When to run a social media agencies launch review

What to take away

Why does timing decide whether a launch review is worth doing?

The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 19 June 2025 and alters parts of the UK data and marketing framework, so consent and contact rules are moving. A review dated before that change describes an older rulebook.

Most launch problems surface in the first month: wrong audience settings, missing consent records, or an approval chain nobody can evidence. Schedule the check before the first post publishes.

If your agency handles several brands, spread reviews across the calendar. The operations and delivery guide sets out how work, quality and ownership fit together behind this check.

What should be assessed before launch?

Assess four areas: account setup, content and claims, tracking and data flows, and the approval record. Each leaves evidence you can inspect without touching a live account.

Ask for the agency's consent wording and its record of how consent was captured. The ICO direct marketing guidance (last updated 5 December 2024) sets the benchmark for lawful electronic marketing, and it should be applied directly rather than through the agency's summary.

Example consent wording: "I agree to [Brand] sending me news and offers by email about [product]. I can withdraw consent at any time using the unsubscribe link. See [privacy notice]." Use an unticked box and log the source.

For paid and organic ads, check claims against CAP Code rule 3.1 on misleading advertising and rule 3.7 on objective claims. The ASA rulings database shows how adjudications treat social ads, which helps with health, price or comparison claims. The CAP Code is the 12th edition, in force from 1 September 2010 and amended since.

Separate what you were told from what you can see. A pitch deck is a claim. A signed approval log and a dated consent file are evidence.

Sample approval-log entry:

Skip a full performance review: there is no engagement history yet. Do not audit HR, pricing or subcontractors unless they affect the account. That belongs in supplier due diligence.

Before and after: what changes at launch

Who owns the review?

A named client-side person should own it, with the agency supplying evidence. If the agency both performs and signs off the review, the control is weak.

Agree who can pause a campaign. That needs one owner and a written trigger, such as an upheld complaint or a consent gap.

Roles vary by agency size. The team roles article explains how responsibilities are split in England, which helps you name the right counterpart before the review starts.

A typical review for one brand takes half a day to two working days, depending on account count and tracking. The client usually pays, through the retainer or a separate fixed fee. The client still owns sign-off.

Common questions

How often should a launch review be repeated?

Repeat it at each trigger: a new agency, platform, tracking change, consent wording change, or material rule change. A fixed annual date is not enough.

Does this apply across the UK?

The data and marketing rules cited here apply UK-wide. Platform policies and contract terms differ, so check those for each market you operate in.

Can an agency run its own launch review?

It can gather the evidence, but a client-side owner should sign off. Self-certification weakens the control.

What if the review finds a gap?

Record it, name an owner and set a date. Pause the affected activity if the gap touches consent or an unverified claim.