Pressure on clients’ budgets has been revealed as a major pain point for agencies, according to B2B Marketing’s B2B Agencies Benchmarking Report 2015-16.
It was the most commonly cited hurdle, with 35 per cent of respondents listing it as their single biggest challenge as an agency at present.
Other stumbling blocks included the ‘ability to attract/retain quality staff’ (23 per cent), the ‘role of procurement and purchasing departments’ (11 per cent) and ‘clients’ appreciation of creativity’ (seven per cent).
Surprisingly, the pitching process was the least frequently cited challenge, with only three per cent of respondents stating ‘badly organised or time-wasting pitches’ were a common pain point.
The report also asked how the agency/client relationship is changing, with a common theme emerging.
An increasing number of agencies have begun to recognise the importance of cohesive collaboration with their clients, by working as part of a team rather than as merely a supplier.
Danielle Howe, reports editor at B2B Marketing, commented: “This year’s report provides some fascinating insights into the B2B agency landscape.
“While agencies still have a number of challenges to contend with, it’s great to see that many are now moving towards a more collaborative way of working with their clients.”
For more information, including definitive league tables and in-depth analysis, access the report here.
