A practical 7-point checklist founders in Egypt and the Gulf use to vet marketing agencies before committing to a retainer.
Picking a marketing agency is one of the highest-stakes hiring decisions a growing brand makes. Here are the 7 criteria we see the strongest Egyptian and Gulf brands use when shortlisting partners on MindHub.
1. Specialization > Full-Service
A boutique agency that does one thing well almost always outperforms a full-service shop that does everything. Look for agencies whose case studies match your exact need (Meta Ads for e-commerce, UGC for beauty, SEO for SaaS).
2. Ask for regional case studies, not global ones
An agency that crushed it for a US SaaS may have no playbook for an Egyptian D2C brand. Arabic-first creative, local payment methods, Ramadan calendars — these matter.
3. Check their own marketing
The agency's own website, social, and content is a live demo. If they can't market themselves, they probably can't market you.
4. Understand the team
Will the person you meet in the pitch actually work on your account? In many MENA shops the senior pitches and a junior delivers. Ask who is hands-on and get them in the kickoff.
5. Reporting cadence
Weekly is the new monthly. Demand real-time dashboards, not decks.
6. Contract flexibility
Retainers should have a 30-day out. Projects should have clear deliverables and revision caps.
7. References, not reviews
Reviews can be bought. A 15-minute phone call with a past client cannot.
Use MindHub's AI Match to surface agencies that fit all 7 — then shortlist 3, talk to 2, sign with 1.