Nearly 46% of agency leaders reveal that communication and transparency are the top strategies that help retain clients.
In fact, almost 37% of them said strong working relationships are must-haves for strong client retention.
While client retention reflects satisfaction, it underscores the need for agencies to be stronger partners by building frameworks grounded in open, effective collaboration.
But communication alone isn’t enough — a truly effective partnership requires much more.
In this interview, Digital Silk Founder and CEO Gabriel Shaoolian is back to share valuable tips on how brands can evaluate an agency’s true value and maximize the impact of their agency partnerships for better success.
After outsourcing a project to an agency, brands shouldn't just hand off the work and step back waiting for the results.
Instead, they should stay engaged and actively collaborate with their partner, providing ongoing input to ensure the best results.
“A brand has to be ready to allocate time. This is collaboration. When you hire an agency, the agency doesn't go away and does everything. You want to collaborate with them on a weekly basis,” Gabriel explains.
He says brands must understand that responsibility lies with both parties.
“A lot of times a brand comes to an agency and expects the agency to create magic. They're like, ‘I have this product, make me a millionaire.’ That's not how it works,” he adds.
Gabriel believes that the brand should be an expert in its field and create a product that’s unique to the market.
The agency, on the other hand, is a vehicle that helps the brand market, brand, and design a website for its offering.
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He also cautions brands to have realistic expectations when working with an agency and to be aware that success doesn’t come from simply hiring them but from their own contributions as well.
“You want to hire an agency to help you brand, let’s say, this vitamin, but you should know why you created this vitamin. What makes it so great? Who did you make this vitamin for?
If you create just another product like the 1,000,000 out there and expect the agency to make it the next big thing without knowing what makes it unique, then what does the agency need you for?
Understand that this is a collaboration, and you need to bring value and insight into this as well,” he points out.
How to Evaluate an Agency’s True Value
Brands often make the mistake of hiring an agency based on price, which is wrong.
"Clients are human, and humans tend to have bad habits. They sometimes make their decision based on budget. This is the worst thing a person could do," Gabriel says.
Price alone doesn't tell the full story.
He believes that comparing agency prices without understanding the scope of work, hourly rates, and deliverables is misleading as agencies offering different prices may not provide the same amount of work or expertise.
“If you look at our work, and we tell you our website design’s price starts at $25,000, that tells you nothing. If another agency tells you our service’s price starts at $10,000, it tells you nothing.
That's like saying, I could give you a house for $100,000. What does that mean? Nothing.
Because location impacts the price of a house, the size of the house, the finishing of the house, and the condition of the house.
You have to consider all those,” he explains.
I believe that Gabriel makes a great point here, and businesses should understand that they won’t get the same amount and quality of service, as well as results, for $10,000 and $30,000.
In a previous podcast, DesignRush spoke to Billups Global Chief Strategy Officer, Dr. Stephanie Gutnik who also discussed the biggest mistakes brands make when hiring an agency. Watch the video to learn more:
But how can brands evaluate an agency’s true value?
Gabriel answers this question by highlighting three key aspects:
- Know what the hourly rate is and how much time will be dedicated to the project each month.
- Understand the deliverables and the process you're going into.
- See if the agency gives you recommendations and insights or if they just give you a price.
“An agency that charges double what another agency charges is not because they're two times more expensive. They probably have the same hourly rate, but they're probably giving more attention and have a more thorough process,” he explains.
Digital Silk Attracts Clients by Showcasing Relevant Experience
Digital Silk has worked with huge brands such as IMF, NASA, and Microsoft.
His agency has also delivered impressive results to brands, enough to make headlines.
Given this, I asked Gabriel if working with such big-name companies makes a difference in attracting new clients.
“When clients come to you, it's usually because they’ve found you online or come across some content you’ve done. They'll check out your website, but what really makes them decide to work with you is seeing that you’ve tackled similar challenges before, even if it's in a different industry,” Gabriel reveals.
He says that Digital Silk landed New York University (NYU) as a client by showing them work they did for a manufacturing company that had similar needs, not by showing them another university project.
And then, they gave them some recommendations, which made NYU confident to move forward with Digital Silk.
“It's all about building relationships and showing that you truly understand their challenges. Sharing relevant examples helps them trust that you can solve their problem, no matter what field they’re in,” he adds.
Going Beyond Results: How Digital Silk Builds Meaningful Partnerships
Digital Silk’s goal is to provide enough value to clients so that they want to continue working together after their project ends.
“If a client finishes a project with us and says, ‘Thank you, we're happy,’ but then walks away, we’ve failed. Our job is to deliver enough value that they want to keep working with us long-term.
We don’t believe in locking clients in. Instead, we aim to build relationships where they see the value and come back after the project is done,” Gabriel shares.
While delivering value is important, Gabriel also highlights that strong partnerships aren’t just about the end result — they are about working closely with clients to collaborate and find the right solutions together.
“Collaboration is the key to finding that ‘aha’ moment — the idea that pushes a project from good to great in marketing and branding.
You need a partner that gets this, and any good agency should aim to go above and beyond, not just to please the client, but because they take pride in delivering outstanding results,” he adds.
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Ultimately, Digital Silk aims to create partnerships where collaboration leads to continuous improvement and long-term success for both the agency and the client, which positions it as a great partner of choice for your next digital project.
Active engagement, clear communication, shared responsibility, and long-term collaboration are all important pieces of the puzzle called successful brand-agency partnerships.
These elements not only improve the immediate project outcomes but also position both the brand and the agency for ongoing success and growth.
As an agency placing high emphasis on active collaboration and building meaningful partnerships that go beyond results, Digital Silk positions itself as a reliable partner for brands seeking not just a service provider but a true strategic collaborator invested in their long-term success.
