The three things that really matter when choosing an Agency

Only THREE things REALLY matter in working effectively with an Agency. Sadly, they are not the ones most Advertisers focus on in the agency selection process.

Agencies are expected to talk about their planning process, show case studies, talk about tools, and finally, talk about their network and resources.? And the Agencies that move to the final round are expected to show their capabilities by presenting their solution to a brief.

I believe that this is a major cause of ongoing Agency underperformance. The fact that AOR relationships and CMO tenures are shorter than ever and continue to decrease, seems to support my viewpoint.

So, which things are NOT that important?

CASE STUDIES. Work done by other people for another brand is not a predictor of what they can do for yours.

TOOLS. Having the tools without the talent and experience is useless. And most tools are broadly available in the market.

NETWORK: This may be useful for a large, regionally, or globally run organization, but for most local advertisers, the sizzle is much greater than the steak.

FINAL PITCH PRESENTATION: This is the ultimate “dog and pony” show with a high and non-replicable level of showmanship. It is a one-shot deal where the best minds at the Agency focus momentarily on your business. Unless those same minds are running the account on a day-to-day basis, and the project is given the importance of a pitch, the level of work, service, and responsiveness will be almost impossible to replicate.

So what things ARE important?

The TEAM that will run the account. These are the people who will work with the Client on a day-to-day basis and handle projects and challenges moving forward. What other people may have done, on other accounts, in the past, is irrelevant. And promises of senior management involvement should be taken with a healthy grain of salt.

The COMPENSATION paid to the Agency. If it is fair, the Agency will be able to properly staff the account with the required talent, experience, and capabilities. They will also be better prepared to retain talent. If it is not adequate, Agency Management will be forced to cut costs, and this will inevitably undercut the level of service and the quality of the end product.

Once the account is assigned the focus should turn to the next item.

The “RULES OF ENGAGEMENT”. These are the mutual agreements that will guide the work process. They include frank “do’s and don’ts” on both sides, a shared vision for the final product, an inspiring briefing process, an effective and efficient process for giving feedback and approving the work, a protocol for handling emergencies, and finally, a method for resolving differences of opinion.

Sadly, the focus of the current process is on all the items that matter less, and almost no attention is paid to the important things.

The good news is that, moving forward, focusing on the right things will bring significantly better results.

#Advertising #Marketing #CMO #Pitch #AgencySearch #CommonSense