Choose the right agency

Selecting an agency has been compared to getting married. Client meets agency, they get to know each other, the appointment is made and they all live happily ever after, or not. These so-called partnerships, generally, last no longer than a couple of months and for some this is the desired effect – a pick-me-up Thai bride – however for B2B marketers looking for a long-term ally the selection process is key.

With so much to consider it can be bewildering and thus tempting to simplify the process into meet, greet, brief and pitch. And therein the problem lies – no relationship should be entered so hastily, especially in B2B where the communication challenges are doublefold to those in B2C.

The first question to ask is whether a new agency is necessary? If the incumbent is no longer producing quality work or the relationship has deteriorated, then it is time to start looking. However, if it’s company policy that the agency is reviewed at year-end, regardless of its performance, is a dubious use of time and perhaps it should be this procedure, not the agency that is reviewed.

 

The first step in selecting an agency, whether it’s PR, design, marketing or DM, is by far the most daunting. With hundreds of agencies in the UK, many of them hungry for work, it’s like putting a lamb out to slaughter. Be discreet. Mark Jenkins, marketing director for EMAP Retail, comments, “We get a long list of agencies that we’ve used in the past or that people within the organisation have recommended and work from there.”

However, if this is a first foray into the world of agencies, talking to partners or customers with experience can be very beneficial. The Cloud, a wireless Internet network provider that launched in 2003, used this approach before appointing Banner PR. Amanda-Jane Lewin, PR & marketing manager for The Cloud, comments, “We also did a fair bit of research on the web, naturally it’s important to us that a company presents itself well online.”

Trade bodies, such as the Association of Business to Business Agencies (ABBA) and the Marketing Communications Consultants Association (MCCA), whose members include a variety of agencies, are another starting point. Even Scot McKee, MD of Birddog, who has compared such intermediaries to a “knocking shop where you don’t get a shag in the end,” admits that they can assist with matchmaking.

Particularly, if the client has no previous experience in this area or if the project is so large and complex that a third party or ‘marriage broker’ can play a formidable role. The process is very simple: client explains the project and what type of agency is required and the intermediary prepares a long list of (between 12 and 20) potential agencies. This service is free with ABBA, though most associations charge a daily consultancy rate.

 

Deciding whether to use a specific B2B agency may prove a difficult choice, especially if you ask around, as opinion is divided on the issue. Inevitably ABBA has a litany of reasons why a specialist B2B agency is preferable. Foremost amongst these is that such agencies can make the most of a tight budget, understand commercial buyers and the buying process and have specialist knowledge of the trade media.

On the reverse, integrated agencies make a strong argument against. Understanding consumer attitudes as well as commercial objectives is at the forefront of their argument. Chris Walmsley managing director of Cubo Brand Communications, comments, “Everyone’s a consumer whether they’re working in an organisation or walking along the high street. Communications cannot be separated from consumer thinking because brand is king and it requires the same emotional appeal.”

Jenkins of EMAP states that he would rather not be constrained (to B2B agencies) in his selection. He adds, “B2B agencies don’t always demonstrate a good understanding of the brief or of all the different channels that can be used.”

The one major appeal of a specific agency is that there is no danger of it prioritising big-brand B2C work over B2B work. Olwyn Bloor, general secretary of ABBA, comments, “B2B agencies don’t have the vast budget consumer accounts to divert their attention away from the B2B work, which to an integrated agency would appear mundane and perhaps inadequate in terms of profit.” This is where the client needs to be particularly astute. Andy Snuggs, managing partner of Geronimo, comments, “If an agency brings out a formula for B2B, this won’t work.” In other words, move on.

Clients may also be tempted into using a big-name, integrated agency. Jenkins of EMAP makes a parallel with technology, “You never get fired for choosing IBM,” he says, “but there’s the danger of getting relegated to the most junior person because in some agencies there’s still a stigma attached to working on a B2B account – that you’re not deemed creative enough.”

To avoid falling into this trap, try to get a measure of the agency’s enthusiasm for B2B. But ultimately be real. Alan Cunrow marketing manager of communications group Grass Roots, advises, “Don’t go to the biggest agency in the world and expect them to run around in circles for you.”

 

Of the clients interviewed, the transition from long to short-list was alarmingly simple. The only process involved was whittling down whereby the agency’s credentials were studied; those deemed unsuitable were cast off and the remaining three were short listed.

Trade bodies encourage a much more considered approach to this stage. In fact, it’s here where they seem to spend the most time and energy. MCCA guidelines suggests the client send a ‘due diligence’ questionnaire to the agencies on the long list. Ideally this information will help the client reduce the list to 10 prospects, who are then invited to make a credentials presentation. Following this, MCCA advises that six agencies are invited to prepare an ‘extended’ credentials or ‘think-piece’ presentation. And only at this stage should the short-list be prepared.

AAR, a private intermediary, offers a slightly less layered process. It suggests ‘screening’ six prospects, which might involve a written brief of the agency’s experience in a certain sector or a solution to a problem. Kerry Glazer, managing director of AAR, states that it’s best if the agency does not know the client’s identity at this stage because, “they will present themselves as they are and not try to be something else.” At the next stage AAR recommends a face-to-face meeting between client and agency; ABBA also includes a ‘chemistry meeting’ in its list of guidelines.

The disparity between how the trade bodies and clients move from a long to a short-list is significant. And perhaps this is the missing link – the difference between selecting the right and the wrong agency. To use the marriage analogy again, it’s like courting for two years before getting married, instead of just jumping in after two weeks.

 

There are two types of brief: one that is geared towards finding an agency who will become a long-term partner and another, which will find a short-term solution ie. an agency for a one-off project. The latter should be straight-forward while the former should be challenging, even tricky, because this will prove how capable, communicative and clever the agency is.

Jenkins of EMAP, describes the last pitch he managed, “Geronimo [who won the pitch] were on the phone asking detailed questions about the brief, showing intellectual curiosity. The agency who lost out took the brief away and worked quietly by themselves without any recourse with the team.” The aim here was to build up a rapport and establish a good working relationship; of course, this may not be every client’s objective.

Jenkins adds, “The difficulty of working with people you don’t get on with is it becomes difficult to have input and control, you’re on a backfoot hoping they’ll accept inputs from the team.”

A testing brief can be all the more insightful if coupled with a testing pitch. Lewin of The Cloud, comments, “It’s good to know that the agency has done prior research before coming in, but I am more interested in seeing how they respond on the spot to our particular challenges.”

A testing brief and pitch will also demonstrate how well the agency understands the client’s industry and its commercial and marketing objectives. Everyone interviewed cited this as one of the crucial factors in deciding which agency to use. Hugh Bishop, MCCA board director and CEO of Meteorite, sums up, “Before they start showing you a new window, make sure they’re looking through your current windows.”

 

While it may seem like an obvious point, try to involve some top-level management in the selection process. Many agencies will not pitch unless senior management is involved, ie. marketing director and above. Jenkins states that the MD and the editorial director of EMAP were involved in the selection of Geronimo.

It is also increasingly common and beneficial for procurement to get involved in the process. Glazer of the AAR, comments, “I’ve seen their involvement grow from 15 to 70 per cent in the last few years.” Lynne Blackshaw, marketing manager of RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors), comments, “Procurement are present at the final stage when they decide what’s feasible and what’s not.” Walmsley of Cubo (roster agency for RICS), comments, “As long as procurement respects that a creative, strategic process is going on and they don’t treat it the same way as the purchase of paperclips or staplers, then it can be very good.”

 

After such a rigorous, demanding process it might feel like time to sit back and await the fruits of a wonderful campaign. Unfortunately, it’s not. Curnow of Grass Roots, comments, “Appointing an agency isn’t the end of the story it’s just chapter one.” Be as honest as you can with the new agency, especially if it’s a PR appointment. Measure its progress, have appraisals every quarter and communicate constantly. You never know, this agency might be ‘The One’.

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