Type in "best creative agency in India" on Google, and you will get pages of agencies all saying the same. Award-winning. Industry-leading. Number one in India. The homepages of each and every agency look like they have been copied from the same writer on an urgent basis. Then how do brands decide upon which creative agency to hire?

The truth is that "the best" creative agency is not the one that has the flashiest website but the one that survives through trend changes, gets repeated calls from the same client year after year and executes a campaign in all channels required by your brand – and not in just one channel where the agency excels. 

This is the yardstick that should be applied, and incidentally, it also applies to Creative Thinks Media in its operation for the past 17 years.

Why Creative Agencies Rankings in India Don’t Work

Rankings of creative agencies in India typically rely on a portfolio – a selection of beautiful ad films, some awards logos, and perhaps a list of clients whose names you've heard somewhere. However, none of that will help you understand whether or not an agency can manage your entire campaign.

To be considered a truly creative agency in India, an organization should be able to deliver several elements simultaneously:

• Have knowledge of the brand strategy underlying its creative
• Work across print, digital, radio, television, and events while managing them yourself rather than subcontracting everything
• Be present during small campaigns which take place regularly and aren't going to make their way into a reel
• Demonstrate ability to provide you with measurable results, no matter if it is footfall for a launch event or leads for an SEO campaign

True creative agencies meeting all these criteria are less common than Google search results imply. "Creative agencies" in India are usually niche agencies – a digital marketing company offering branding services along with its core services or a production house that creates some commercials. There is nothing wrong with specialization. But if you want to find one company capable of managing your brand's advertising narrative from A to Z, then a more comprehensive agency would suit you better.

What You Learn About Agencies in 17 Years

In Creative Thinks Media, we have been around the block since 2008. This means we've experienced the transition period from print-heavy campaigns to campaigns where your Instagram reel is just as important as your billboard. The rise of digital marketing from the bottom of marketing budgets to its current position at the top has been observed firsthand. And what we see in that process is not always the most creative agencies making it out there, but those who are capable of adapting without compromising quality.

What Creative Thinks Media does as a result is expand its capabilities of print design, radio advertising, production, event management, artist management, and digital marketing into in-house skills. In practice, when your campaign requires creating a press ad, a radio spot, an on-ground event, and a social media push, you will be dealing with one team, one plan, and one voice for each channel you use.

This is how we differ from other companies who may only be great on paper, and this is why we are capable of delivering the best creative agency experience in India.

Client List Says It All

We've done work for brands such as ICICI, Tanishq, Kotak Life Insurance, Axis Asset Management, IIFL Securities, Raymond Group, Jaypee Group, Escorts Tractors, Mahagun, and Bullmen Realty. While it may not be their size that stands out but rather the fact that so many of them have returned over the years for multiple campaigns.

It means more than you can imagine. Having an one-time client gives you a hint of the capabilities of an agency to win new business. Having a repeat client gives you the guarantee of its ability to perform and adapt to your changing needs without the pressure of having to win your business anymore. And when looking for an advertising and branding agency in India, make sure you know not only their client list but also its history.

Creativity Is Not Enough On Its Own

There is a tendency within the industry to look at 'creative' and 'results' as being completely disconnected – as though the advertising agency that can create the most beautiful campaign and the one that will generate the most leads is operating in totally different worlds. However, we do not believe in this dichotomy any longer.

While it is true that a good radio campaign or print ad should always remain creative and captivating, it also has to be included within a more wide-ranging plan that includes elements like SEO, paid online advertising and social media marketing – areas of activity where it is possible to measure results. The best creative agency in India today does not have to choose between crafting an effective campaign and achieving the required level of results. Instead, it develops those campaigns that have both – an idea that is good enough to grab people's attention and a strategy that will convert that attention into the results.

That's why our digital marketing and SEO services are integrated into production and event planning teams. A great campaign idea developed as part of TV commercial campaign should then be adapted for social media, print and website.

So, How Do You Actually Pick?

As a brand looking to select a creative agency in India, before looking at the "top" lists, why not ask a few relevant questions?

1. Have they done work for your business in the past through multiple years, and not just one spectacular project? 
2. Are they capable of delivering within your required channels, or is your campaign going to be divided into three different agencies that won’t even communicate? 
3. Have they been able to relate a creative concept with tangible results and not just an award entry?

The agencies which give you a specific and concrete answer are the ones worth considering. The ones that only use adjectives aren’t!

How Does Media Fit in at Creative Thinks Media?

We are not the prettiest media agency in the country, and we don’t see a need for that either. But what we can say after 17 years and more than 1,800 projects that have been done for over 2,000 clients is that we’ve developed such a range of services that any other media agency only talks about on their website’s main page. Printing, radio, event management, artist management, digital marketing, and production services are among the services that we provide here.

If you’re thinking of working with creative agencies in India and you would like to choose an agency that can help you do everything connected with a campaign, including its implementation in any possible channel, then we’d be happy to discuss your needs. You can find all our past work on our portfolio page or just contact us.