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Choosing an Agency
Choosing an advertising agency is like getting married, without much chance for courtship. No two advertising agencies are exactly alike; one will be a better partner for you. Choose as though you were going to live together for the rest of your lives.
Should Size be an Issue?
Large or small, any agency will give you about the same number of people working on your account. Maybe you need only part of an agency. You can do that too. Agencies will often provide services on an “a la carte” basis. One advantage of working with a smaller agency or boutique shop is that you will more than likely be working directly with the principles.
What About Specialized Agencies?
Some agencies concentrate on specific areas like industrial, agricultural, medical, or financial. They can give you instant knowledge of a complex market. However, you may find similar expertise in a non-specialized agency, along with a fresh approach to the problem. Other agencies specialize in one form of media like public relations or website design. But using many specialized agencies makes integrating your message difficult. For most clients, full-service agencies provide significant benefits like business analysis, strategic thinking, testing, and creative execution.
Guidelines to Selecting a Partner
- List you needs.
- Define your problems. Put them in writing and get agreement from all your key people.
- Tell you current agency that you have decided to make a change and explain why. Don’t ever let it dangle or place your work in competition with a potential new group.
- Do you homework.
- Pull together a short list of agencies that you respect.
- Look for a business philosophy, stable management, a professional staff, technical expertise, and proven work.
- Go see the agencies on your list.
- Meet the people who would actually work on your business, as well as the principles. Spend time with them informally.
- Personal chemistry is important. Beware of new business teams who woo your account and then turn it over to other people.
- Select a few finalists.
- Meet with them (always separately) and tell them all they need to know about you. Don’t make them waste time researching the basics. You want them to concentrate on your needs and consider how they would fulfill them.
- In addition to your needs, carefully explain your expectations.
- Formal presentations are not always necessary. You seldom learn anything of consequence at these carefully rehearsed performances. Plus, the cost of these presentations is rolled into future client charges.
- Find out what resources an agency has to offer and how these will be brought to bear on your business.
- Assure potential new agencies that you are a serious buyer not a window shopper.
- Don’t ask for speculative work.
- The best advertising comes from a deep understanding of your business. Speculative work is done only when a few minutes can be spared from paying clients.
- Spec work is often “blind” (idea can be used for anyone, anything) and re-used.
- Once it’s your agency, you wouldn’t want them to expend creative time and talent on somebody else’s new business presentation.
- Look at the agency’s creative samples as a consumer would. Don’t have it paraded before you with lengthy explanations.
- Evaluate the finalists against your needs.
- Encourage informal presentation, dialogue, frank analysis of your needs. At this stage, questions are better than answers.
- Be on guard against the shallow and the superficial—quick solutions, easy promises, overwhelming eagerness, and overnight speculative work.
- Check out your first choice.
- Talk about budget and payments.
- Talk about timelines.
- Talk to other clients of the agency.
Like a marriage, a client-agency relationship has its irritations, as well as it rewards. Divorce should be a last resort, not taken lightly.
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