An Introduction
Why Agencies Don’t Deliver Commercial Accountability
Why Agency Output Rarely Equals Business Impact
Most agencies do exactly what they’re hired to do:
run campaigns, deliver assets, report activity.
What they don’t do is own commercial outcomes.
That’s not a failure of talent — it’s a structural limitation.
What “Activity Without Accountability” Looks Like
In SMEs relying on agencies:
-
Reports focus on clicks, impressions, or leads
-
Success is framed as delivery, not revenue
-
Underperformance is blamed on “the market”
-
Spend continues despite unclear results
Activity continues. Accountability doesn’t.
strategy without execution ownership
Symptoms you will see look like this:-
-
ROI unclear
-
False confidence
-
Misaligned effort
-
Fragmented direction
-
Diminishing returns
-
Spend inertia
-
Blame loops
-
Slow or reactive calls
-
Pipeline leakage
-
No compounding
-
Data disputes
-
CAC rises
-
Board frustration
lack of senior marketing leadership
See the table to the left for the full symptoms table.
Why Agencies Can’t Own Commercial Outcomes?
Agencies:
-
Don’t control pricing, sales, or operations
-
Aren’t embedded in leadership decisions
-
Are incentivised to deliver scope, not ROI
full-time CMO vs fractional leadership
Without an internal owner, no one connects marketing effort to business performance.
what a fractional CMO actually does
The table to the right is often the practical reasons list that include:-
-
Agencies don’t own revenue targets
-
Control channels, not the funnel
-
Paid for delivery
-
Advise, don’t decide
-
Limited CRM & finance visibility
-
External to sales
-
Campaign-based
-
Use agency tools
-
Client-led approval
-
Avoid commercial risk
-
Isolated tests
-
Add channels
-
Not board-facing
Why Agencies Don’t Connect Activity to Commercial Outcomes in SMEs?
Why Agencies Don’t Connect Activity to Commercial Outcomes in SMEs?
Why Agencies Can’t Own Commercial Outcomes?
Agencies:
-
Don’t control pricing, sales, or operations
-
Aren’t embedded in leadership decisions
-
Are incentivised to deliver scope, not ROI
Without an internal owner, no one connects marketing effort to business performance.take ownership of agency outcomes
The table to the right is often the practical reasons list that include:-
-
Agencies don’t own revenue targets
-
Control channels, not the funnel
-
Paid for delivery
-
Advise, don’t decide
-
Limited CRM & finance visibility
-
External to sales
-
Campaign-based
-
Use agency tools
-
Client-led approval
-
Avoid commercial risk
-
Isolated tests
-
Add channels
-
Not board-facing
What Changes With Marketing Leadership in Place?
With senior marketing leadership:
-
Agencies are given clear commercial objectives
-
Success is measured on outcomes, not output
-
Spend is challenged and prioritised
-
Performance improves — or suppliers change
Agencies work for the business, not around it.
the list of desireable business impacts by adding marketing leadership are:
-
Clear accountability
-
Focused direction
-
Reduced waste
-
ROI visibility
-
Lower CAC
-
Better value
-
Higher conversion
-
Faster execution
-
Board confidence
-
Continuous improvement
-
Sustainable growth
-
Lower exposure
-
Governance strength
-
Valuation uplift
What Fractional Leadership looks like first 30-90 days
Next Step
If agencies deliver activity but growth stalls, ownership is missing.
Marketing Leadership vs Agency-Only Model in SMEs
What Agency Activity Without Commercial Accountability Looks Like (SMEs) FAQs
1. What does “agency activity without commercial accountability” actually mean?
It means agencies are delivering campaigns, content, and reports, but no one owns how that activity translates into revenue, pipeline, or ROI.
2. Are agencies doing something wrong when results don’t follow activity?
Not necessarily. Agencies execute what they’re briefed to deliver. Without internal leadership setting commercial goals, activity stays disconnected from outcomes.
3. Why do agency reports focus on activity metrics?
Because agencies are usually contracted and measured on delivery, not on business results they don’t control.
4. Who should connect agency activity to commercial outcomes?
A senior internal marketing leader. Agencies support execution; leadership owns strategy, prioritisation, and ROI.
5. Why does relying on agencies alone often increase complexity?
Because each agency optimises its own channel. Without leadership, activity multiplies but impact doesn’t compound.
6. How does agency-led marketing affect sales teams?
Sales often receive higher lead volume but lower quality, creating friction, wasted effort, and pipeline leakage.
7. Can better dashboards or tools fix agency accountability issues?
No. Tools report data, but they don’t make trade-offs or take responsibility for outcomes. Accountability requires leadership.
8. When should an SME question its agency model?
When spend increases, reporting looks positive, but pipeline and revenue remain flat or unpredictable.
9. Does adding marketing leadership mean replacing agencies?
Not usually. Leadership governs agencies, sets direction, and improves value from existing suppliers.
10. What’s the first step to fixing agency accountability gaps?
Clarify who owns marketing outcomes internally, review what activity is actually driving value, and reset priorities before changing agencies or spend.