Full disclosure: we’re Nexa Solutions, a small marketing agency based on Montreal’s South Shore. We’re on this list, but we didn’t put ourselves first. The most useful thing we can tell you is which kind of agency fits your business, so that’s how this guide is organized.
“Best marketing agency in Canada” means very different things for a national bank, a Shopify brand doing $40k a month and a dental clinic in Laval. The agency that wins awards for TV campaigns is rarely the right team to lower your cost per acquisition on Meta, and the reverse is true too.
So instead of a ranking, here are well-known Canadian agencies grouped by what they’re actually built for, followed by the questions that will tell you whether any agency, including us, is the right fit.
The four kinds of marketing agencies in Canada
Before looking at names, figure out which kind you need:
- Full-service creative agencies. Brand strategy, big campaigns, TV, out-of-home, social. Best for large brands with large budgets. Expect minimum engagements well into six figures.
- Digital and experience agencies. Websites, apps, digital strategy, analytics. Best for companies rebuilding their digital presence.
- Performance marketing agencies. Google Ads, Meta, TikTok, SEO, email. Paid on results you can measure: ROAS (revenue for every dollar of ad spend), CAC (what it costs you to get a customer) and leads.
- Local and specialist agencies. Local SEO, a single platform (such as Klaviyo or Shopify) or a single industry. Best for small and mid-sized businesses that need depth in one area.
Well-known Canadian agencies by type
Full-service creative
Cossette. One of Canada’s largest agencies, founded in Quebec, with offices in major Canadian cities. Known for national brand campaigns.
Sid Lee. A Montreal-born creative agency with an international footprint, known for brand and experiential work.
lg2. An independent creative agency with offices in Montreal and Quebec City, and a strong presence in the Quebec market.
Rethink. An independent creative agency with offices in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, known for bold, idea-driven campaigns.
Zulu Alpha Kilo. An independent Toronto agency known for creative brand work.
Digital and experience
Major Tom. A digital agency with roots in Vancouver, working on digital strategy, websites and marketing for Canadian and international brands.
Adviso. A Montreal digital consultancy focused on data, analytics and digital marketing strategy.
Performance, local and e-commerce
Nexa Solutions. That’s us. A boutique agency on Montreal’s South Shore for e-commerce brands and local businesses: Google, Meta and TikTok ads, Klaviyo email flows, bilingual local SEO and Shopify builds. We stay small on purpose, so clients work directly with the people doing the work.
Where to find more
Directories like Clutch, DesignRush, Sortlist and helloDarwin list hundreds of Canadian agencies, with verified client reviews. Use them to build a shortlist, then use the questions below to narrow it.
7 questions to ask before you hire any agency
For a deeper walkthrough, see our practical guide to choosing an online marketing agency.
1. Who will actually work on my account? At large agencies, the senior people pitch and junior people execute. Ask for names and roles, and whether you can talk to them directly.
2. What will you measure, and how often will I see it? Good answers name business numbers: revenue, ROAS, CAC, qualified leads, calls. Be careful with reports built on impressions, reach or “engagement”.
3. Can you show me results for a business like mine? Same industry is a bonus. Same business model (e-commerce vs. local vs. B2B) and a similar budget matter more.
4. Who owns the ad accounts, data and creative? You should. If an agency runs ads from its own account, you lose your history when you leave.
5. What’s the contract length and exit clause? Month-to-month with 30 days’ notice is common for performance agencies. Twelve-month lock-ins are a warning sign unless there’s a clear reason.
6. How do you charge, and what’s included? Flat monthly fee, percentage of ad spend or a mix. Ask what’s included (creative, landing pages, product feeds, reporting) so you can compare quotes fairly.
7. Can you work in French? If you sell in Quebec, you need French that reads naturally to Quebec customers, and you need to comply with the Charter of the French Language. Machine-translated ads and pages hurt both results and trust.
What should a marketing agency cost in Canada?
Ranges vary widely, but as a rough guide:
- Large creative agencies: project fees often start in the six figures.
- Digital and web agencies: websites typically range from several thousand dollars to six figures, depending on scope.
- Performance and local agencies: usually a monthly management fee, commonly from under $1,000 to a few thousand dollars per month, plus your ad spend.
For a closer look at how pricing works, read our guide to digital marketing agency pricing for e-commerce brands.
The bottom line
The “top” agency is the one built for your size, your model and your goals. A national brand launch and a Shopify store trying to profitably double revenue need different partners.
If you’re an e-commerce brand or a local business in Quebec and want an honest second opinion on your current marketing, that’s something we do for free.
Want this done for you?
Paid MediaGoogle, Meta and TikTok ads, month to month.→Local SEOGet into the Google Maps top 3 in Montreal.→Comparing agencies?
Ask us how we would run your account. You talk to the two partners who would do the work, and there’s no obligation.
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