We are Christina and Peter Pilarski, founders and leaders of CIPR Communications and hosts of Two Babies and a Business. For our 9th podcast episode in this series, we look at what you should be thinking about when choosing a marketing agency. We address what goes into having a solid relationship with an agency as what you should look for in the interviewing process.
Relationship With a Marketing Agency
The personality fit between you and the agency may be one of the most critical factors in choosing an agency. You should treat hiring an agency the same as you would hiring in-house staff. The most successful relationships are built on honest and open communication between you and the marketing agency.
It is critical to have a long term view when choosing an agency. Frequently switching between agencies or in-house personnel will be very costly. Beginning your search process with concrete goals and knowing what gaps need to be filled will set you up for long term success. It is important to communicate your goals and the holes you are looking to fill to an agency you are looking to hire.
Do not focus on price as very often you get what you pay for. A good agency should be able to tell you how successful a specific budget is going to be. A good agency will not let you put money towards a strategy they know from the start is destined for failure.
Interviewing Process
Questions such as how many hours a month they expect to be working on your project are important when choosing an agency. You should ask the salesperson if they can provide a list of all the items they will be doing and the hours they will put in. Even if the salesperson doesn’t know the numbers, they should be able to find out from their operational staff.
Be mindful of what the salesperson is asking during the interview. You should be highly suspicious if the salesperson is only answering your questions and not trying to understand your business and the problems you are looking to solve. A good agency will be asking you a lot of questions about your business, including past successes and failures. While it may seem uncomfortable, they are trying to learn if they can help you so they can confidently propose a solution for your business.
Liking what you’re hearing so far? We would love to connect with you! You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Also, be sure to follow us on iTunes, Spreaker, or Spotify to listen to the rest of our in-house vs marketing agency series and get notified of new episodes.
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Christina Pilarski
Christina Pilarski is CEO and co-founder of CIPR Communications, a digital PR, marketing, and AI consulting agency serving hospitality, tourism, and luxury lifestyle brands across North America. Before starting CIPR in 2010 with her life partner and business partner, Peter Pilarski, Christina led campaigns in a series of corporate roles and served as Special Advisor to the Minister at Alberta's Department of Tourism, Parks and Recreation. She now leads a team of 20+ staff and contractors across CIPR and its AI-focused division, the Tourism AI Network. Christina holds a BA with Honours and an MA in Communications Studies from the University of Calgary. Outside the office, she's a mom of twins and two dogs, based in Calgary.
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Peter Pilarski
Peter Pilarski is the Founder of Tourism AI Network and President of CIPR Communications. He helps tourism and hospitality organizations adopt AI strategically — from AI search visibility and custom tool development to team training and executive advisory. He is a sought-after keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and AI advisor whose sessions blend practical frameworks with real-world results.
