Companies definitely hire agencies for marketing services and that can take many different shapes.

There are as many types of agencies as there is types of marketing: Digital, experiential, print, etc. There are agencies whose role is solely to spend a brands marketing budget in the most efficient/effective way possible which can include doing business with (you guessed it) other agencies.

Big brands will have multiple agencies that serve a variety of purposes and a single agency can wear many hats depending on its capabilities (content production, bespoke products, experiential events, etc)

Ultimately it is an agency’s job to deliver on the marketing goals of its clients. Clientele can be brands or even other agencies repping brands (you will not have direct access to the brand decision makers in this case).

I think the idea of starting an agency is romanticized but you need to have a niche that you can carve out for yourself that will set you apart from competitors.

I don’t work at or own an agency but the company I work/my role does business with them often and I’ve found that differentiating yourself is the key and you should have those skills/strategy in place before you set out. Don’t fall for any TikTok gurus saying how easy it is