Optimizing the Search

Agency relationships are built on a blend of both art and science, with their sustainability impacted by internal and external business factors beyond a CMO’s direct control. If the quarterly business results are not reflecting the desired outcomes, changes will be made to the marketing investment level and the go to market channel strategy. In times of consolidation, re-organization, leadership change, or just the withering pace of business, changing agencies becomes a business requirement for C-suite leadership. We offer three review structure options, based on timing and investment budgets, using the overall approach outlined below.

Discovery
Create clarity and agreement across the client selection team to selection criteria. We embrace the quote: “Begin with the end in mind.” Investing the time to set priorities improves the outcome of each step in the balance of the process.

Screening
Choosing agency finalists with a custom RFI addressing your requirements and focusing on RESULTS of agency case studies gives your team confidence that “Best-of-Breed” agencies are invited to the exercise. Our assembled team of industry experts gives you richer opinions and insights to supplement your own team’s POV.

Development
We ensure your team is investing time interacting with each finalist in a manner that produces insights on your business issues. Our process moves through a divergent then convergent series of meetings allowing you to experience chemistry checks of each assembled team.

Presentations
With multiple meetings, you will have more confidence that agency finalists are prepared with content that addresses the interest of senior management and/or the C-suite. Third-party facilitation of de-brief meetings captures strengths of each agency from opinion leaders in the client team that lead to greater consensus.

Decision
Understand how to choose the right agency at the right price through our compensation analysis and negotiation strategy that meets financial goals while preserving the need of Marketing to have the right people servicing the brand’s best interests.