It was all so simple back then: just advertising and public relations. Then came direct, experiential, integrated and digital marketing. With them came a plethora of media and channel opportunities that, in one sense, are a bit like antibiotics; if you take too much of them, the effect will diminish. Agencies struggle with the complexities of media planning, desperate to prove they provide the best possible return on marketing investment.
Clients view the market through the myopic lens of their own product sector and spend hours reading, listening and watching the self-styled experts trying to unravel it all. Still more time is taken deciding which agencies have the right skills for their requirements. Not easy when every agency claims to be able to do everything.
The result is unprofitable time. Time spent by clients trawling the agency scene; time spent by agencies completing pre-qualification questionnaires, requests for information, or answering pitch briefs that leave barely anything left to do if you are eventually appointed. It’s unproductive and unprofitable for both parties.
Back to basics
Maybe it’s time to simplify what has become an agency selection process so obsessed with process that it sometimes loses sight of the fundamental reasons for choosing an agency.
The most important things in my view are the qualities of the senior management. Not just in a business sense but as people with passion, integrity and determination. They should be able to deliver the intellectual depth that results in genuinely insightful planning and strategy capable of making a real difference, as well as being able to produce outstanding, game-changing creative work for months and years to come.
Recent research endorsed by ISBA confirmed these as the most important criteria. Being part of a global organisation, industry profile and winning awards were virtually ignored by all respondents, yet many agencies still spend so much time focusing on these areas.
So let’s get back to basics. Despite all the technological advances with which we are all grappling, it all comes down to the quality of the people. Base your agency selection just on that and you won’t go far wrong.
Jamie Matthews is CEO of Initials
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