Our Process
how we work
Every engagement follows the same path.
No surprises. No upsells. No guesswork.
No surprises. No upsells. No guesswork.
From a first conversation to a written strategic brief to ongoing media management, every client relationship at Adgorithm follows a defined structure. You know what each step produces, what it costs, and what comes next — before we begin.
The Engagement Path
Four stages, one direction
Here is what working with Adgorithm looks like, from first call to ongoing partnership.
Stage 1 — Clarity Call
Free, 30–45 minutes. We learn what's happening and whether there's a fit. You get an honest read, not a pitch.
Stage 2 — Strategy Session
A focused follow-up where we go deeper, share what we're seeing, and recommend a clear next step.
Stage 3 — The Clarity Brief
A 2–3 week engagement that produces a written strategic brief and a retainer proposal built around your actual situation.
Stage 4 — Managed Media Retainer
Ongoing strategic management across your full media mix — with monthly reporting that tells you what's working and what to do next.
Stage by Stage
what each step delivers
Every stage has a defined deliverable. Here is what you get
at each one.
Stage 1 — Clarity Call | Free | 30–45 minutes
A Clarity Call is not a sales call. It is a structured conversation— one where we ask better questions than you've probably heard from a vendor before. We want to understand what you're spending, what you're getting, and what you're not sure about. We also want to know if we're actually the right fit for each other.
By the end of the call, you'll have a clear read on the real problem, not just the surface one. We'll know whether a next step makes sense. If it does, we'll schedule a follow-up. If it doesn't, we'll say that directly.
There is no obligation after a Clarity Call. No pressure to proceed. No follow-up pitch sequence.
What you leave with: An honest diagnosis of your current marketing situation and a clear sense of what the right next step is — whether that's working with us or not.
Book A Clarity CallBy the end of the call, you'll have a clear read on the real problem, not just the surface one. We'll know whether a next step makes sense. If it does, we'll schedule a follow-up. If it doesn't, we'll say that directly.
There is no obligation after a Clarity Call. No pressure to proceed. No follow-up pitch sequence.
What you leave with: An honest diagnosis of your current marketing situation and a clear sense of what the right next step is — whether that's working with us or not.
Stage 2 — Strategy Session | Free or $400–$600 | 60 minutes
Most agencies pitch from assumptions. We don't.
After the Clarity Call, we take what we learned and do the thinking. Before we meet again, we've reviewed your media mix, identified the gaps, and formed a real recommendation — one based on your actual situation, not a template.
In the Strategy Session, we share what we're seeing. We walk through the options and the tradeoffs. We tell you what we think you should do next and why. If that next step is the Clarity Brief, we'll explain exactly what it includes and what it costs. If it's something else, we'll tell you that too.
This session is where you decide whether to move forward. There is no hard sell.
What you leave with: A clear recommendation for your next step — and enough information to make a confident decision about it.
After the Clarity Call, we take what we learned and do the thinking. Before we meet again, we've reviewed your media mix, identified the gaps, and formed a real recommendation — one based on your actual situation, not a template.
In the Strategy Session, we share what we're seeing. We walk through the options and the tradeoffs. We tell you what we think you should do next and why. If that next step is the Clarity Brief, we'll explain exactly what it includes and what it costs. If it's something else, we'll tell you that too.
This session is where you decide whether to move forward. There is no hard sell.
What you leave with: A clear recommendation for your next step — and enough information to make a confident decision about it.
Stage 3 — The Clarity Brief | $1,500–$2,500 | 2–3 weeks
The Clarity Brief is a 2–3 week strategic engagement that produces a written document: a complete picture of where your marketing is now, where it should go, and exactly how we'd run it asyour partner. It is not a surface-level audit.
It is not a proposal dressed up as a report. It is the strategic work that most agencies skip and then charge you for when campaigns don't perform.
What the Clarity Brief includes:
It is not a proposal dressed up as a report. It is the strategic work that most agencies skip and then charge you for when campaigns don't perform.
What the Clarity Brief includes:
- Full review of your current media mix — what you're buying, from whom, and whether it's working
- Audience and market analysis specific to your business
- Channel-by-channel assessment with a clear recommendation for what to keep, change, or cut
- A defined strategic direction for the next 12 months
- A retainer proposal scoped to your actual situation — channels, fee, and expected outcomes
The Clarity Brief fee credits in full toward your first retainer month when you commit to a 90-day initial term. If you complete the Brief and decide not to move forward, you keep the document and pay the fee — no credit applied.
What you leave with: A written strategic brief you own, a retainer proposal built around your actual situation, and a clear decision in front of you.
What you leave with: A written strategic brief you own, a retainer proposal built around your actual situation, and a clear decision in front of you.
Stage 4 — Managed Media Retainer | Custom-scoped | Ongoing
The Managed Media Retainer is the partnership. This is where strategy becomes execution and execution becomes accountability. Every retainer client gets a single strategist who owns the full picture: your media plan, your vendor relationships, your campaign performance, and your monthly reporting. You stop managing vendors. You stop fielding sales calls. You stop wondering what your marketing is doing.
Retainer scope is determined during the Clarity Brief — not in a sales conversation. The Brief tells us which channels belong in your mix, how much coordination they require, and what the appropriate retainer level is for your situation.
What ongoing management includes:
Retainer scope is determined during the Clarity Brief — not in a sales conversation. The Brief tells us which channels belong in your mix, how much coordination they require, and what the appropriate retainer level is for your situation.
What ongoing management includes:
- Strategic media planning and channel management
- Execution oversight across all active channels
- Vendor relationship management — one call instead of five
- Monthly reporting that translates into decisions, not just dashboards
- Quarterly strategic review to assess what's working and where the next dollar should go
- A single point of accountability across your entire marketing investment
Retainers begin with a 90-day initial term, then convert to an annual agreement. Annual is the default — not month-to-month — because real strategic work requires continuity.
What you leave with: A marketing partner who is accountable for results, vendor-neutral in every recommendation, and present every month with answers — not just reports.
What you leave with: A marketing partner who is accountable for results, vendor-neutral in every recommendation, and present every month with answers — not just reports.
Is this a fit?
Who This Is For
Established businesses and organizations spending $5,000 or more per month on marketing —who are tired of buying from vendors and ready to work with a strategic partner.
More specifically, you're probably a fit if:
- You've been buying media for years but can't clearly say what's working
- You're managing four or five vendor relationships with no one tying them together
- You're getting reports but not decisions
- You want a strategist who has no stake in which channel you use
- You're ready to invest in clarity before committing more budget
Who This Isn't For
Pre-revenue startups, direct-to-consumer ecommerce brands looking for performance marketing, or businesses shopping for the lowest-cost media buyer.
We're not the right fit if:
- You haven't launched yet or don't have stable, demonstrated revenue
- You need pure performance marketing with no strategic layer
- You're evaluating agencies primarily on price
- You need someone to execute without asking questions about whether the strategy makes sense