Why Agencies Get Fired ??

It's tough out there for marketing agencies. New tools are launching all the time and best practices continually evolve, and clients often expect their agencies to be at the forefront of it all. It's a lot for an agency to get their arms around.

I talk to a lot of marketing leaders and business owners who are having trouble with their marketing agency and are thinking about making a change.

This might come as a surprise, but they don't usually look like this: ??

They usually look like this: ??

Things are "...okay," they think, but they're really not sure. There's a disconnect between what their agency is telling them and what they're seeing in their bottom line.?

The agency’s reports look good, but leadership can't shake the feeling that they should be getting more from their marketing. They just can't put their finger on the problem.

In my experience, it's not that the current agency is a total dumpster fire. It's that the current agency is status quo in the client's eyes.

According to the 2023 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report, there are two primary reasons why marketers start reviewing new agencies — 39% said they’re not happy with their current agency’s strategy or thinking, and another 39% said they’re not happy with the creative. Rounding out the top three reasons at 30% was “lack of proactivity.”

"These stats can be frustrating, as often there are factors outside the agency's control informing perceived performance. The work has to come first of course, but agencies can't get complacent, turning solely into order takers. Proactivity, ongoing strategy, and staying on top of trends are all within the agency's control, and while it's effort on top of the existing work, keeping your clients aware of these efforts will pay dividends."

Lee McKnight Jr , Vice President Sales RSW/US

This presents a challenge for marketing agencies. I believe most agencies are at least “pretty good,” but marketing leaders don’t want a “pretty good” agency. Marketing leaders want growth, they want reports that make sense, they want to understand the ROI and they want to be able to tell the leaders above them that “we made the right choice.”

The margin of error for agencies is razor-thin. It doesn’t take long for “pretty good” to become, “not good enough.”?

The client is going to start asking questions.

“What’s next? What are we missing? How do we get further ahead, and stay there?”

Agencies that aren’t asking themselves that question first are going to be in a difficult position in 2024.

If you’re feeling ?? about your strategy going into the new year and want to see what opportunity you’re currently leaving on the table, schedule a consultation:https://thedsmgroup.com/consultation/