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FindGood helps companies of all sizes to select the ‘right’ agency. And while we’d love an opportunity to help anyone in need, we realise that some would prefer to undertake the onerous task alone.

If you aim to select a PR Agency this year, download our complimentary Guide to Selecting a PR Agency here. Of course, the agency you choose is an important decision and the process necessary to find the right one is a lengthy one. So, if you decide to reach out for help, we’d love to be the first ones to receive your call…click here to submit your brief.

At times, we get calls for help from client-side marketers who have grown frustrated by hotshot agencies which won’t answer their calls or emails during the agency search and selection process. These client-side marketers will have started out by consulting the various agency award show winner listings when making up their agency shortlist, become enthusiastic about 5-10 of the regularly applauded firms and then subsequently have made contact only to then be disappointed when the award-winning firm(s) went silent.

I recently read a thought-provoking article by Andrew Marr entitled ‘Can Good Design Save The Economy’. Upon reading the article, I was proud to be creative industry as the central premise of the article is that the thinkers and creators who play in the creative/design industry may drive the UK’s economy in the future. Apparently, the design/creative industry contributes roughly the same amount to the UK’s GDP as Financial Services. But the article goes further to state that the number of individuals working in the Creative and Design Industries is nearly double that of the Financial Services. To my mind, the natural assumption which flows from these stats is that those working in Design are less business savvy than those working in the financial services industry.

If we really take a moment to think, the central message within the article is common sense. It’s been well articulated by others much wiser than I that our future economy (ie the world’s) will be fuelled by thinkers, professionals doing and creating new things of value which serve a worthwhile purpose and command a fair price from consumers.

The typical marketing procurement manager within a big, global corporation faces many challenges. And in speaking with them, we’re regularly reminded of how tough their job can be. So, our aim here is to take a bit of a journey in their shoes.

Taking a step back for those unfamiliar, marketing procurement professionals work within large corporate firms. These individuals, if working for a firm which adopts an agency roster, may manage the selection of marketing and communications agencies full time. However, other marketing procurement professionals arent afforded the luxury of focus. Instead, they may be sourcing an accountancy firm one day (or worse, toilet roll!) and a marketing agency the next. So, the primary challenge of non-dedicated marketing procurement folks is lack of focus. And this lack of focus means that in many cases, procurers will have to start fresh in re-educating themselves on the industry whenever a new firm or agency network is required, as selection may occur just once ever three or more years. Of course, they’ll have their network of internal marketers’ ears whenever they need help or advice, but it can be a lonely world as they are in some cases feared (if not unpopular) amongst agency management.