Advertising Articles

The “I Can Have It All” attitude is prevalent today in client-vendor relationships, but invariably leads to disappointment. Clearly, no single advertising agency can fill a client’s divergent requirements. It is important however, to decide which of the following three attributes; *Service - Pricing - Results* is most important. The goal is to focus on “unique needs” to determine what is crucial to one’s sanity and
success. Reputable advertising agencies have a singular purpose: To produce advertising that brands your business and generates quality leads within a reasonable budget. It’s important to find an agency that delivers consistent results while providing exceptional service at affordable prices. The following steps may help narrow the search to find the right advertising agency.

RATIONALE: If one has the spare time and the expertise to write advertisements and plan media strategy, a “Simple Order Taker Agency” may be sufficient. These agencies wait for a client to call, and act on client direction, placing ads as specified and ordered. The costs are minimal, as is the service provided. Most managers simply don’t have the time to learn the nuances of advertising, and are looking to entrust this work to a responsible, experienced agency that will jump in and take charge. “Proactive Strategist Agencies” are committed to learning a client’s business and offering valuable advice and insights to provide increased efficiency. Proactive agencies routinely remind clients of advertising opportunities and often bring new media ventures to their door with a sound recommendation that matches their corporate goals...making their clients #1...not just another number.

RATIONALE: The goal is to find the agency that takes the time to understand their client’s unique needs and develops solid, lasting relationships built on hard work, trust and a proven successful track record. Letters of commendation from current clients show client satisfaction and allow a better understanding of the strengths the prospective agency brings. If possible, speak personally with current clients and glean inside information about how the agency operates, values their clients and responds to their consistent needs.

RATIONALE: Most agencies will send company Directors and Vice Presidents to pitch new business. Don’t assume that the same experienced team that pitches new business also handles day to day account management. Some smaller agencies offer high-level executives as account representatives, which is an incredible bonus. However many larger agencies often pass big accounts to junior level executives and routinely send smaller volume accounts on to new hires with very little agency experience and almost no knowledge of the advertising marketplace and the nuances of media planning and purchasing. Moreover, ad development may also be handled by a novice designer/copywriter with little experience in creating effective advertising. While the agency may have a recognizable name, a great track record and a strong management team, these will matter very little if one’s account does not have regular access to the agency’s best talent. As a general rule: Pay less attention to the agency’s size and client roster and focus on the individuals who will comprise the account team. For a breath of fresh air, give a small advertising agency an opportunity to pitch new business. What’s surprising is the number of small agencies with impressive Fortune 500 clients that understand the value of attentive personal service, sound research and proactive experienced direction, often at a fraction of the leading agency’s rates.

RATIONALE: Perhaps the most important factor an agency can offer is consistent access and availability. If an agency representative is consistently away from the desk or unavailable to take a call, what kind of service can potential clients expect? If agency representatives are frequently unavailable... leave a message and take note of how long it takes for them return a call. It’s also recommended to send a few random email queries, requesting a reply. Prompt callbacks and return emails are crucial to solid client/agency rapport and are a strong indicator of how the agency prioritizes the day to day needs of its clients. This approach also allows clients to test the general knowledge and personality of your the contacts. Do they respond positively to calls, emails and inquiries or do they seem frustrated and generally unenthusiastic about working with the account? Better to find out now, before signing the contract!

RATIONALE: Ask an agency to send client ad samples and they’re likely to send an impressive assortment of ads that show’s their best creative concepts. While, it is certainly good to see what type of work an agency is capable of producing, what’s more important is the type of work that their average clients receive on a weekly basis. By reviewing these ads, it becomes easy to compare creative quality and ascertain if all of their clients receive equally impressive creative attention. Pay special attention to the ad’s visual elements and to creative writing. Did they take time to create an ad that reflects the unique attributes of the position advertised, or is it just a standard corporate ad that has been recycled for multiple uses? If their ad style is unimpressive, move on. Poor ads always under perform and are a colossal waste of money.

RATIONALE: As a general rule of thumb, if the agency routinely has open positions, it’s likely that there will be significant employee retention issues, which will affect the quality of service clients will receive. Some agencies are consistently looking for graphic designers, copywriters and account coordinators. If these agencies have difficulty retaining quality in-house talent, one can assume that client accounts will be shuffled from one designer/writer/account manager to another, resulting in poor service, as well as uninspiring creative. One can also determine agency employee retention by asking to see an employee list indicating hire dates. If a significant number of agency employees were hired within the past few months, it’s likely that more than 50% of these employees will be looking for a new job within 8-12 months!

RATIONALE: Most are surprised at the differences in agency billing procedures and how much these differences will impact the bottom line. Many agencies bill hourly for media research, planning and placement in addition to creative development work and the standard 15% agency media placement commission. If one neglects to establish adequate directives and set a cap on the number of hours spent on the account, expect a surprise with exorbitant monthly bills for largely unnecessary work. Progressive advertising agencies are implementing a standard fee structure to avoid hourly rate issues, and are choosing to invoice their clients immediately after project confirmation to avoid any end of the month billing surprises. More importantly, there are exceptional agencies that do not charge clients for routine media research and planning, essentially including these services as part of their standard agency commission, often saving clients a great deal of money every year.

As a general rule of thumb...”Do the homework” is the best advice to be given. A hasty decision today only makes for an uncomfortable and invariably rocky agency relationship tomorrow. Take the time to select an agency that proves it deserves the business.