At Upanup, we define the term "digital agency" as a company that provides strategic direction, creative design, and technical development for screen-based products and services.
A digital agency helps governments and businesses engage with specific target audiences. While a production or web development company can follow instructions to execute a digital project, clients get a high degree of value by consulting with a full-service digital agency to come up with a marketing and communications strategy, followed by creative direction for a project.
Once upon a time, creatives were split between mediums. On one side were designers with a foundation in art, following traditional careers in print. On the other, those with a highly technical skillset, working primarily on the web. These two worlds merge in a contemporary full-service agency. Designers need a strong foundation in art principles as well as technical expertise in interface design and user experience.
And now, the offerings go far beyond websites. Today, a digital agency delivers a wide range of products and services like:
- Web design & development, including multi-sites, microsites, audits and analytics
- Mobile and web app design & development
- Digital products, including engagement platforms, recreation guides, intranets, etc. (see civikit.com to learn more about Upanup's products)
- User experience research, strategy and design
- Counsel for accessibility on the web
- Responsive design and mobile optimization
- Brand strategy and design
- Social media strategy
- Online advertising, including paid search and banner ads
- SEO & SEM — search engine optimization and marketing
- Graphic design for digital and print
- Intranet creation and internal apps
- Digital signage
- Data integration
- Photography and video production
It takes a deep understanding of the medium and the process to successfully guide and grow a brand in the digital landscape. Successful brands take advantage of interaction online and give their consumers added value through digital means. The core principles of brand strategy remain the same, but they aren’t just the domain of traditional advertising agencies anymore.
Upanup embraces strategic thinking, storytelling and technical innovation to build our clients' brands and deliver on their goals. We enjoy focusing our creative skills on digital solutions because it's engaging, fun and rewarding for us, our clients and their audiences. View our case studies to gain insights into the work we have done with clients such as the Municipal Association of B.C. Municipalities, TPC Financial Group, City of Delta, and BC Hydro.
Have questions about what a digital agency can do for your organization? Get in touch below — we are happy to help.