Is Your Agency Actually Delivering? What 138 Marketing Leaders Had to Say…
If you’re feeling unsure about your current agency – whether they’re worth the spend, whether they’re helping you grow, whether you could be getting more…. you’re not alone.
We surveyed 138 marketing leaders across the country. CMOs, directors, and managers. People with real budgets, real goals, and real expectations. The responses gave us a clear picture of what good (and not-so-good) agency relationships look like in 2025.
Whether you’ve been with your agency for five months or five years, this data will help you see how your relationship stacks up and what to do if it’s falling short.
Let’s dig in.
What Does “Good” Actually Look Like?
We started with the big question:
“How would you rate the overall performance of your current agency?”
The average score was 7.89 out of 10. Which feels decent until you dig into the numbers.
- Only 13 out of 138 gave their agency a perfect 10.
- Most scores landed in the 7–8 range – good, but not great.
- 18 people gave a 6, the lowest score submitted.
Bottom line? Most clients think their agency is doing an okay job. But very few are over the moon.
So if you’re feeling unsure… you’re in the majority.
What Agencies Do Well (According to Clients)
We asked: Where does your agency deliver best?
Respondents could choose multiple strengths.
Here’s what topped the list:
- Creative/Branding: 79
- Communication/Responsiveness: 73
- Campaign Execution: 72
- Strategic Guidance: 67
- Reporting and Insights: 63
- Lead Generation: 47
These results show that most agencies are nailing the basics – good creative, decent communication, campaign support.
But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see a trend:
The highest-scoring agency relationships checked multiple boxes. Creativity and strategy. Communication and reporting. In other words, high-performing agencies deliver holistic value.
If your agency is only strong in one area and weak everywhere else? That’s a red flag.
Where Agencies Are Falling Short
Now the tougher question: Where is your agency underperforming?
The most common weak spots in order of score:
- ROI Clarity
- Transparency
- Being Proactive
- Understanding Our Business/Industry
- Reporting and Insights
- Creative
- Lead Generation
- Strategic Guidance
- Campaign Execution
- Communications
Sound familiar?
Clients aren’t frustrated with logos or landing pages. They’re frustrated when they don’t know what’s working, why it matters, or what comes next.
One respondent put it perfectly:
“They’d rather respond to requests than bring us new ideas.”
If your agency isn’t tracking toward business goals or even talking about them – it’s time to ask some hard questions..
Confidence: The Real Score
When we asked, “Do you believe your agency is the right long-term partner?”, the responses told us a lot.
It’s interesting to see that mid-to-high confidence levels are predominant here, with low scores being less frequent.
That means about 23% of marketing leaders aren’t confident they’ve got the right team. And those are just the ones willing to admit it.
Communication & Clarity
Here’s the contradiction:
Clients say agencies communicate well… but also say they lack transparency and clarity.
Case in point: when asked, “How clear are you on what your agency is doing month-to-month?”, the most common score was 8. Not bad.
But remember – “Transparency” and “ROI clarity” were two of the top complaints.
Our take? Agencies are talking, but not explaining. There’s a difference.
How Most Clients Use Agencies
We also asked about agency scope. Agencies come in all shapes and sizes, from full-service agencies that have a holistic approach to the marketing plan, to digital shops managing SEO and PPC, to advertising agencies that run outbound campaigns, to social media firms.
Here were the results:
This matters because expectations differ based on setup.
If you’re only asking your agency for paid ads or design work, you might not expect proactive strategic guidance.
But if they’re driving your marketing plan? They’d better bring more than assets and ad copy.
Performance Reviews: Are You Even Talking About Results?
We asked how often clients review their agency’s performance:
- Monthly: 63
- Quarterly: 34
- Weekly: 27
- Annually or Rarely: 11
About 65% of clients review performance at least once a month.
If your agency isn’t having regular, meaningful check-ins, you’re not alone – but you are at risk. A set-it-and-forget-it relationship usually ends in disappointment.
What Clients Really Want From Their Agency
We gave marketing leaders an open text box and asked: “If you could improve one thing about your agency relationship, what would it be?”
Their answers were honest, blunt, and revealing:
- “That they come to us with more ideas to answer problems or ideas to grow, instead of just being reactive to an ask.”
- “We would have more meetings about ROI.”
- “Clarify the priority of KPIs.”
- “Them actually getting leads that pay.”
- “They would listen to what we request and not just do what they want.”
- “Usage of new strategies and adapting them quicker.”
- “More creativity on their end. The campaigns are starting to feel tired.”
- “To make reports easier for senior management to understand.”
A few were happy with their agency. Most were not.
The message: Do more. Think bigger. Be a true partner.
The Budget Breakdown
We asked: What’s your annual agency budget?
Here’s what we saw:
- $25K–$36K: 44 clients
- $50K–$85K: 37 clients
- $100K+: 32 clients
- Under $12K: 14 clients
It’s not about how much you’re spending – it’s about the return.
And based on the responses, a lot of agencies aren’t delivering on that promise.
The AI Conversation Is Just Getting Started
AI tools are flooding the market and agencies should be using them. But use common sense.
We asked if clients expect agencies to use AI. The overwhelming answer? Yes. But with boundaries.
3 questions we asked clients were:
1) Do you expect your marketing to use AI for strategy?
2) Do you expect your marketing to use AI for research?
3) Do you expect your marketing to use AI for content or design?
But don’t mistake that for permission to cut corners.
Agencies need to use AI to work smarter, not to deliver mediocrity faster.
How to Know If You Need a New Agency
After reading all this, here’s the big question:
Is your agency delivering what you need? Or just getting by?
Here’s a quick checklist:
- Are they showing clear ROI?
- Do you know exactly what they’re doing (and why)?
- Do they understand your business—not just your industry buzzwords?
- Are they bringing fresh ideas? Or waiting for your direction?
- Are your results consistent? Improving? Stagnating?
If you’re unsure or if your answers are mostly “no” – you’re not being too demanding. You’re being smart.
What Makes Farinella Different
We created this survey to learn, not to pitch. But let’s be real—this data also confirms what we’ve believed for a long time.
Clients want more. And they should get more.
At Farinella, we:
- Obsess over business results, not vanity metrics
- Get deep into your world – your industry, your customers, your goals
- Bring ideas, not just execution
- Communicate clearly, consistently, and without the fluff
- Use AI as a tool – not a crutch
If your agency isn’t doing that… maybe it’s time to talk.
Want to see how your agency relationship stacks up?
We’re happy to review your setup – no pressure, no pitch deck, no BS.
Let’s have a real conversation.
Drop us a line: info@farinella.com