Working with an agency partner can sometimes feel like an uphill battle — we get it. In our past lives, we’ve worked in both agencies and in-house marketing and creative departments, so we’ve seen both sides of the equation and understand where cracks can form in the partnership. From unmet expectations and overshot budgets to unclear processes, it’s no wonder many collaborations fall short.
That’s exactly why our founder, Rebecca Zerilla Lee, started Dive — to deliver better client experiences and higher quality work. By challenging the status quo, providing senior-level thinking, honing our service-industry expertise, and building deeper, more meaningful partnerships, we help our clients not only get top-tier work but actually enjoy the process along the way.
Here’s how we do things differently:
1: Service-industry expertise
You serve others – whether through pest control, event production, disaster restoration or real estate – but does your target customer base understand how you stand out from the competition? If you work with a non-specialized agency, you’re probably going to get messaging and design that looks and sounds like the rest of the marketplace.
We understand that selling a service is vastly different from selling a product – it comes with a unique set of challenges that we know how to overcome. We’ll help you communicate the value of what you offer so customers associate your price point with quality and superior service.
If you have complex service offerings, we’ll break them down in a clear, easily understandable way that conveys the emotional benefits and resonates with your target audiences. Whether your customers are feeling stressed, excited or anything in between, we know how to tailor the message to meet them where they are.
2: Senior-level team
Let’s set the scene: You’re having an introductory meeting with a new agency. The senior-level team wows you with their know-how, professionalism and ideas. But once the ink is dry on the contract, a whole new team steps in. The account manager assigned to your account doesn’t quite have the experience you’re looking for and you never get to meet the creatives bringing your work to life. Communication slips and the work isn’t hitting the right notes. Sound familiar?
At Dive, this won’t happen. We’re a collective of independent, senior-level designers, writers, brand strategists, production artists and more. Every project gets a hand-selected team who brings their years of experience to the table (an average of 15 years, to be exact), so you can rest assured that you’re in capable hands. We believe experience matters, and that’s reflected in the high-quality work we deliver.
3: Strong alignment from the get-go
We’re all about getting started on the right foot, whether it’s through first impressions or the first steps we take on a new project or task. One of the biggest pitfalls of working with an agency is when there’s lack of alignment at a project’s kickoff. This missed opportunity is tough to remedy because it can cause miscommunication, multiple rounds of revisions and, ultimately, wasted time and resources. Our job is to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Our process is designed to ensure clear direction from the jump so you’re never left wondering, “How did we get here?”
Here’s how we help get new partnerships and new projects off to the races:
- Onboarding: After the contract is signed, we send an introductory email with important notes, next steps and our Client Onboarding Guide, which outlines important aspects of working together, like team roles, communication preferences, budget management tips and more.
- Creative brief: When it’s time to start a new project, we work with our clients to develop a creative brief. Our goal is to keep it simple while capturing what’s needed so our creative teams can provide strong solutions.
- Project kickoff call: We host a kickoff call to introduce the teams, answer any open questions, even discuss preliminary ideas to ensure everyone has the clarity they need to start working in the right direction.
Kicking off a new project? Grab your free creative direction guide.
Consider us your compass. A great first step you can take is downloading our simple yet strategic creative direction guide. It outlines seven essential elements of kicking off a new project that get your team aligned, inspired and clear on the path forward.
4: Transparent pricing and budget management
One of the most common complaints about agencies is the lack of clarity around services, deliverables and pricing. How often have you felt blindsided by unexpected costs or confused about what you’re actually paying for? At Dive, we’re committed to transparency. We provide estimates that clearly outline what’s included and what would be an additional cost. Whether you prefer a project-based estimate or a bucket of hours to use on a variety of needs, we tailor our SOWs to your needs in a clear way.
And as your project progresses, we provide regular updates and a monthly report that outlines exactly where you stand with the deliverables, budget, billing and more, so you never have to wonder where things stand.
Learn more about our service offering here.
5: Strategic approach
At Dive, we love letting the creative ideas flow, but the thoughts we generate do more than look and sound impressive. Our concepts are rooted in strategy, ensuring they’re aligned with your business goals and solving the real problems you face. Before presenting any ideas, we do our homework—researching your competitors, industry trends and best practices to make sure that the solution is both innovative and effective.
Looking for a strategic partner for your next big project or campaign? Let’s discuss!
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