independent organizations in the sector.
- Opinions and reviews
Once we have checked the agency’s experience in our sector and that it has good results in previous campaigns, it would be advisable to search for reviews of the agency, both in our professional circle and in social networks and Google MyBusiness, as this can provide us with more information about the way it works.
- Personalized and creative proposal
The proposal and the actions presented must be adapted to the company and the characteristics of each market. The creative aspect is increasingly important if we want the campaign to achieve its objectives. The strategy can be unique for the Iberian market, but taking into account how to adapt the campaign and actions to work better in Spain and Portugal.
- Expert and multidisciplinary team
The team is undoubtedly one of the fundamental points, but it is not usually known until the first meetings. The agency should have experience in different sectors, although it could be specialized only in the client’s area of interest. What should not be missing in the team are experts in different areas to carry out a properly integrated campaign; journalists, designers, experts in SEO, digital advertising, analytics, etc.
- Integrated Iberian team (HUB)
To carry out a campaign in Portugal and Spain, it is not only necessary to have experience and specialization, it is also advisable to have a methodology and strategic direction that helps the client to adapt each campaign to the peculiarities of each market, taking into account its own culture and customs.
- Reporting and invoicing (ROI)
The agency must be able to define a multi-market strategy supported by realistic KPIs, which can be measured and analyzed in a defined period, to know if the campaign is generating return. On the other hand, having an Iberian marketing agency allows for integrated management, both in terms of invoicing and reporting and follow-up meetings with the team.
