Marketing Consulting
Marketing Consultant vs Agency: What's Really Better for Your Business?
You've been paying an agency for months. The reports look good. Revenue doesn't. Usually it is not the agency. It delivers what was ordered. The question is whether anyone decided beforehand what it should deliver.
Simon FörstemannGrowth Strategist & Marketing ConsultantApril 2026Updated: August 2026The direct answer: hire a marketing consultant first, then an agency. A consultant builds the strategy. An agency executes it. In 7 out of 10 cases where marketing spend isn't producing results, the root cause is a missing or flawed strategy, not poor execution. No agency can fix that from the inside.
Both exist for a reason. Agencies are not inherently bad, and a marketing consultant is not always the better choice. The problem is that most small businesses and SMEs make this decision without understanding what the difference actually means in practice.
Simon Förstemann has seen both sides: he founded and led FORMM, an international brand agency, for several years. He knows exactly what a good agency delivers, and where it structurally hits its limits. He now works as an independent marketing consultant, advising founders and business owners 1:1. The switch was not coincidence. It was a conclusion.
Key Takeaways
- · A consultant builds the strategy; an agency executes it. The right sequence is consultant first, agency second, getting it reversed is the most expensive mistake SMEs make.
- · In 7 out of 10 cases where marketing spend isn't producing results, the root cause is a missing or flawed strategy, not poor execution. No agency can fix that from the inside.
- · An agency is paid for execution, not for the decision before it. Whether a measure is the right one at all is outside its brief. That is not a flaw, it is its role.
- · Establishing strategy before execution helped companies achieve +74% revenue growth within 16 months without changing agency spend, only the strategy underneath it.
The core difference What separates execution from decision-making?
An agency delivers services. It produces ads, writes content, builds campaigns, and manages channels. That is its business model, and it works, provided you already know what you want and need someone to execute it professionally.
A marketing consultant thinks alongside you. They analyse the problem, challenge the strategy, and help you make the right decisions before money is spent. They don't execute. They think ahead.
The most common, and most expensive, mistake: getting the sequence wrong. Hiring an agency before the strategy is solid. The result: well-produced work pointing in the wrong direction.
Both have a role. The question is not which one is better, but what is missing in your business right now.
Marketing Agency
- Executes campaigns and tactics
- Delivers content, ads, and campaigns
- Works with multiple clients in parallel
- Bills by effort or fixed retainer
- The right choice when strategy is already clear
Marketing Consultant
- Thinks alongside you and sets priorities
- Develops strategy before money is spent
- Works 1:1 and knows your business deeply
- Bills by outcome or advisory retainer
- The right choice when you don't know what to do
The agency's role Why isn't good execution alone enough?
An agency is paid for what it produces. That is its business model, and there is nothing wrong with it. It simply means that the question of whether a measure is needed at all is outside its brief. It has to be answered beforehand, and in most companies nobody owns that question.
So reports show what was produced: reach, impressions, click-through rates. That is honest work. It is just not the same as revenue growth.
As an agency owner, Simon Förstemann watched clients approve budgets month after month because the reports looked strong, while revenue stayed flat. The campaigns were good. The underlying problem was the positioning beneath them, which had shifted since the first briefing. Nobody had the brief to check that. Not the agency, and nobody inside either.
When do you need an agency? And when do you not?
An agency is the right choice when: you have a clear strategy and need capacity to execute it. You know your target audience, your message, and your channels, you simply need someone to deliver it professionally at scale.
An agency is the wrong choice when: you are not sure your positioning is right. When you don't know which channels will work for you. When something feels off but you can't name what. In those cases, an agency gives you well-produced noise. Not growth.
The third path When do you need both, in sequence?
The most effective combination: a marketing consultant develops strategy and positioning. Then an agency comes in knowing exactly what to execute with a clear brief, clear KPIs, and a clear direction.
That sounds like more effort. In practice, it costs less. Because you stop paying for well-produced work that points the wrong way.
Simon Förstemann has helped companies achieve +74% revenue growth within 16 months by establishing this sequence. The agency spend didn't change. The strategy underneath it did.
Next step
You have an agency and still nothing moves.
Send me what you are doing right now. I will take a look and tell you whether it is the execution or the decision that came before it.
If it is the decision, I work it out with you and stay through the execution, including with your existing agency.
Book an intro call →30 minutes · Informal introduction · Directly with Simon Förstemann
Frequently asked questions: marketing consultant vs agency
What is the difference between a marketing consultant and a marketing agency?
An agency executes, it produces ads, content, and campaigns. A marketing consultant thinks alongside you: they analyse the problem, challenge the strategy, and help you make the right decisions before money is spent. Both have their place, but only in the right sequence. Hiring an agency before the strategy is solid means paying for well-produced work pointing in the wrong direction.
When do I need a marketing consultant vs an agency?
You need a marketing consultant when you don't know what to do, when your positioning is unclear, the right channels are unknown, or something feels off but you can't name it. You need an agency when you know exactly what you want and need someone to execute it professionally. In 7 out of 10 cases, businesses hire the agency too early.
Can I use a marketing consultant and an agency at the same time?
Yes, and it's often the most effective combination for SMEs and small businesses. The consultant develops strategy and positioning first. Then the agency executes with a clear brief, clear KPIs, and a clear direction. This eliminates the budget wasted on iteration and course-correction that happens when agencies operate without a solid strategy underneath them.
Why isn't good execution by an agency enough on its own?
Because an agency is paid for execution, not for the decision before it. That is its role, not a flaw. Reports show what was produced: reach, impressions, click rates. All of that is honest work, but it is not the same as revenue. The question of whether a measure is needed at all has to be answered before the briefing, and in most companies nobody owns it.
How much does a marketing consultant cost compared to an agency?
A marketing consultant typically charges a day rate or advisory retainer and costs less upfront than a full-service agency. More importantly, consulting first prevents the expensive mistake of funding well-executed campaigns built on the wrong strategy. In practice, a single consulting engagement often saves multiples of its fee in misdirected agency spend.
What should I look for in a marketing consultant for my small business or SME?
Look for someone who has built or run businesses, not just advised them. Ask for specific revenue outcomes from past engagements, not just campaign metrics. A good marketing consultant tells you honestly what you don't need, including, sometimes, a consultant. Simon Förstemann has 14 years of experience across 6 ventures and offers a 30-minute intro call to assess your situation with no obligation.
Our agency delivers, but nothing changes. Why?
Usually not because of the agency. An agency executes what was decided. If the decision beforehand was vague, you get well produced material pointing in the wrong direction. Check first whether a strategy exists that deserves the name: a statement of who should buy, why from you, and along which path. Without it, the next agency will not change anything either.
Should I switch agencies or do I need something else?
Switch if the execution is poor: deadlines slip, quality varies, agreements do not hold. You need something else if the execution is clean and the results still do not come. Then the problem sits one level higher and changing agencies only moves it. In those cases I work out the strategy with you and then stay through the execution, including with your existing agency.
About the author
Simon Förstemann
Simon Förstemann knows what it's like to be in your position: 14 years of experience, 6 ventures founded, 3 exits, Red Dot, German Design Award and German Brand Award 2026. He brings that experience 1:1 into your company, so your marketing sells instead of just keeping everyone busy. He doesn't just advise, he also supports you hands-on with the implementation. No workshops, no apparatus. Your agency and your team stay on board.
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