The Excuses Agencies Use to Avoid Accountability

When campaigns underperform (as they inevitably do sometimes), transparent agencies acknowledge issues, analyse root causes, and present clear strategies for improvement.

But within the Reporting Black Box, agencies deploy sophisticated tactics to avoid taking responsibility.

You’ve probably heard them: “Google changed the algorithm.” “The market is down this quarter.” “Your competitors increased their budgets.” “It’s a seasonal slowdown.”

These factors can genuinely impact performance. Algorithm changes happen. Markets fluctuate. Competitors act. Seasons shift. But here’s the critical distinction: agencies often cite them without providing any supporting data or specific analysis of the impact.

The excuse sounds reasonable. The evidence doesn’t exist. And you’re left wondering whether the explanation is legitimate or whether you’re being deflected.

This article will break down the most common excuses agencies use to avoid accountability, explain what each excuse really means, and show you exactly how to respond. By the end, you’ll know the difference between a legitimate factor and a convenient deflection.

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“It’s Not Our Fault” Excuses

The most common accountability avoidance technique is blaming external factors without evidence. These excuses shift responsibility away from the agency and onto forces supposedly beyond anyone’s control.

“Google/Facebook changed the algorithm”

What they’re really saying: Something happened that we can use as an excuse.

Algorithm changes do happen. Google makes thousands of search algorithm updates annually. Meta adjusts its ad delivery systems regularly. But most updates have minimal impact on well-managed campaigns.

When an agency blames an algorithm change:

How to respond: “Can you show me specifically which algorithm change you’re referring to, when it happened, and how our campaigns were affected compared to industry benchmarks?”

The data you should ask for: Documentation of the specific algorithm update. Analysis of how it affected your campaigns specifically. Comparison to industry or competitor performance during the same period. What adjustments they’ve made in response.

If the algorithm change is real and significant, a competent agency should have detailed analysis/research and a clear response plan. If they can’t produce either, the “algorithm” is probably not the real problem.

“The market is down this quarter”

What they’re really saying: We don’t want to be held accountable for results we can’t explain.

Markets do fluctuate. Economic conditions affect consumer behaviour. But broad market conditions affect everyone, including your competitors. The question isn’t whether the market is down. It’s whether your performance relative to the market has changed.

One manufacturing client told me their agency blamed “seasonal fluctuations” for a few consecutive months of declining performance. This tends to happen during US elections, but shouldn’t impact the UK that much.

How to respond: “If the market is down, how are we performing relative to competitors? Are we losing share, holding steady, or gaining share during this downturn?”

The competitive comparison question: A market downturn is an opportunity to gain relative position if you’re managing campaigns well. Demand competitive context for any market-based excuse.

“Your competitors increased their budgets”

What they’re really saying: Someone else is outspending us, and that’s why we’re struggling.

Competitive pressure is real. Increased competitor spending can raise auction prices and reduce impression share. But this excuse is often deployed without any actual evidence of what competitors are doing.

How to respond: “What evidence do you have that competitors increased spending? Can you show me impression share data and how it’s changed? What’s our response strategy?”

The evidence request: Google Ads provides impression share data and competitive metrics. Meta provides auction overlap insights. If the agency can’t provide specific competitive data to support their claim, the excuse is speculation, not analysis.

Ask to see auction insights, impression share trends, and competitive benchmarking. If they can’t produce it, they’re guessing.

“It’s a seasonal slowdown”

What they’re really saying: We’re hoping you won’t check the historical data.

Seasonal patterns exist in most industries. But seasonality is predictable. If your industry has slow periods, your agency should know when they are, should have planned for them, and should be able to show you how current performance compares to the same period in previous years.

How to respond: “Can you show me year-over-year comparison for this period? How does this decline compare to seasonal patterns we’ve seen historically?”

The historical comparison: Legitimate seasonality should match historical patterns. If the agency can’t show you that current performance aligns with typical seasonal variation, the excuse doesn’t hold.

Also ask: if this seasonal pattern was predictable, why wasn’t our strategy adjusted in advance?

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“You Wouldn’t Understand” Excuses

A second category of excuses hides behind complexity. These deflections discourage you from asking questions by implying you lack the expertise to understand the answers.

“It takes time to see results”

When it’s legitimate: Some marketing activities genuinely require time. SEO improvements can take 3-6 months to manifest. Brand building campaigns don’t convert immediately. New audience targeting needs data to optimise.

When it’s an excuse: When “it takes time” is deployed indefinitely, with no milestones, no interim metrics, and no accountability checkpoints.

How to respond: “I understand some results take time. What leading indicators should we be seeing now that would tell us we’re on track? What milestones should we hit at 30, 60, and 90 days?”

When performance dips, the commentary remains frustratingly generic: “We’re monitoring this trend and making optimisations” or “This campaign needs more time” after two months of constant spend. If your account manager can’t answer basic questions about your campaigns, these excuses become even harder to verify.

The milestone question: Legitimate time-based strategies have measurable progress indicators. Demand to know what success looks like at each stage, not just at some undefined future point.

“Digital marketing is complex”

What they’re really saying: We’d rather you didn’t ask too many questions.

Reports become increasingly technical and jargon-filled as performance declines. This deliberate complexity makes it difficult for clients to identify negative trends or question the agency’s narrative.

I’ve seen presentations where agencies spent 20 minutes explaining the technical nuances of a platform change, only to skim over a massive increase in customer acquisition costs in one of the final slides.

How to respond: “I appreciate the complexity, but I need you to simplify this for me. In plain language: are we getting more or fewer customers than last month, and at what cost?”

The accountability angle: Complexity is not an excuse for poor results. You don’t need to understand every technical detail to understand whether your marketing investment is working. Demand plain-language answers to plain-language questions.

The less the client knows about marketing and tech in general, the bigger the BS allowance for agencies is. Don’t let complexity become cover.

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“Look Over Here” Excuses

The third category of excuses redirects attention away from underperformance by highlighting something else. These are the magician’s misdirection applied to marketing reports.

“But look at the engagement!”

What they’re really saying: We can’t defend the metrics that matter, so we’re showing you ones that look good.

As we explored in Secret #3 (Ebook), agencies often shift focus to increasingly irrelevant metrics as performance declines. When sales conversions drop, suddenly the report highlights engagement metrics. When engagement falls, they emphasise reach. When reach declines, they tout “brand awareness.”

This continuous shifting of the goalposts makes it nearly impossible to hold agencies accountable to consistent performance standards.

How to respond: “I appreciate engagement is up. Can you show me how that engagement connects to revenue? How many of those engaged users became customers?”

The revenue connection: Marketing exists to drive business results. Engagement that doesn’t eventually convert is entertainment, not marketing. Demand the connection between the metrics they’re highlighting and the outcomes you’re paying for.

Learn more about how agencies use impressive numbers to hide poor performance.

“We need more budget”

When it’s valid: Sometimes campaigns genuinely are constrained by budget. You might be missing impression share due to budget caps. You might have proven tactics that could scale with more investment. You might be losing auctions because competitors are outspending you.

When it’s an excuse: When the request for more budget comes without evidence that current budget is being used efficiently. When there’s no proof that additional investment would improve results.

How to respond: “Before we discuss more budget, can you show me how efficiently we’re using current budget? What’s our return on current spend, and what evidence suggests additional investment would improve it?”

The efficiency question first: More budget should only follow proven efficiency. If current campaigns aren’t generating positive returns, throwing more money at them won’t help. Demand efficiency data before entertaining budget increase requests.

The proof requirement: Ask for projections based on current data. What specifically would additional budget fund? What results would you expect? What happens if those results don’t materialise?

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Tired of Excuses Without Evidence?

I can assess whether your agency’s explanations hold up to scrutiny and identify where accountability is lacking.

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Cutting Through the Excuses

Now that you know the common excuses and what they really mean, here’s how to systematically cut through them.

The Data Demand Approach

For every excuse, your response should be the same: “Show me the data.”

Algorithm change? Show me the specific update, the timing, and the measured impact. Market downturn? Show me competitive benchmarks and relative performance. Seasonal slowdown? Show me year-over-year comparisons. Complexity? Show me the simple version.

Legitimate explanations come with supporting evidence. Excuses don’t. Our guide to marketing report analysis shows you exactly what to look for.

Questions That Expose Excuses

Some questions are particularly effective at separating legitimate factors from deflection:

“What would you have done differently?” If the agency insists factors were beyond their control, ask what they would have done differently with perfect foresight. Their answer reveals whether they had a strategy or were just reacting.

“How did this affect our competitors?” External factors affect everyone. Understanding relative performance reveals whether the factor is the real issue or just a convenient excuse.

“What’s your plan to address this?” Legitimate challenges require plans. If the agency has no strategy for responding to the factor they’ve blamed, they’re making excuses, not managing problems.

“When should we expect improvement?” Accountability requires timelines. Vague promises of future improvement without specific milestones are not plans.

When to Escalate

If you’re consistently receiving excuses without evidence, it’s time to escalate. Request a meeting with senior agency leadership. Document the pattern of deflection. Make clear that continued accountability avoidance will affect the relationship.

Some agencies will respond to escalation with genuine improvement. Others will continue deflecting. Their response tells you whether the relationship is salvageable.

The Independent Audit Option

If you can’t tell whether agency excuses are legitimate, an independent audit can provide clarity. Someone without a stake in the agency relationship can objectively assess whether explanations hold up, whether performance is reasonable given market conditions, and whether the agency is genuinely doing their job.

Learn how independent oversight can provide clarity on agency performance.

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Stop Accepting Excuses

I hear this from business owners constantly, and it never stops being frustrating.

“I felt like I was playing a game where only they knew the rules.”

That’s it. That’s the whole problem in one sentence.

Because that’s exactly what excuses are designed to do. They keep you one step behind. You ask why results are down and suddenly you’re hearing about algorithm changes, seasonal trends, “building momentum” – and before you know it the conversation has shifted. You walked in wanting to know why your money isn’t working. You walked out defending their explanation instead.

Sound familiar?

So here’s what I want you to take away from this. Next time your agency gives you a reason why something underperformed, don’t just nod along. Ask for the data behind it. Actual numbers, not a narrative. If they deflect, get specific: which campaigns, what metrics, over what timeframe exactly? And if they start burying the answer in jargon to avoid giving you a straight response, that tells you everything you need to know (and I’ve seen this play out dozens of times).

Agencies doing good work won’t flinch when you push them. Actually, they’ll welcome it. The ones who get defensive or vague the moment you ask for specifics? Those are the ones playing the game.

Your money. Your business. You don’t have to keep playing by their rules.

If your agency can’t or won’t provide evidence supporting their explanations, that tells you something important. It’s time to consider whether this is a relationship worth continuing, or whether demanding direct admin access to your marketing accounts might reveal what they’ve been hiding.

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Find Out If Their Excuses Hold Up

Request Your Free Accountability Audit

I’ll assess whether your agency’s explanations are legitimate or whether you’re being deflected. No more wondering. No more accepting excuses at face value.

What You’ll Receive:

• Analysis of agency explanations and supporting evidence
• Verification of claimed external factors
• Assessment of relative performance
• Clear recommendations for accountability

Request Your Free Audit →

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This post is part of a comprehensive series on holding your marketing agency accountable. Learn how to read between the lines of your agency’s numbers and find out why your account manager can’t answer basic questions about your campaigns.