Ian CheesemanWhen one of my friends started her small business, she did everything on her own. That includes all of the promotional materials, from the logo to the packaging, which were made with her very limited editing skills.
To her credit, it worked out for a while. She found clients, acquired loyal online followers, even hired a few employees, and essentially got the ball rolling on her enterprise.
However, it wasn’t long until she felt that she wanted something more polished — to give her business an identity that reflected the quality of her products.
That’s when she reached out to me and asked for local recommendations. Luckily, Toronto is full of talented creative agencies that have been elevating brands over the years.
How much do creative agencies charge in Toronto?
In Toronto, creative agencies typically have hourly rates ranging from $50 to $300, or retainer fees of around $2,500 to $8,000 per month.
The final cost will depend on the services you need, the scale and complexity of their tasks, and the experience of your chosen agency.
1. Brand & Mortar
Address: 31 Powerhouse St, Suite 203
Phone: +1 416 729 1154
Business Hours: Monday to Sunday – 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM
For about 15 years, Brand & Mortar has worked with businesses of all sizes across a wide range of industries. They’re really a full-service marketing agency, but they’re most known for graphic and website design services, as well as content production.
Their branding work has reached amazing heights, with projects that resulted in millions of impressions and thousands of leads in a year.
We believe that their experts are a huge reason behind this success. They’re stellar at pivoting when it comes to revisions. The way they see it, client edits aren’t setbacks — they’re exciting challenges that their team won’t ever back down from.
Throughout your partnership, you can expect plenty of updates and helpful suggestions as they go along. It never takes long for them to respond to any message.
A word of advice, though: be clear about your campaign’s timeline. In the past, they’ve had a pattern of postponing deadlines for some clients.
They really went the extra mile to make sure all our needs were met
“Jordan and his team at Brand & Mortar were an absolute pleasure to work with. They were friendly, professional, experienced and paid close attention to detail. I was impressed with the level of communication maintained throughout the entire project and they really went the extra mile to make sure all our needs were met. I would highly recommend them for all your digital marketing and web design needs!”
– Marco Santella, Google Review
They adapted to my evolving needs and were flexible throughout the process
“I worked with Brand and Mortar on brand design and web development for a new company. From the beginning, I received excellent service from Jordan and his team. He met with me to discuss the design process and answer all my questions to make sure I was comfortable with the moving forward. Once we got started, his team worked hard to turn my vision into reality. They worked tirelessly through many rounds of revisions without hesitation or frustration. They adapted to my evolving needs and were flexible throughout the process. In the end, they delivered an excellent final product that exceeded my expectations.”
– Jeff Johnson, Google Review
2. Neighbourhood Creative
Address: 668 Richmond St W, Unit 301
Phone: +1 626 9817 268
Business Hours:
- Monday to Friday – 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Saturday to Sunday – Closed
The Neighbourhood Creative is taking the industry by storm as a young team with its finger on the pulse. Whether it’s content or a brand overhaul, you can depend on their expertise.
Since they’re quite new, some have had doubts about their experience. The agency has only been around for about 5 years, which doesn’t sound like much.
But in that time, they’ve already worked with well-known brands such as Uncle Tetsu, Yorkville Village, and Gymshark. The general consensus is that they bring something new to the table.
Their creative direction has been described as refreshing and captivating. Brand development insights they’ve shared have produced tangible results, typically in the form of increased sales and broader audience reach.
We’re also impressed with their PR offering, dubbed the ‘Neighbours’, which will connect you with thousands of creators and entrepreneurs who can spread the word about your business. It’s a useful program that you won’t find anywhere else.
Strongly recommend them if you’re serious about success
“Neighbourhood and its team should be a priority for any entrepreneur or company trying to make it to the next level. Neighbourhood, ad its name suggests, is the plug connection to anything and anyone you need in your “Neighbourhood” that can aid you and your company development in whatever it requires. STRONGLY RECOMMEND if you’re serious about success!!!”
– DaRoc, Google Review
My experience with them has been nothing short of exceptional
“My experience with Neighbourhood has been nothing short of exceptional. Their team, client services and the work they produce, is truly unmatched. I highly recommend them and believe they are the best full service marketing agency in the city!”
– Valentina Montemarano, Google Review
3. Nomad Cre8tive
Address: 460 Adelaide St E
Phone: +1 514 928 1738
Business Hours:
- Monday to Thursday – 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Friday – 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Saturday to Sunday – Closed
Nomad Cre8tive isn’t your typical creative agency. Their organization is composed of select Canadian freelancers who work from all over the world.
This setup provides a lot of flexibility, specifically with business hours and rates. With no overhead costs, their services are very budget-friendly.
Of course, this also comes with shortcomings, especially with projects that require a more hands-on approach. It can be challenging to establish a partnership without meeting in person.
But on the bright side, their experts are known for making magic out of minimal instructions. This is why we think they’re ideal for customers who have never worked with an agency before and don’t exactly know how to convey what they want.
One look at their portfolio and you can tell that they inject a lot of thought into creating brand identities and marketing strategies. All their business clients attest that their audiences truly resonated with this team’s output.
My brand development package exceeded my expectations
“Alyssa and her team at Nomad Cre8tive are fantastic to work with. As a new small business owner, I needed some help to create my vision with brand development and website updates. Alyssa made it painless to get the ball rolling and they put my vision on paper. My brand development package exceeded my expectations as I struggled with words in our meeting but it was like they knew exactly what I was trying to say – I guess that’s why they are the experts! I’m looking forward to continuing to hire Nomad Cre8tive for future projects. Thank you!”
– Marcy (Mattinson) Green, Google Review
We are very happy with the elevated look of our new marketing materials
“I’m very satisfied with the work we did with Nomad Cre8tive. As a young engineering company, we were lacking in a clear company branding. Alyssa and her team were able to quickly understand our company vision and give us a new brand guideline that reflected our values and ambitions. We are very happy with the elevated look of our new marketing materials – which have definitely helped us in our external communications. Looking forward to working together again soon!”
– Anna C, Google Review
4. Creative Scope
Address: 45 Lisgar St
Phone: +1 905 746 9209
Business Hours: Monday to Sunday – Open 24 hours
Creative Scope is one of the best agencies to approach for creative digital marketing solutions. They’ve supported both startups and megacorps, including brands that you might recognize, like Wing Stop, Royal LePage, and Intel.
Our favorite thing about them is that everyone on their team is very reliable. From strategy development until after implementation, they work hard to deliver exactly what you envision right on schedule.
The ads and assets they produce are a testament to their expertise. They hit the mark every time and always reach the intended audience.
Their web development services are also very in demand. Apart from their designs looking attractive and professional, their clients have received plenty of feedback about how their sites have become so easy to navigate.
The only catch is that to work with them, you have to enter into a contract of at least 3 months.
Their team understands how to bring your project to life
“I have worked with Creative Scope for about a year now on various projects. The team is truly a one-stop shop for all branding/ web development/marketing needs; they work with you attentively as if it were their own brand. Whether it’s a long-term project or creating your brand with a buildable strategy, their team is efficient, responsive, and understands how to bring your project to life. I 100% recommend them to anyone looking to build longevity for their business!”
– Shanelle N, Google Review
They’ve been amazing to work with
“Creative Scope Agency, with Moe leading the way, has been amazing to work with for over a year now while growing my detailing business, Bespoke Auto Elite. From the start, Moe made the website design process stress-free, always answering questions and guiding me step by step. The final site reflects my brand perfectly, and clients constantly mention how professional it looks and how easy it is to book through. What stands out most is that the support doesn’t stop once the site is live — Moe has been in constant communication and continues to help with updates, SEO, and branding. I’d highly recommend Creative Scope to any business owner who is looking to create a professional, impactful online presence that truly represents their brand.”
– Saad Alizerig, Google Review
5. Whissel Strategies
Address: 99 Yorkville Ave, Unit 200
Phone: +1 437 218 5959
Business Hours:
- Monday to Thursday – 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Friday – 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Saturday to Sunday – 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Whissel Strategies is essentially the best external marketing department any brand could ask for. You can depend on them for advertisements, creative strategy, and website development.
Their services are best suited for small businesses that are struggling with achieving real growth. By taking the time to identify your pain points, they’ll come up with tailored solutions that can help your business cut through the noise.
Typically, they do this by combining content creation and site design. Their work has often been called fresh by their clients, who say that their businesses now stand out better than before.
We especially love that their team is so easy to work with. Apart from allowing unlimited revisions, which is quite rare, they work fast and usually over-deliver.
Sadly, there have been complaints about how they can be confusing to talk to over the phone. It seems that it’s better to communicate with them in person or through other channels like email.
They consistently deliver exceptional results
“I can’t recommend Whissel Strategies highly enough. We came to Bailey and his team in a moment of crisis, and from the first day having of WS on board everything has been smooth sailing. Bailey is incredibly responsive, produces high-quality work, and turn requests around faster than I can send them. Bailey consistently delivers exceptional results and I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with him again.”
– Kyla, Google Review
They’ve been a game-changer for our marketing efforts
“Bailey has been a game changer for our marketing efforts! His creativity and strategic approach have significantly boosted our brand visibility and customer engagement. Bailey truly understands our business, delivering tailored campaigns that resonate. He’s not only knowledgeable but also a joy to work with. I highly recommend him to anyone seeking exceptional marketing support!”
– Tristan Martino, Google Review
