When’s the right time to bring in a comms agency?

17/07/25

Author: Lauren Goringe

When’s the right time to bring in a comms agency?

And how to get the most from the partnership

The best time to engage a PR and communications agency is when you need to strengthen your reputation and drive awareness but lack the internal capacity or expertise to execute this effectively. This often occurs during a period of growth, or when facing a challenging situation that requires the expertise of communication management.

Working in food and farming means operating in one of the most dynamic and demanding sectors out there. Reputations matter. So does clarity. In a landscape shaped by regulation, retail power and rising expectations, good communication is more than nice to have. It’s mission critical.

But when is it worth bringing in external PR and communications support - and what should you expect in return?

5 signs it’s time to bring in a communication agency

1. You need to strengthen your reputation

From farmer trust to investor attention, reputation is the foundation of influence. A good PR and communications agency helps you sharpen your narrative, build credibility and manage risk.

2. Your stakeholders are complex (and growing)

In food and farming, audiences are rarely one-size-fits-all. Regulators. Retailers. NGOs. Farmers. Internal teams. The right partner helps you tailor messaging - without losing coherence.

3. You want to drive awareness or engagement

Need to embed sustainability practices in your supply chain? Have a new product to launch? Want to build your brand? Communications activity only works when it’s built with insight and delivered with intent.

4. Your in-house team is at capacity

Even the best comms teams get stretched. If your in-house team doesn’t have expertise in areas like media relations, content creation, or crisis communication. A sector-savvy agency can step in with strategic skills, extra bandwidth and a fresh pair of eyes. Or maybe you don’t have any specialist marketing or PR resource in-house? A good agency can fulfil this role for you as you scale.

5. You need a critical friend

Good communication agencies don’t just deliver. They challenge. They ask the tough questions, spot reputational blind spots and bring outside perspective to internal plans.

When is comms agency support better than building in-house?

There’s no universal rule - but certain moments call for external perspective. Especially when the sector’s shifting fast. (Which, let’s face it, it always is.)

When you need strategy, not just delivery. If you’re shaping comms plans, stakeholder engagement strategies or crisis comms protocols, agency insight helps you step back and get it right. At Twig, we help clients frame comms in line with market dynamics, secure board buy-in and navigate tricky terrain.
When you need live insight, not just opinions. In agriculture, timing matters. What’s happening in Brussels, the weather, the latest retailer moves - they all shape when and how you speak. We keep our ear to the ground so your message lands at the right moment.
When your team needs to flex. We plug in seamlessly. Sometimes we’re ghost-writing thought leadership. Sometimes we’re managing media or running multi-channel campaigns. Always, we’re delivering high-quality work that aligns with your goals.

Getting long-term value from a communications partner

The most effective comms agency relationships aren’t transactional. They’re trusted, strategic and built to last. At Twig, we’ve worked with some of our clients for well over a decade. That only happens when there’s shared ambition and real collaboration.

A great communication agency should:

Understand your context and history
Anticipate your future needs
Feel like part of your team

Reflecting on how to get the most from your agency? Ask:

Are they proactive, or just reactive?
Do they understand the sector you’re in?
Are they helping you stay ahead of the curve?
Are they bringing fresh thinking - not just delivering tasks?

If the answer’s no, it might be time to revisit the brief or extend the scope. Talk through your concerns or consider bring in complementary support for a specific challenge or campaign.

How to brief your communication agency - and get better results

Whether you’re running a full pitch or having exploratory chats, a few small actions go a long way:

Be clear about your goals - What does success look like? Who are you trying to reach? What’s the real challenge here?
Share a budget (even a rough one) - It helps agencies tailor their ideas - and means you get realistic, useful proposals in return.
Don’t rush the process - If you want originality and strategy, give teams the time to do it properly. The best ideas need breathing room.
Think outcomes, not just outputs - Good agencies will help define smart KPIs - ones that actually mean something to your business, not just the vanity stats.

What does it cost to hire a comms agency?

Agency day rates vary, but here’s a rough guide:

General PR or content support: from £750/day
Strategic or sector-specific consultancy: usually project or retainer-based
Specialist agencies often charge more - but bring wider networks, more strategic insight and deeper systems

The better question is: what’s the cost of ineffective comms? A mishandled crisis. A failed stakeholder rollout. Poor brand awareness or reputation. Strategic comms helps you avoid costly mistakes - and seize the right moments.

Why work with a specialist like Twig?

We offer communications consultancy tailored to food, farming and the supply chain. We don’t just ‘do comms’—we help organisations build trust, shift perception and make change stick.