Editorial · July 7, 2025
How to brief an agency so the measurement survives
Brief for evidence from day one: ask for documents, a sample report, an honest weak spot and the names of the people doing the work. This guide turns what the Digital Agency Award editors look for into checks any buyer in the United States or Asia can run before a shortlist.
First, evidence. Ask for the paperwork behind every claim, then watch how fast and how complete it comes back. To our editors, organic growth and reporting integrity are what split the credible shops from the merely polished.
Second, check how they measure. An agency that tracks its own numbers and shares them in a standard format expects to be held to them. An agency that sends only testimonials is sending a message too. Get a sample report before you sign. After is too late.
Third, ask about the weak spot. Have the agency name the area where it is least strong. How honest that answer is tells you plenty. Self-aware shops get better. Defensive ones stall.
Fourth, meet the people. Find out who does the work, not only who pitched it. Named team members, people who have stayed a while and a named person to escalate to cost nothing to check, and they catch expensive problems early.
Last, put it in writing. Rate your two or three finalists on the five criteria from our methodology page. Then file the scores somewhere you can find them. People who write down their own checks choose better and hold a stronger hand at renewal.
For worked examples, open any of our category pages. Each one carries the editors' note on every honoree, so you can see who made the list and why.
A category can be empty. No winner pays a fee for inclusion.