Creative Agency, Digital Agency or Creative Technology Agency: Which Do You Need?
What a creative agency, a digital agency, an advertising agency and a creative technology agency each do, and how to choose one in Jakarta for your brief.
In this article
Brand teams in Jakarta hear the same words from every pitch: creative agency, digital agency, integrated agency. The labels overlap, but the work behind them is different. Here is what each type does, and how to pick the one that fits your brief.
Want to talk through a brief? See what we build or get in touch.
The Four Types at a Glance
| Type | Owns | Typical output | Builds it in-house? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising agency | Campaigns and media | TV, print, OOH, media plans | Production is often outsourced |
| Creative agency | The idea and the story | Concepts, campaigns, content, brand identity | Often partners to build |
| Digital agency | Online channels | Websites, apps, social, ads, SEO | Websites and apps, yes |
| Creative technology agency | The experience itself | AI booths, installations, AR and web games, apps, AI tools | Yes, idea to launch |
What a Creative Agency Does
A creative agency is about the idea: what the brand says and why people should care. It produces campaign concepts, content and identity. When the idea needs something built, such as a booth or a game, many creative agencies bring in a production or tech partner.
What a Digital Agency Does
A digital agency designs, builds and runs a brand's online presence: websites, apps, social media, ads and search. It is measured on traffic, conversion and reach.
What a Creative Technology Agency Does
A creative technology agency sits between the two. It comes up with the idea and builds the working thing people touch: an AI photo booth, an interactive installation, a web or AR game, an app or an AI tool. Because one team does both, what is pitched is what gets built, and it can be tested with real people before launch.
From our own projects: the BMW X1 web game at the stand, the Samsung phygital stamp rally, and the Indomilk × Pokémon AR game with 538k players were each designed and built in-house.
How to Choose
- Start from the output. A campaign idea, a website, or an experience people use?
- Ask who builds it. If the agency outsources the build, ask to meet that team too.
- Ask for live work. Booths you can watch, games you can play, apps you can download.
- Ask how they measure it. Visitors, players, session time, redemptions, data.
Many brands work with more than one type. The best results come when the idea and the build are planned together from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a creative agency?
An agency that creates the idea and the story for a brand: campaigns, concepts, content and brand identity. Many partner with other teams to build or run what they design.
What is a digital agency?
An agency that designs, builds and runs a brand's digital channels: websites, apps, social media, ads and SEO.
What is a creative technology agency?
An agency that combines creative ideas with technology it builds itself, such as AI photo booths, interactive installations, AR and web games, apps and AI tools, so the idea and the working product come from one team.
Which one should I hire?
Start from what you need at the end. A campaign idea points to a creative agency, a website or app to a digital agency, and an interactive experience, game or AI tool to a creative technology agency.
Is rekursiv. a creative agency or a digital agency?
rekursiv. is a creative and digital agency in Jakarta that specialises in creative technology: we come up with the idea and build the booth, game, app or AI tool ourselves.
Sources
Project figures from rekursiv. case studies
- Agent X1: a spy-mission web game for the new BMW X1 BMW
- Phygital stamp rally Samsung
- Pokémon AR packaging Indomilk Kids × Pokémon
