Finding the right advertising or marketing agency to work with can be a daunting and downright scary task.
Most small businesses do not have experience, know the appropriate information to ask for or what to look at when interviewing a potential partner agency to help watch over their marketing budget. This is a huge responsibility and can be one of the most expensive decisions you make in business. In addition, picking a top-ranked creative shop can seem very costly. So many just go with the first agency that tells them the right price and … kaboom! They just blew the budget for the quarter, have nothing to show for it and have to start building the marketing war chest fund all over again. I've heard it all too many times.
Basically, interviewing a potential partner agency is a lot like interviewing a potential employee. You really need to find out how they work, who they've worked with, what the results were from their work and how much money they want to do the same thing for you. Sounds simple right? Let me break it down for you.
First, find out how they work. Most agencies have packaged their method of approach and practice how they pitch it, so a good pitch on how they work is a signal that you are dealing with professionals. Next, check to see if their literature is consistent between their stationery, presentation materials, printed collateral and their Web site. This will give you signs about how organized they are, which unfortunately is sometimes a weakness amongst creative-types in the ad agency industry. Many agencies update their own materials on a regular basis. This may show that they are forward thinking and keep their marketing materials fresh. However, it also may mean that they do not have much business.
Dig a little deeper. A good agency will show you case studies. This will tell you how and when they worked with other clients and what the results were. This is also where you should engage them and ask questions about how they will handle you as a client and what priority your account will be on their roster. Go through “what if” scenarios of what you envision you might encounter while working together and ask them how they overcame any similar situations in the past. Always ask for references and verification to confirm their case studies and results.
Finally, how do they charge for their services? Be as specific here as possible. This is a good place to ask them how many client revisions they budget into each project, a question that is rarely asked, but very often causes budgets to go up. Marketing and advertising projects can get very complicated; they only work right if perfectly orchestrated. The savvy agency representative knows how to charge whatever the market will bear and you need them to stay within your budget. Give the agency a lighter than projected budget and tight deadline, and see how they respond. Once you start there you will quickly find out how they will work with you on that level. Then, decide whether to work with them on a trial project basis or test market. This will help take the sting out if they don't produce results. If you like the results, great, it's time to start building a marketing plan. If not, move on to the next agency candidate.
For more information, call 760 Media at (760) 605-8133 or visit www.760media.com.
Most small businesses do not have experience, know the appropriate information to ask for or what to look at when interviewing a potential partner agency to help watch over their marketing budget. This is a huge responsibility and can be one of the most expensive decisions you make in business. In addition, picking a top-ranked creative shop can seem very costly. So many just go with the first agency that tells them the right price and … kaboom! They just blew the budget for the quarter, have nothing to show for it and have to start building the marketing war chest fund all over again. I've heard it all too many times.
Basically, interviewing a potential partner agency is a lot like interviewing a potential employee. You really need to find out how they work, who they've worked with, what the results were from their work and how much money they want to do the same thing for you. Sounds simple right? Let me break it down for you.
First, find out how they work. Most agencies have packaged their method of approach and practice how they pitch it, so a good pitch on how they work is a signal that you are dealing with professionals. Next, check to see if their literature is consistent between their stationery, presentation materials, printed collateral and their Web site. This will give you signs about how organized they are, which unfortunately is sometimes a weakness amongst creative-types in the ad agency industry. Many agencies update their own materials on a regular basis. This may show that they are forward thinking and keep their marketing materials fresh. However, it also may mean that they do not have much business.
Dig a little deeper. A good agency will show you case studies. This will tell you how and when they worked with other clients and what the results were. This is also where you should engage them and ask questions about how they will handle you as a client and what priority your account will be on their roster. Go through “what if” scenarios of what you envision you might encounter while working together and ask them how they overcame any similar situations in the past. Always ask for references and verification to confirm their case studies and results.
Finally, how do they charge for their services? Be as specific here as possible. This is a good place to ask them how many client revisions they budget into each project, a question that is rarely asked, but very often causes budgets to go up. Marketing and advertising projects can get very complicated; they only work right if perfectly orchestrated. The savvy agency representative knows how to charge whatever the market will bear and you need them to stay within your budget. Give the agency a lighter than projected budget and tight deadline, and see how they respond. Once you start there you will quickly find out how they will work with you on that level. Then, decide whether to work with them on a trial project basis or test market. This will help take the sting out if they don't produce results. If you like the results, great, it's time to start building a marketing plan. If not, move on to the next agency candidate.
For more information, call 760 Media at (760) 605-8133 or visit www.760media.com.