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The Snog, Marry, Avoid of agency search and selection

20 February 2014

Business hearts

When choosing a marketing agency, you're really hoping for a long-term relationship, not just a one night stand, says Sally Pritchett, Director of digital marketing agency, Something Big.

Plus, using a different agency for each campaign can mean you're less likely to build on your learnings

Finding that perfect agency partner is very similar to finding your perfect partner in life: there needs to be chemistry. Only you'll know when it feels right but there are a few things to look out for...

Snog 

  • Check out the agency’s client list, but beware: sometimes it can look more impressive than it should. It might be more important to ask them how long they have worked with their clients or see if you can find any reviews or recommendations from their clients on third party sites. Agency search and selection sites like "FindGood" [Editor's note: Hello!] are a good way to see if agencies have put themselves forward based on their service level confidence. Keep an eye out for agencies that only work with clients on single campaigns; it might suggest that they're not great at long-term relationship building.

  • Establish how long the agency has been running, and who by. It's not the be-all and end-all but a well-established agency that's been run by the same people for more than ten years, with stable clients and staff, suggests they're in for the long haul and have probably built up some good experience and working relationships.

  • What does their award shelf look like? Again it's not the be-all but most decent agencies have picked up a couple of awards over the years. See what they have won and look out for any that are based on their service as well as their creativity.

  • Where is the agency based? Another factor that doesn't have to eliminate them, but just like in real life, commuting may put a strain on the relationship. There are always briefs that need that face-to-face contact, so if you're in Surrey and they're in Manchester, think about how often you're realistically going to meet the team in person.

Marry

  • Meeting the agency team is essential as it gives you a feel for whether you'll understand each other and get along well. Try to meet on their turf so you get a sense for how they work and meet not just your account managers, but also the people who run the agency and those that do the work. Are they friendly? Do you feel like a number or a valued customer? How big is the team? Do they have the experts you need? Most importantly, do you feel the chemistry? These are all questions you need to answer in your meeting.

  • Give them the chance to showcase their portfolio and get a feel for the kind of creativity you're tapping into. Try and work out if they’re people who will do as you tell them or will add value and fill in the gaps for you. Ultimately find out if these people will help you 'look good'.

  • Chat to them about your business; find out if they’re engaged by listening to what kind of questions they ask. This gives you a feel for whether they're going to be able to understand your business objectives or not. You don't always need an agency with sector specific industry expertise, rather one that’s really engaged in helping you deliver your business objectives.

  • Talk about turnaround times: what happens when you need them to drop everything and turn something around quickly? Get a feel for how responsive they are and think about how often this is important to you. There's no point in working with an agency that does great stuff but simply can't work at the speed you need them to.

Avoid 

  • The criteria you use to walk away from a potential agency will be very personal to you, but some things to consider could include costs or services. Cost wise, get a feel for whether you can afford them, how they charge, what you pay for and what you don't. Check they can offer all the services you need.

  • We're all busy these days so if an agency can't provide all the services you need, you might have to run several agency relationships. Think through how practical that's going to be. If you want to work in real partnership relationships with agencies whereby they come to you with ideas that you hadn't pre-empted, try to avoid gathering up multiple agencies on a roster that you pick and choose by project – this rarely saves any money or keeps agencies on their toes, and more often simply means you work with people who are less engaged. 

Best of luck in your quest to find the perfect marketing agency!

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Danielle Stagg

Written by Danielle Stagg