There once was a day when agencies were the kings.

Marketers mostly sought out the likes of Burnett, Ogilvy, Needham Harper Steers, JWT…and the agencies knew it.  Not saying they didn’t have to impress and work at it, but it was likely a bit easier then.

Today is a different story.  Today, the marketer is the queen (or king).

With agencies springing up left and right, with new technologies pushing the limits of the talents of agencies, and with bigger agencies vying for smaller pieces of business than they have in the past – all this puts an enormous amount of pressure on agencies to step up their game.

You would think every agency on earth would recognize this…but they don’t.

Believe it or not, there are still agencies that choose to sit on their perch and won’t make a move because they will only work for a client if they show the love to them.

So what’s my point and why is this important to Marketers.

It’s important if you’re in a search and you create an “A” list of potential agencies that you think would be great fits for your company – and after a couple of attempts, one or  more of them don’t connect with you.  My advice is don’t chase them.  More than likely the agency either finds your brand too small, not “sexy” enough, or they are simply too busy to give you the time.

It is also important to keep an eye on “kingly-like behavior” when you’re in a search.  When reviewing RFIs or RFPs, keep a close eye on how the agency is operating and how they are responding.  If they only seem to be giving it a half-hearted approach to the effort, same thing…they either are probably not too far in it, to win it.

So beware of the agency that is above it all and look realistically at the firms that legitimately are solid fits for your firm – and the firms that exhibit a passion and desire and want for your business.