How to Plan Your 2026 Digital Agency Review This New Year
Is your Wellington business stuck with a digital agency that's not delivering real revenue growth? Kiwi companies waste around 35% of their marketing budgets yearly on underperforming partners. This guide walks you through planning your 2026 agency review step-by-step, so you can demand better results or find the right fit.
What Is a Digital Agency Review?
A digital agency review is more than just looking at last month’s report. It is a formal, strategic assessment of your partnership with your marketing provider. Think of it as a "Warrant of Fitness" for your marketing strategy. You aren't just checking if the work got done; you are evaluating if that work actually moved the needle for your business.
This process involves looking at the relationship health, the results achieved, and the alignment with your future business goals. It’s about asking hard questions: Is the agency proactive? Do they understand the New Zealand market? Are they generating a return on investment? A proper review separates activity from achievement, ensuring you aren't paying for busy work.
Why Plan Your Review for the 2026 New Year?
January is the natural reset button for Kiwi businesses. As we head into 2026, budgets are refreshing, and strategic priorities often shift. Conducting your review now ensures that your agency’s roadmap aligns with your goals for the year ahead, rather than playing catch-up in March or April.
Here is why timing matters:
Budget Allocation: You need to know if you should increase spend or cut losses before the fiscal year gets too deep.
Strategic Alignment: If your business goals for 2026 have changed, your agency needs to know immediately.
Performance Baselines: The start of the year provides a clean slate to set new KPIs and benchmarks based on the previous year's data.
Preparing Your 2026 Agency Review
Going into a review meeting without preparation is a waste of time. You need to do your homework to ensure the conversation is factual and constructive. This isn't about gathering ammunition for an argument; it is about gathering evidence for a strategy session.
Before you book the meeting, you need to consolidate your internal data. This ensures you aren't relying solely on the agency's version of events. You need an objective view of what happened over the last 12 months to plan effectively for the next 12.
Defining Clear Goals and KPIs
Vague goals lead to vague results. For this review, you must move beyond "we want more sales." You need specific, measurable targets for 2026.
Look at your 2025 performance and set concrete numbers:
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): What is the maximum you can pay for a customer?
Revenue Targets: What specific dollar amount do you need from digital channels?
Conversion Rates: What percentage of website traffic needs to convert?
Collecting Key Performance Data
Don't rely just on the PDF reports your agency emails you. Log into your own accounts. Check your Google Analytics 4 (GA4), your CRM data, and your sales figures.
You want to compare the leads the agency claims to have generated against the actual sales your team closed. If the agency reports 100 leads but your sales team only saw 10 quality ones, that is a data gap you need to address immediately.
Building Your Internal Review Team
Marketing doesn't happen in a silo. Your review team should include key stakeholders who interact with the agency's output.
Sales Manager: To verify lead quality.
Marketing Manager: To assess day-to-day communication.
Business Owner/CEO: To ensure high-level ROI alignment.
Getting input from sales is critical. They are the ones dealing with the leads your agency generates, so their feedback on lead quality is often the most important data point you have.
Essential Areas to Evaluate Agency Performance
When you sit down to review the work, you need to categorize your evaluation. It is easy to get bogged down in details like "I didn't like that one Facebook post in July," but that doesn't help your 2026 strategy. You need to look at the big picture.
Focus on the pillars that actually sustain a business partnership. If the agency is nice but unprofitable, that’s a problem. If they are profitable but impossible to work with, that’s also a problem. You are looking for a balance of performance, process, and proactivity.
ROI and Revenue Growth
This is the most critical metric. For every dollar you spent on agency fees and ad spend, how much came back into the business?
If you spent $50,000 in 2025 and only saw $50,000 in return, you are technically losing money once you factor in margins and time. A strong agency partner, like MPT Agencies, focuses on profit, not just clicks. If the ROI isn't positive, the strategy is flawed.
Channel-Specific Results (SEO, Paid Ads, Social)
Aggregate data can hide problems. You need to break down performance by channel to see what is actually working.
SEO: Are organic rankings improving for high-intent keywords?
Paid Ads: Is the ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) stable or improving?
Social Media: Is engagement translating into website traffic?
Sometimes one strong channel (like Google Ads) masks a failing one (like SEO). This review is the time to cut the dead weight or fix the leaks.
Communication, Reporting, and Innovation
Results matter, but so does the experience of working together. Is your agency a partner or just a vendor?
Ask yourself:
Do they report on time?
Are the reports understandable?
Do they come to you with new ideas, or do you have to ask for everything?
"A proactive agency suggests new strategies before you know you need them. A reactive agency waits for you to complain."
How to Run an Effective Review Meeting
The meeting itself should be a dialogue, not a monologue. If the agency spends 45 minutes reading a PowerPoint presentation to you, take control. The goal is to solve problems and set direction, not just review history.
Send an agenda beforehand so the agency knows what to prepare. This prevents the "I'll have to get back to you on that" response to critical questions. Be firm but professional. You are investing in this partnership, and you have a right to understand how your money is being used.
Crafting a Focused Agenda
Keep the meeting tight. A two-hour meeting with no structure is less effective than a 45-minute focused session.
Sample Agenda:
2025 Recap: High-level wins and losses (10 mins).
Data Deep Dive: Reviewing specific KPIs and ROI (20 mins).
Process Review: What is working in communication vs. what isn't (10 mins).
2026 Strategy: The plan for the year ahead (20 mins).
Key Questions for Your Agency
Don't let them off the hook with soft questions. Ask things that reveal their strategic thinking.
"What was our biggest missed opportunity last year?"
"If you had more budget, where would you put it and why?"
"What are you seeing in the NZ market that we aren't capitalising on?"
"Why did that specific campaign fail, and what did we learn?"
Best Practices for Agency Reviews
To get the most out of this process, you need to approach it with the right mindset. Transparency is key. If you are unhappy with something, say it clearly. Hints don't work in business relationships.
Be Data-Driven: Opinions are subjective; numbers are not. Base your feedback on the data you collected.
Acknowledge Wins: It’s easy to focus on the negatives, but acknowledging what went well motivates the agency team to keep winning for you.
Set Action Items: Never leave the room without a list of "Who is doing what by when."
Look Forward: Spend 40% of the time on the past and 60% on the future. You can't change 2025, but you can shape 2026.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many reviews fail because they turn into grievance sessions rather than strategy meetings. Avoid the "blame game." If a campaign failed, dig into why rather than just pointing fingers. Was the creative bad? Was the offer weak? Was the budget too low?
Watch out for these traps:
Focusing on Vanity Metrics: Likes and impressions don't pay the bills. Focus on leads and sales.
Skipping the Review: "We're too busy" is a dangerous excuse.
Being Vague: Saying "we need to do better" helps no one. Say "we need to lower CPA by 10%."
Next Steps After Your Review
Once the meeting is done, you have a decision to make. You generally have three paths forward for 2026.
Renew and Refine: The agency is doing well. You sign off on the 2026 strategy, adjust the budget, and keep moving.
Probation: The results aren't there, but you see potential. Set a strict 90-day improvement plan with clear consequences if targets aren't met.
Switch Partners: If the trust is gone or the results are consistently poor, it’s time to look for a new partner.
If you choose to switch, start the process immediately. January is the best time to onboard a new team so you don't lose momentum for the rest of the year.
Choosing the Right Partner for 2026 Success
If your review reveals that your current setup isn't working, you need a partner who understands the New Zealand digital landscape. You need an agency that prioritizes real revenue growth over flashy reports.
MPT Agencies specializes in turning digital marketing into a measurable asset for Kiwi businesses. From website design and SEO to online marketing and social media, we focus on campaigns that drive results. Whether you are in Wellington or anywhere else nationwide, we help brands like yours build a roadmap for success.
If you are ready for a partner that takes your 2026 goals as seriously as you do, let's talk.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should NZ businesses conduct digital agency reviews?
Annually at New Year aligns with fiscal resets for Kiwi firms, per Wellington Chamber of Commerce guidelines. Quarterly check-ins supplement for high-spend campaigns over $100k yearly.
What legal rights do Wellington businesses have in agency contracts?
Under NZ Consumer Guarantees Act and Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017, you can demand performance refunds if services fail reasonable care standards. Consult Disputes Tribunal for claims under $30,000.
How much does switching digital agencies cost in NZ?
Expect 1-3 months' fees for notice periods plus $5,000-$20,000 onboarding, per Wellington industry averages. Factor in 4-6 week performance dips during transition.
What are average digital marketing ROI benchmarks for Wellington SMEs?
Wellington SMEs target 4:1 ROAS on paid ads and 300% annual organic growth, says NZTech 2025 report. Below 2:1 signals underperformance needing review.
Can I claim agency review costs as tax deductions in NZ?
Yes, IRD allows deductions for professional review fees as business expenses under income tax rules. Keep GA4/CRM data receipts for audits, Wellington accountants advise.
