Searching for a new agency is a lot like searching for a life partner. Spending a lot of time meeting people, ultimately narrowing it down to a handful of prospects and eventually finding the winning agency.
After much pursuing and negotiation, it is agreed to get on board and the official client-agency relationship begins.
While closing on the most suitable agency can be relieving, there are a host of processes that go into selecting the right one. One of the most vital decisions for any client is picking a suitable agency that will connect with the brand’s core values, objectives, mission and vision.
These days, client-agency relationship erodes faster than ever, making it difficult for the brand to maintain sustained communication with their customers. A lot of clients select agencies because they are enticed by vibrant presentations, big names and ideas which ultimately lead to ad hoc advertising — rather than reaching for the core outcome of communication.
Performing an agency search can seem tasking. There is no shortage of agencies in the marketplace — some are considerably larger than others, some have specialised core skills, and others tailor-make their offering to a particular requirement of a brand.
Clients should keep in mind their central criteria and evaluate whether or not an agency is a good fit for the brand.
Most times, clients run the hamster wheel if they should go ahead with a multi-experience or an independent agency. In such situations, clients should lookout for those agencies that specialise in their brand’s particular industry.
One of the best ways to help brands reach their goals is to work with a full-service communication agency. If the clients are ready to start bringing in new business and promote the company on a wider scale, it is beneficial to consider working with one such.
This will help simplify the process and the coordination to find the best solutions for the company’s needs. Another key factor of choosing a communication agency is ensuring the right teams are involved who have hands-on experience and their goals should run in parallel to the ones of the brand.
Lastly, today’s challenging environment forces clients go ahead with the bare-minimum costing which leads to squeezing the agency’s costs unreasonably. This could damage the quality of talent working on the brand and weaken the service.
A fair remuneration system must be made that aligns the agency’s aims with the client’s priorities in order to have valuable results.
In the end, a lot of client-agency relationships sustain and dwell because of long-standing relationships with each other. The relationship elevates from a business stage to a more personal one, creating a sense of trust and confidence.
To create sustainable long term relationships, both parties must have a jointly agreed upon definition of what success means to each and work towards that goal.
The writer is the CEO of Venture Communications.
