Last week we talked about something called “Silly Season,” the time of year when marketers look to make an agency change as part of their New Year adjustments.

We cautioned against making a change for its own sake, as too many marketers make the move simply to “shake things up.” However, if the New Year has arrived and your agency’s stock of fresh ideas has gone MIA, it might be a red flag warning that a rocky partnership is ahead.

We often talk of adding value; your agency needs to be continually demonstrating ability and desire to go above and beyond to deliver quality work. This can, and should, take many forms depending on your specific needs.

A prime example of this added value is the ability to analyze client data to improve marketing efforts.

We recently released our 2019 New Year Outlook report, a survey of both marketers and agencies regarding their thoughts on the year to come.

In the survey, we found that 88% of marketers noted that data & analytics capabilities are either “somewhat” or “very” important for an agency to provide – a 15% increase from only 2 years ago.

Given the advancement of technological capabilities in this space, data and analytics have become a staple in the process of shaping the right message for the right consumer at precisely the right time—essentially the foundation of an effective marketing campaign.

But data analytics is only one example of an agency bringing value to the relationship.

The takeaway is this: many things that were once nice-to-have’s are now table stakes, and if your agency isn’t able to keep up, it’s time to start exploring options elsewhere.

Especially as companies set a course for their 2019 benchmarks, agencies should be showing measurable value and a passionate, proactive mindset when it comes to presenting new ideas.

If your agency has gone silent during this crucial period, it may reflect a stale partnership that no longer carries the enthusiasm of an agency looking to earn and keep your business.

So if your New Year has been a bit too quiet on the agency front, and you feel as though you’re forced to drive ideas to your marketing partner, rather than the other way around, drop us a line and we can help you find a proactive agency that will find ways to add value and keep your business ahead of the curve.