The right CPG agency is the one that can show you how its work moved product off a shelf, not just clicks on an ad. If an agency can’t explain its results in units, velocity and return on ad spend, that’s worth a closer look.
We’re an agency, so take this with that in mind. But we’ve also inherited plenty of accounts from other agencies, and the problems repeat. Six things to check:
1. Look for retail experience, not just DTC
Most performance agencies grew up on ecommerce. CPG is different. Your biggest customer is often a retailer, and your real scoreboard is velocity at the shelf.
Ask:
- Which retail media networks do you manage today? Walmart Connect, Roundel, Instacart, Kroger?
- How do you tie social spend to in-store sales?
- Show me a velocity or units-per-store result, not just ROAS.
2. Ask how they’d spend your first $10,000
A good agency will give you a specific answer tied to your distribution, your margin and your deadline. A weak one will give you a channel list. When we start with a brand at a new retailer, the first weeks go to sponsored products on hero items, Instacart brand defense and competitor campaigns, and a trial offer. Everything else waits until those prove out.
3. Ask what they cut, and when
The best accounts we’ve run got better because we cut what wasn’t working fast. In one Instacart account, a single broad campaign was taking 71% of the budget at 0.9x. Cutting it moved budget to campaigns already running 1.9-2.5x. Ask any agency for an example of something they turned off, and why.
4. Check how they handle compliance
If you sell supplements, functional beverages or anything with a health angle, ask how the agency handles claims. Platforms now review your whole website, not just your ads. An agency that has cleaned up a site to restore an ad account will save you weeks.
5. Understand the fee model
There are three common models:
- Percent of ad spend. Usually 10-20%. Simple, but the agency makes more when you spend more, which isn’t always aligned with you.
- Flat monthly retainer. A set fee for set scope. Predictable.
- Retainer tiered by spend. A flat fee within spend brackets. This is how we price paid media. Across larger accounts, it typically works out to about 8-13% of spend, without the incentive to push your budget up.
Creative production is usually separate from media management. Ask whether content is included or billed on top.
What it should cost
These are typical ranges we see in the market and in our own work:
| Service | Typical monthly range |
|---|---|
| Paid social and search management | Flat retainer by spend tier; often 8-13% of spend at larger budgets |
| Amazon management | About $3,750 to $5,000 a month for one to three products, plus ad spend |
| Content retainer | $4,000 to $6,000 a month for 15-30 photos plus short video |
| Retail launch pilot | Typically $5,000 to $10,000 for a four-week, multi-channel pilot, plus media |
Watch out for:
- Long contracts with no performance review
- Fees that rise with every extra dollar of spend, with no cap or brackets
- “Proprietary” dashboards you lose access to when you leave
- No one on the team who has managed a retailer’s ad platform
6. Make sure you own your accounts
Your ad accounts, pixels, Amazon Seller Central and analytics should be in your name, with the agency added as a user. We’ve seen brands lose access to years of data because someone else owned the setup.
The short checklist
- Retail and Amazon experience, not just DTC
- A specific first-90-days plan
- Examples of what they cut
- A compliance process if you’re in health or wellness
- A fee model that doesn’t reward overspending
- You own every account
FAQ
How much does a CPG marketing agency cost?
It depends on scope. Paid media management is often priced as a flat retainer or a percentage of spend, commonly 10-20%, though tiered retainers often land lower at larger budgets. Amazon management often starts around $3,750 a month, and content retainers commonly run $4,000 to $6,000 a month.
What’s the difference between a CPG agency and a DTC agency?
A CPG agency plans around retailers and velocity at the shelf, using retail media, in-store offers and Amazon. A DTC agency focuses on sales through your own website.
Should my agency own my ad accounts?
No. Keep accounts in your name and give the agency access. It protects your data if you ever change partners.
What questions should I ask a CPG agency?
Which retail networks they manage, how they tie social to in-store sales, what they’d do with your first $10,000, and what they’ve cut from an account and why.
Looking for a partner that plans around the shelf? We’d love to talk. Book a consult
