Communication and marketing agency: how to choose the best one

Updated October 27, 2026

Italy has over 43,000 communications and marketing agencies, yet 39% of projects fail not because of poor service quality, but because of bad communication and organization. Choosing the wrong partner costs more than not choosing one at all.

Why is choosing the right communications and marketing agency so hard?

The market is crowded: Italy has over 43,000 agencies, and more than half earn less than €100,000 a year. Finding your way takes clear criteria, not just gut feeling.

Choosing a communications and marketing agency is one of the most important strategic decisions a business can make. Yet many entrepreneurs approach it without an evaluation framework, ending up with whoever has the nicest website or picked up the phone first.

The Italian market is fragmented: according to the PMA Report 2025-2026, based on Chamber of Commerce and Istat data, 43,453 marketing and communications agencies operate in Italy in 2025, up 14.6% from 36,700 in 2017. But more agencies doesn't mean better quality: 37% to 40% of them close within the first five years.

This guide helps you sort it all out: you'll find criteria for evaluating an agency, the most common mistakes, the signs that the relationship is working, and, if you're looking for a job in the industry instead, the most in-demand roles today.

Is it worth hiring an external communications and marketing agency, or should you do everything in-house?

It depends on your internal resources and goals: the table below helps you see where your company stands.

59% of Italian SMEs report difficulty finding specialized digital talent in-house, according to the Osservatorio Innovazione Digitale nelle PMI at Politecnico di Milano. For many businesses, an agency isn't a luxury: it's the only practical way to cover digital channels with up-to-date skills.

At the same time, hiring an agency without knowing what to ask is a waste. The sections below give you the tools to evaluate, choose and monitor the relationship.

How do you define your goals before contacting an agency?

Define your goals before the first meeting: if you arrive without a clear direction, you end up buying what the agency wants to sell, not what you need.

Before diving into the vast world of marketing and communications, you need to be crystal clear on your goals. Not only does this keep you on course, it also keeps you from getting lost among the endless “miracle solutions” pitched by people who want your budget.

Ask yourself: are you trying to improve your online visibility with SEO strategies and paid campaigns, or do you want to strengthen your brand's reputation through brand identity work?

How do you evaluate a communications and marketing agency's experience and skills?

Check experience and skills with hard evidence: case studies, direct references and specific questions about the channels you care about.

When you're looking for a communications and marketing agency, experience and skills are two pillars you can't ignore. If you want to improve your social media presence, the agency must not only know the platforms but also use them strategically for your industry.

One campaign that became a benchmark is Coca-Cola's “Share a Coke”: the company personalized bottles with customers' names, sparking a wave of spontaneous sharing and a boost in sales. Not everyone can replicate it, but it shows what it means to turn a simple idea into a powerful engagement engine.

An agency with real experience gives you perspectives and strategies you hadn't considered. If it answers every question with "it depends" and never digs deeper, that's a red flag. You can learn more about the most in-demand professional roles in the industry in our article on the most in-demand roles at communication and marketing agencies in Milan.

How do you assess the communication strategies an agency proposes?

A good strategic proposal isn't a list of services. It's a clear line of reasoning on how to reach your specific goals, with defined channels and metrics.

When you're searching for the perfect agency, analyzing the proposed strategies is a crucial step. A good web agency should offer tailored solutions that reflect your company's target market.

Make sure the agency is open to dialogue and ready to adjust strategies based on your feedback. A collaborative approach delivers the best results in digital marketing. If you want to understand how artificial intelligence is changing the way agencies work, the article on marketing agencies and AI offers a practical overview of the most widely used tools today.

Portfolio and references: how do you know if a communication and marketing agency is really worth it?

A portfolio is the most honest business card: it shows what the agency has actually done, not what it promises to do.

When you're looking for the right agency for your company, the portfolio and references are like a business card: they should impress and convince. Asking for case studies is the right move, since they're the best indicator of creativity and results achieved.

Online reviews and testimonials offer a tangible perspective. Consider the firsthand experiences of other clients to judge how effective the agency is at reaching specific goals. Reviews, both positive and negative, can greatly influence your choice.

A strong set of references is a winning card. Ask the best-performing companies in the agency's portfolio whether you can contact them directly. That conversation can give you an honest assessment of the agency's skills in corporate branding, managing advertising campaigns or SEO.

Customization and flexibility: how do you know if the agency truly adapts to your company?

A flexible agency doesn't change course with every request you make, but it knows the difference between a tactical tweak and a necessary strategic revision.

When we evaluate a communication and marketing agency, customization and flexibility are essential. In a market where platforms change their algorithms every quarter and consumer behavior evolves quickly, the ability to adapt remains at the top of the skills you need.

If your company is chasing a new market niche, the agency must be able to respond fast, updating the digital marketing plan without waiting for the next contract renewal.

A good indicator? Ask how they would handle a mid-project revision. The best agencies won't just be ready to revisit their strategy. They'll do it in step with your growth and evolution. Anyone who answers rigidly or with "it's not covered by the contract" is telling you something important about what the relationship will be like.

How do you evaluate the cost-benefit ratio of a communication and marketing agency?

Price alone tells you nothing. What matters is return on investment (ROI), meaning how much you earn compared to what you spend.

When weighing costs against benefits, you need to be careful. The high fees of some firms may seem justified by their reputation, but it's your ROI, the return on your investment, that should drive the decision.

The Italian Internet Advertising market reached 6.2 billion euros in 2025, up 11% from the previous year, according to the Osservatorio Internet Media of Politecnico di Milano. Further growth to 7 billion is expected for 2026. If you don't manage these channels with skill, you lose ground every month.

Here are the three things to focus on when you assess an agency's real value:

• Search engine rankings: a capable agency proves its skills with hard data. Look for case studies showing how they improved other clients' visibility. An effective ranking strategy generates steady organic traffic without paying for every single click.
• Tailored strategic consulting: find out whether the agency offers a custom market analysis or pushes standard packages. A bespoke approach is worth far more than a generic template.
• Ability to innovate: check whether the agency keeps up with industry trends, including the use of artificial intelligence in marketing processes. On this topic, the article on the best AI marketing tools of 2026 offers an up-to-date picture.

A high investment doesn't automatically guarantee better returns. Evaluate the promised performance and always ask how it will be measured.

Transparency and ongoing communication: how do you spot a serious agency?

A serious agency updates you regularly, gives you access to the data and doesn't wait for you to ask questions. It's proactive.

In marketing, transparency and continuous dialogue with your communication and marketing agency are vital. Integrated communication not only helps build a relationship of trust, it's essential to keep your business aligned with ongoing strategies.

A good agency gives you regular updates. Detailed reports tracking the performance of social media marketing campaigns let you measure ROI and make changes where needed. Web analytics, meaning data on how users behave on your site, are the compass of digital marketing. If you don't read them together with your agency, you're navigating blind.

Transparency goes hand in hand with shared purpose. Clear, frank discussion between you and the agency running your project is essential. It's also up to you to stay informed about every change that's made. At the same time, a serious agency gives you ongoing feedback without waiting for you to ask.

Why now: is the Italian digital advertising market really growing?

Yes, and the growth is structural: digital advertising already accounts for more than half of the entire Italian advertising market, and SMEs that don't cover it lose market share every year.

The Italian digital advertising market is growing at a steady pace. According to IAB Europe AdEx Benchmark 2025 data, Italy is the fifth-largest European market for digital advertising investment: in 2025 it reached over €6 billion, up 9.8%. For the first time, video accounted for more than 50% of display investment in Europe.

Across Europe, digital advertising reached €131 billion in 2025, up 10.5% from 2024. Retail Media, meaning advertising inside e-commerce platforms like Amazon, grew 16.7% to reach €13.3 billion.

And yet, according to the Osservatorio Innovazione Digitale nelle PMI at Politecnico di Milano, 76% of Italian SMEs have neither invested in artificial intelligence nor plan to, and only 7% have launched structured AI training programs. The gap between those who handle digital with expertise and those who improvise grows wider every year. To dig deeper into how AI is changing buyer behavior, the article on the buyer changed by AI offers up-to-date data to help you decide.

To stay up to date on advertising market trends and the most effective campaign playbooks, follow the articles in the Marketing e performance ADV cluster, where we publish analyses and practical guides for ads managers and marketing managers.

Where to start: the practical steps to choose your communications and marketing agency

Selecting an agency follows a logical sequence: follow it and you avoid choosing in a hurry and regretting it later.

What are the most common mistakes when choosing a communication and marketing agency?

The most common mistakes aren't about picking the wrong agency, but about how the relationship is set up from the start.

• Choosing on the lowest price. 53% of Italian agencies bill less than €100,000 a year: that doesn't mean they're the best, but it doesn't mean they're the worst either. Price alone says nothing about quality.
• Not defining goals before the brief. If you arrive without clear goals, you end up buying whatever the agency wants to sell.
• Ignoring the portfolio. Promises are easy. Documented results are rare and valuable.
• Not asking for account access. Advertising and analytics accounts should be in your name, not the agency's. If you switch partners, you don't have to start from scratch.
• Delegating everything and not following up. An agency works best when the client is present and informed. 39% of projects fail because of poor communication, not poor service quality.
• Not measuring results. Without defined KPIs, you don't know whether you're spending well or badly. Also read how to answer your CEO with the right marketing and revenue KPIs.

How do I know if my relationship with the communication and marketing agency is working?

The signs that the relationship is working are measurable: a feeling that things are going well isn't enough.

If after three months you can't answer any of these questions with a number, the problem isn't the agency: it's that you haven't defined together what to measure. Go back to the brief and redefine the KPIs. To learn how to structure campaigns that bring in qualified leads systematically, the article on marketing automation from 12 to 108 leads a month offers a practical playbook.

Looking for a job at a communication and marketing agency in Milan? Here are the most in-demand roles

The digital sector is growing, and so is demand for specialized professionals: here are the profiles agencies look for most today.

Maybe you didn't get this far because you're looking for an agency for your company, but because you want to work at one. Don't worry: we can help with that too.

The expansion of the digital world is plain to see. More and more people want to build a career in this field, perhaps working for a communication agency in Milan. This city is a true stage for innovation, and digital job openings keep growing. Just look at LinkedIn listings to see the rising demand for people who can play a crucial role in planning and managing an online business.

Social Media Manager

A profile whose importance shows no sign of fading. A Social Media Manager has to communicate effectively across social channels, convey the brand's message and win it wide visibility. Writing catchy posts and keeping up the conversation with users is no longer enough: you need to stay current on the latest trends, monitor competitors' channels and know how to set up winning campaigns when needed. It's essential to tune your language to the channel: an Instagram post can't have the same angle as a LinkedIn post. This role works constantly with the rest of the agency team, because only with a global view of ongoing activities can you build truly effective strategies.

SEO Specialist

The SEO Specialist remains a key profile for any communication and marketing agency worth its salt. Their skills range from keyword research to setting up every strategy that establishes a business's presence on search engines. To fill this role you need deep knowledge of ranking and must keep up with every innovation in the field. Glancing at Google Analytics and Keyword Planner is no longer enough: you need to master tools like Semrush or Ubersuggest and interpret their data coherently. SEO means optimizing multiple elements to increase organic traffic: from site speed to user experience, everything affects visibility.

copywriter

Search engines evaluate the content published on a website and determine its rating. That's why copywriting is an integral part of any digital marketing strategy. Landing pages, corporate pages, blog posts and product pages are designed to turn users into potential buyers. AI can already write web copy, but it almost always needs careful supervision. A copywriter has to produce smooth, readable content that ranks for target keywords and is also useful and easy to read. How can you tell if a text works? If the article is well written, it will have a low bounce rate (the percentage of users who leave the page right away) and will rank on search engines for the keywords you chose.

Project Manager

Managing and coordinating projects, even the most complex ones, is essential to the success of a web agency. The Project Manager leads a team of professionals through every phase of a project, making sure goals are met on time and within budget. To take on this role, you need to know how to identify and mitigate risks, manage resources and communicate effectively with everyone involved.

Storyteller

The digital Storyteller is one of the new roles establishing themselves in the digital world. This is a professional who can convey a brand's values in a creative, compelling way. The role calls for the ability to develop and share stories that reflect the brand's identity and spark customer interest and loyalty. The Storyteller works closely with the rest of the team to make sure the company's messages come across correctly and become a positive point of difference from competitors.

Digital Product Manager

Managing digital products such as websites, mobile apps and software platforms requires a holistic approach that takes both business goals and user experience into account. The Digital Product Manager is the person in charge of their development, launch and optimization. This role requires the ability to identify market needs and collaborate with different teams — designers, developers and marketing experts — to deliver successful solutions.

These are just some of the most in-demand roles in the digital world. As the industry keeps evolving, more and increasingly specialized profiles will emerge to make the most of everything the web can offer. Would you like to take on one of these roles? Get in touch using this form: you'll speak directly with our team, always on the lookout for talent to build ambitious projects with. To learn more about the roles most in demand in Milan, read our guide to the most in-demand roles at communication and marketing agencies in Milan.

So, is it worth choosing a communication and marketing agency for your company?

It's worth it if you have clear digital goals but lack the in-house skills to reach them, or you have a small team that can't cover all the channels you need. A well-structured agency gives you access to multiple specialists through a single point of contact.

Somewhere in between: you already have a partially structured in-house team. In this case, consider an agency specialized in one specific channel (e.g. just SEO or just paid media) instead of handing everything over.

Not yet if you haven't defined your goals, target audience and budget. Before contacting any agency, invest a few hours in writing a brief: without that compass, any commercial proposal will sound convincing.

How we see it at SHM

For us, technology is the means and people are the end. That holds true when choosing an agency too: tools change every year, but the quality of strategic thinking and clarity of communication remain the variables that make the difference between a project that works and one that runs aground.

At SHM Studio we work with companies that want a partner, not a vendor. Every strategy is built around the client's specific needs: no standard packages, no promises without data to back them up. With over 10 years of experience in the field, we've supported manufacturers, e-commerce businesses, professional firms and SMEs across different sectors in building a digital presence that delivers measurable results.

If you're considering how to structure your digital presence, you can explore our services in strategic AI integration, Google Ads campaigns and digital brand kits. If you'd rather figure out where to start, contact us: you'll get a reply from a person, not a bot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Choosing the right agency isn't about who has the prettiest website, but who can tell you exactly how they'll measure your success.