How To Choose An Ad Agency Spring BA 495 Laura Lenker Miranda Zimmerli Nawat Vongwattanakit Chanakarn Laotrummanon

Fully Understand your Company  Understand your brand  Critically analyze your own internal structure and strategies  Document likes and dislikes of current partners  Look to an external company to provide you with an objective view of your situation

Know Your Goals  Identify if there is a need for change  Clearly define the specific areas that need improvement  Decide what size of client you want to be  Understand the role that agencies need to play in your mix  Have a clear understanding of where you want to take your brand

Be Knowledgeable and Prepared  Research alternatives  Decide which agencies are doing well  Look at agencies your competitors use  Establish your internal pitch team  Talk to your current agencies  Advise internal and external stakeholders of your plan

Initial Agency Interviews  Arrive 30 minutes early to review the situation  Ask to look around the agency  Be prepared to follow their script  Ask hard questions  Be clear on the role of each of your team members

Initial Agency Interviews Cont.  Align the questioning around key people  Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you are unclear  Do your scorecard immediately after the session  After all the initial interviews, collate, debate and make a decision on a shortened list

Follow Up Interviews  Delve more deeply into key areas of concern  Allow plenty of time for questions  Ensure your meetings with people  Ask for client references and follow up on them  Ask for more information  Delve into the financial and resource models

Decision Making Time  Review process and timings  Be clear on parameters  View credentials and gain an understanding of how each agency works  Pick three agencies to develop a full strategic/creative pitch  Decide on the preferred agency  Ensure contracts are signed

Additional Considerations  Cast the net wide  Expect the unexpected  Provide each agency with sufficient and equal access to your marketing team  Cultural fit  Decide how good the underlying strategic thinking is

Finally, Ask Yourself…  Can I work with this team?  Are they strategically smart?  Do they get my realities?  Are they creatively great?  Do they think beyond ads?  Is my business vital to them?

Sources How to choose an ad agency. Medcalf, Graham. NZ Marketing Magazine. May2006. Vol. 25. Issue 4. Database: Business Source Premier