Midsize Agency Partner - NBZ

In today’s Midsize Match Up interview, I’m interviewing NBZ Partner co-founders Simone Oppenheimer Mandel and Rachel Segall because I never see one without the other. For my midsize marketer readers, they are incredible brand + agency matchmakers. Read on about this great resource!

Julia: Simone & Rachel, you know I share insights about agencies that are great partners for Midsize firms and brands. NBZ is clearly different from the creative, media, and digital agencies I’ve profiled. What should my readers know about you?

Simone: Happy to share! NBZ was born out of a need for an alternative to traditional agency searches.

After five years and hundreds of hours interviewing marketers, we realized that brands frequently relied on word-of-mouth or Google to find agency partners. They would often get generic results: agencies that produce decent work... but simply weren’t the right fit.

However, these ‘best-fit’ agencies are out there. In fact, since the onset of COVID, there has been an explosion in unique, capable agencies. Brands just need help identifying and differentiating these "unusual suspects."

Rachel: By unusual suspects, we mean the small to medium-sized agencies characterized by their lean operations, consistent delivery by their A-team, and a unique, strong point of view that sets them apart. They are uniquely qualified to answer the briefs of today, and they exist to solve the problems of modern marketers. YET… they are so hard to find and differentiate.

That’s where we come in. NBZ’s mission is to create a platform for the unusual suspects in the industry, and we deliver on that by connecting brands with these modern agency solutions.

Our search capabilities are designed to match brands and agencies based on offering, approach, and culture. Our proprietary database and process help us stay personal while operating quickly and at scale.

Julia: Clearly, we are of the same mind and share identical value props! But what is NBZ’s secret sauce to working with midsize brands?

Simone: Great question. We have found that midsize brands have smaller marketing teams, thus fewer resources to focus on an agency search. At the same time, they tend to have the businesses that would benefit most from an “unusual suspect” with a specific focus, culture, and set of skills.

Rachel: So, to help our midsize brand partners, we interviewed scores of companies to understand their challenges and developed three levels of services to fit their needs and growth stages:

Flirt: This free introductory service is for brands exploring new agency relationships without immediate project needs. It is like setting up a coffee date with potential matches based on what we believe they’ll appreciate about each other.

Date: Designed for brands with specific, short-term projects, this service streamlines the process to quickly match brands with agencies that can deliver focused project briefs. It's a cost-effective model, often half the price of a full agency search, emphasizing chemistry and capability without the lengthy traditional pitch process.

Match: Our full-scale search/pitch process is fine-tuned to ensure all participating parties are set up for success. We work with brands to clearly define their needs, create a bespoke scorecard for them, and match them with the most compatible agencies. The agencies – many of them “unusual suspects” are all screened and strong matches of the brand’s criteria. Another key differentiator is while there are specific milestones embedded in our searches, we give agencies direct access to the client and a lot of latitude to customize the process to showcase the best of the agency. Also, only brands can pay for NBZ Match. Agencies cannot pay to be included in NBZ Match in any capacity.

Julia: Bringing unusual suspects to flirt, date, and match!? Oddly, this makes perfect sense to me. I like the menu of options. Can you share examples of a successful outcome you have created with a Midsize client?

Rachel: I know this is usually the part of the interview when agencies show a great campaign, but we add value a little differently. The best way to answer this question is to refer to our happy midsize brands.

Over the last few years, we have been able to connect Lumos, TJX, Union Square Hospitality, Amazon Music, Zillow, Galderma, Riot Games, and others to great agency partners, which have helped them on their way to growth and success.

Putting the right people together is the joyful part of the work for Simone and me. We also share our knowledge of the client-side world, so our agencies are savvy about how to approach pitches, build relationships, and showcase their unique advantages. We help agencies create ownable strategies.

Julia: Fair enough. It seems you find matches for midsize brands, and also do a lot of development work with the agency community. Before we wrap up, what advice would you give to Midsize company CMOs who are considering hiring help finding an agency? Invest in match-making help? Or go it alone?

Simone: I’d say get informed and then decide your path forward. Start with reaching out to us- whether or not you decide to hire us, we will help you navigate this space. We can provide guidance on identifying optimal agencies, the right process, and where to start. For a midsize brand, we can really clarify the cost benefit of bringing in help for this important and time-consuming process. In that call, we would also give the following advice:

1. Clarify your objectives- Internally assess what you want the agency to achieve, how you will measure their success, and the types of relationships that align with your company culture.

2. Define your evaluation criteria- Be clear about the specific criteria you will use to assess potential agencies. This ensures a focused and fair selection process.

3. Engage in real conversations- Don’t rely solely on email. Jump on a virtual meeting and connect in person. Have in-depth discussions with agencies to get a genuine sense of their capabilities, approach, and chemistry.

4. Research Thoroughly- Spend time on the agency's website and explore their social media feeds, case studies, and LinkedIn bios of leadership. Understanding their public presence can provide insights into their brand, values, and expertise.

Julia: I especially like items #1 and #2. It’s great to have someone holding the brand team accountable to objectives and criteria. Otherwise, the marketing team could get stuck in a sea of subjective opinions instead of confidently making a partner choice. Midsize marketing teams - I can officially certify NBZ as a Midsize Match.

Those wanting to talk directly to Simone or Rachel can reach them at [email protected] or visit their website below.