Agency bean counter

What sort of agency search criteria do marketers use when selecting agencies?

Agencies think cost plays a much more significant role in the selection process than marketers suggest.What are the implications for you – as you look at firms?

Does this mean that agencies are somehow giving you less to cost less?  Are they going in thinking about ways to cut services (to cut costs) at the same time they are thinking about ways to creatively and strategically build your business?

Does all this worrying about what you marketers think get in the way of delivering great thinking when in a review?

Shouldn’t…but I bet it does.

In our latest Agency-Marketer Business survey, agencies rank cost right up there with creative ideas when asked what they think marketers use to determine their fate during a review.

Reality is, marketers rate cost the lowest deciding factor when looking at firms.

So what does this mean for you, the Marketer?

Means that you need to make it clear to agencies coming in on a search, that you’re looking for your best possible work and thinking and you really aren’t interested in cost right now.

And if you’re in one of those companies where procurement has taken hold of the review process…do your best to wrestle some of that control back.

Nothing worse than being having a creative process driven by a bean counter.

Fine to try and work some cost out of the system, but to make agencies jump through hoops so a few boxes can be checked….isn’t going to get you the best work…and isn’t going to set what should be a long-term relationship off on the right foot.