How do you choose the perfect creative marketing agency in Surrey when there are so many stellar options? It’s as if the marketing gods declared the county to be the home of creative geniuses and marketing gurus. Well, you start by researching and comparing what’s out there — and choosing the agency that’s results-driven yet motivated by an innate sense of creativity.
We’re here to take you on this journey of discovery. Along the way, you’ll learn how each of these marketing titans reaches their target audiences with strong visuals and compelling narratives. But first, let’s get to grips with a very important question…
What Makes a Good Creative Marketing Agency?
The best creative marketing agencies understand that their work is only as good as the results it generates. They have multi-disciplinary teams that cover everything from brand strategy to graphic design. And they take a fresh approach to every project.
When you scour Surrey for a creative marketing agency, make sure they offer the following capabilities.
Brand Strategy
While a great design might attract attention, it won’t count for much if there’s no strategy behind it. The best agencies take the time to understand the brands they represent. They also perform detailed research to understand the target audience. This allows them to be creative in the right ways.
Ideas
The best creative markets surround themselves with the creative work of others; they’re always looking for inspiration and ideas they can use to turbocharge their current campaigns. The agency you choose should be able to fire off a few marketing ideas within a few hours of assessing your brand and your market.
Advertising
Whether it’s a beautifully designed infographic or a masterfully directed promotional video, the best advertising resonates with the target audience and communicates the benefits of a product or service. Make sure your prospective agency has a proven track record of doing this — backed up with real examples.
Video Production
Videos tend to be more engaging and alluring to today’s consumers than static marketing messages. That’s why your next creative marketing agency should have advanced video production capabilities — with examples of their work readily available.
Content Creation
Content is key when it comes to marketing channels such as social media. You can engage, inform and entertain all at the same time with a carefully crafted piece of content. The best agencies offer everything from blog posts to eye-catching infographics in order to maximise the reach of the brands they represent.
Graphic Design
Today’s consumers are more distracted than ever before. Unless you capture their attention within a few seconds, they’ll simply move on to the next message. Graphic design capabilities are, therefore, essential. A talented and creative graphic designer can tell even the most complex stories with a single illustration or image.
Storytellers
Content marketing is all about communicating the benefits of a product in an interesting and engaging way. A top marketing agency is able to tell stories that generate interest among the target audience. Content is key, but it has to be relevant content communicated in a way that resonates.
How to Choose a Creative Marketing Agency?
With so many great creative marketing agencies in Surrey, choosing the perfect one for your business requires some in-depth research. Compare your options based on the following criteria:
Previous Creative Marketing Projects
The best creative marketing agencies don’t hide their portfolio — they put it front and centre on their websites. Take a look at case studies and portfolios for evidence of marketing campaigns that involve striking visuals, engaging videos and creative messaging.
Speak to the Team
You may get a feel for a marketing team’s creative capabilities simply by talking to key people within it for a few minutes. Ask them about their history, their qualifications and the projects they’re most proud of.
Agency Capabilities
An experienced, high-achieving agency will offer a wide range of services related to digital and content marketing. Look for services such as video production, editing, graphic design, copywriting, brand development and advertising.
Search for Client Testimonials
Successful agencies will have a long list of positive reviews and customer testimonials. Check out independent, third-party review sites and forums for unbiased reviews and opinions of the marketing agencies you’re considering.
Assess Their Approach to Communication
Reach out to the agency and ask them a few questions about their services, history and portfolio. Are they forthright about both their strengths and weaknesses? Do they answer all your questions fully? Do they respond quickly? The way they respond to your initial contact might give you an idea of how they approach communication in general.
The Top Creative Agencies in Surrey for Performance
1. Holt Digital Marketing
Holt Digital Marketing is a boutique creative agency comprising a small team of marketing specialists. With decades of collective experience, the team’s key players have worked with some of the world’s biggest brands.
Holt Digital is able to keep its cost-base low — thanks to its flexible team of self-employed marketing professionals. That’s why they’re able to charge much less than many of their competitors for their services. Results-driven and passionate about their clients, the Holt Digital team has a proven track record of marketing success.
Holt Digital’s Services
Based in Surrey, Holt Digital Marketing offers a host of technical and creative services for businesses looking for growth. The firm’s most popular services include:
- Digital marketing
- Content marketing
- Advertising
- Creative advertising
- Website development
- Event marketing
- Email marketing
- Social media marketing
- Brand partnerships
Holt Digital is one of the few creative marketing agencies that offer the technical aspects of digital marketing alongside the creative ones. They offer SEO services that start with a full site audit, as well as pay-per-click campaigns, email marketing and remarketing capabilities.
Service Area
Holt Digital Marketing has its base in Weybridge, Surrey. And while it helps businesses throughout the UK, most of its client base is based in Surrey, Kent, London and Berkshire.
Holt Digital’s Approach to Digital Marketing
Holt Digital Marketing is a multi-disciplinary team of digital marketing specialists and creatives. The company offers bespoke digital marketing solutions that include all of the expertise, know-how and experience needed to grow brands. Clients can expect everything from the creation of buyer personas to the production of social media videos as part of a customised service.
Holt Digital’s team is made up of a wide range of specialists:
- Analytics experts
- Graphic designers
- Video production experts
- Copywriters
- SEO experts
- Web development professionals
From the initial assessment to the delivery of the project, the Holt team aims to keep their clients informed on the latest developments, performance data and opportunities during every project.
Their bespoke services are tailored to the specific needs and objectives of each client. Holt Digital monitors analytics, measures attribution and continually assesses the efficacy of its marketing strategies in search of improvements.
Portfolio
Holt Digital Marketing has worked with some of the world’s best-known brands. The company’s ability to bring a host of disciplines and skill sets together in order to create videos, striking visuals and compelling stories has attracted the attention of internally renowned companies, including:
- Coca Cola
- Samsung
- Cadbury
- Daytona
- Under Armour
- Vodafone
- FlexiFly
- Arla
A National Campaign with Coca Cola
One of Holt Digital’s most successful creative marketing campaigns involved a national Coke promotion called The Big Prize Surprise. Branded shipping containers containing prizes were placed in locations across the country, and all consumers had to do to be in with a chance of winning something was enter a unique on-product code on the campaign website.
The Holt team designed and built the promotional website and worked hard to spread the work across multiple channels. Featuring social media, PR, radio and national TV, the high-profile campaign was far-reaching. It also involved the purchase of more than a million cans of Coke during the six-week promotional period.
Holt Digital’s involvement in the campaign involved:
- A bespoke partnership strategy
- Detailed contract negotiations
- Project management
- Creativity — across many mediums
- Design
- Video production
- Copywriting
- Experiential
- Social
2. TW Creative
TW Creative is a Reigate-based agency that has its headquarters in converted 18th-century stables. The company has been helping UK businesses with creative marketing campaigns for more than 30 years, and it’s still one of the most respected agencies in the business. While relatively small, TW Creative has an established team of employees that includes a creative director, a designer and a team of account directors.
With the tagline “Shaping brands for future success’, this established agency specialises in branding, digital, content creation and print marketing. The company’s long list of satisfied clients includes Network Rail, Duplo and the international camera brand Canon.
3. Surrey Creative
Surrey Creative is an award-winning creative design agency based in Haslemere. The company has been delivering exceptional marketing services for more than a decade now, and it’s showing no signs of resting on its laurels. Specialising in digital marketing and online PR campaign, Surrey Creative is comprised of a multi-disciplinary team of in-house professionals.
This talented creative team offers web design, a range of digital marketing services and a full complement of content marketing services. Surrey Creative takes pride in its approach to building client relationships. They believe that every brand and business has a personality of its own, and taking the time to understand that personality is the key to developing successful marketing strategies. Perhaps that’s why the firm’s client list includes Invest in Surrey, property development companies and architectural design specialists.
4. Valiant Design
Valiant Design is heavily slanted towards the design elements of digital marketing, but it’s still a force to be reckoned with in an increasingly competitive Surrey marketplace. The company helps clients ranging from startups to national brands — focusing on strategic partnerships and creating engaging experiences to communicate their messaging. The Valiant team is comparatively small, but the firm views this as one of its strengths; allowing it to stay agile and offer a more personal service than some of its competitors.
Valiant Design offers a wide range of creative marketing solutions from its offices in Farnham and London. They offer a customised approach to digital marketing that includes services such as brand strategy, brand design, digital development and long-term marketing partnerships. Valiant Design’s client base includes the likes of Boxtex, Great Glen Distillery and Mortgage Gym.
5. Austin Marketing
Austin Marketing prides itself on being adaptable and flexible when it comes to delivering ‘complete’ marketing solutions. Based in Addlestone, Surrey, this independent marketing and design consultancy is relatively small, but it’s particularly suited to working across multiple disciples as a cohesive team. The company’s portfolio includes impressive campaigns for the likes of Titan Elevators, Coffey Group and Deeter Electronics.
Austin Marketing is a full-service creative marketing agency that offers website development, design, content creation, digital marketing, SEM, PPC, branding and photography services. They also offer a selection of videography services, making them one of the most diverse marketing teams in the Surrey area.
6. Design Incorporated
Design Incorporated is a full-service digital marketing agency based in Staines-upon-Thames. This diverse and highly experienced team has been delivering high-profile marketing campaigns since 1997, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down. Labelling themselves as an ‘integrated creative agency’, Design Incorporated applies strategic thinking and creative flair to deliver bespoke solutions for a wide range of clients. The firm’s main area of focus is the business aviation market. However, they have clients in many B2B and B2C sectors.
This highly successful marketing company offers a range of digital and design services that include branding, literature and events management. They also offer a selection of digital services, including SEM, website design, social media marketing and advertising. Their client list is as impressive as it gets, thanks to the company’s relationships with Airbus, Cirque Du Soleil and Bombardier Aerospace.
7. NUOPTIMA
NUOPTIMA is one of the most accomplished creative marketing agencies in the UK right now. Their services are in high demand — so much so that they claim to refuse to work with around half the businesses that approach them. Based in Barnet, the firm has strong relationships with businesses of all sizes in Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Surrey and throughout Greater London.
NUPOPTIMA is heavily slanted towards the SEO side of things. But with more than 200 projects under their belt, more than 40 marketing specialists and a host of positive reviews, they attract clients from a wide range of industries. Their clients include Naturecan, 96North and drinks manufacturer Ful.
8. PRE
PRE has already earned a stellar reputation for imaginative design, despite only being operational for around 15 years. The firm claims to create intelligent designs based on knowledge, research and insight. They call it Smart Design, and if their body of work is anything to go by, this approach is proving very popular among the businesses of Surrey and Greater London.
With offices in Croydon, Guildford and Fetcham, PRE is making waves in the regional marketing industry. The company’s success is based on its three core services: branding, design and digital. This all-encompassing approach to creative digital marketing is why firms such as Canon, Denbies Wine Estate and Kimberly-Clark have turned to PRE for help.
9. OD
OD is a creative marketing and digital design agency based in Guildford. They label themselves as the ‘little agency that does big things’, which is perhaps why they’re one of the most respected names in the industry right now. The team is multi-disciplined, allowing it to fulfil the needs of any marketing campaign — in any sector.
Several household names have turned to OD for digital marketing and design services in the past, including Britvix, Lynx and Unilever. Specialising in online digital marketing, design and branding, strategy development and a range of print design services, OD is one of the most diverse agencies out there today.
10. Air Social
Air Social is an award-winning digital marketing agency that prides itself on creating impactful content. Established in 2008 and based in Guildford, this small yet agile agency offers a full complement of digital marketing services that range from social media advertising to web development and on-page SEO. Air Social delivers for its clients by staying one step ahead of digital trends and generating valuable leads with the right messaging.
Air Social’s comprehensive selection of services includes digital advertising, creative services, content marketing, web development, SEO, PR and videography. The company’s long list of satisfied clients includes Age UK, Hilton, the NHS and Surrey County Council.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a multi-disciplinary creative marketing agency that prefers the personal approach to working relationships, choose the first company on this list. Holt Digital Marketing has the creative flair, marketing prowess and passion to turn browsers into buyers — wherever they’re found.