What Clients Expect From Their Agency

by Steve Fodor.

Another insightful article in BtoB magazine has captured my interest. In a special report, BtoB offers a list of the top attributes clients look for when selecting an agency partner. Here they are, with my own additional considerations for anyone looking for the right agency.

Ability to be flexible and work with tighter budgets.
Everybody needs to do more with less. But ask the agency to explain their process for quickly and efficiently developing customer insights. If the agency can’t give you an answer, or gives you an answer that requires a Ph.D. to understand, they may not be a good fit for you.

Understanding of the client’s core business needs.
I think it’s more critical to ask, “How would the agency go about understanding a client’s core business needs.” Solving business needs requires collaboration between agency and client.

Industry and B-to-B experience.
It may be more revealing to ask an agency, “Do you consider yourselves B-to-B specialists, B-to-C, retail, or a combination? Often, B-to-B clients, especially if their budgets are not “huge,” are treated like “unwanted stepchildren” by the agency. Find out what the agency does best and is passionate about.

Creativity in developing integrated marketing campaigns.
Can’t add anything to that. Creative thinking is what agencies are about.

Social media skills.
I’d ask the agency, “How would you develop a social media strategy that’s effective for our customers and our particular segment?”

Access to global resources.
If you need to develop an integrated global or multi-national campaign, this is important.

Good cultural fit, not just with senior executives.
I interpret this to be about agency size, as well. You don’t want to feel like a “little fish in a big pond.”

Responsive and effective account management.
I’d rather ask to meet your key contact at the agency and interview them. What kind of business experience does he or she have?

Proven method for measuring ROI.
I’ve been asked this before and my response is typically, “What do you need to accomplish?” Have clear campaign needs and goals established before you talk to an agency.

Experience in providing thought-leadership content and events.
Again, I think it’s equally important to ask how an agency would go about developing thought-leadership content. Do they have a strategic process? Or are they going to regurgitate and re-purpose content?

Selecting an agency is a big decision with many qualitative factors. I hope this has helped define your criteria even more.

Flickr Photo Credit: boliston

Brand Experience Trumps Selling Efforts.

by Steve Fodor

Remember the famous McGraw Hill ad from about 30 years ago? The one with the grumpy, old man saying, “I don’t know you. I don’t know your company. I don’t know what you stand for. Now, what was it you wanted to sell me?”

I had an experience today that reminded me how true that ad's message is.

Without getting into naming names, I saw an ad for an online Internet marketing degree from a seemingly-reputable university. The ad intrigued me enough to request more information. I filled in the required fields on the request form. One of the fields was for my phone number, which should have made me suspicious. Almost instantly, a PDF was downloaded to my computer and I looked forward to reading more information on obtaining a certified degree in Internet marketing.

Now, what happened next is still hard for me to believe. And I’m not exaggerating. Within 15 seconds of filling out the request for more information, the phone rang. It was a representative from the university. She talked very fast. I laughed and said, “I haven’t even had a chance to look at the information.” Her reply was, “I’m here to give you more information.” I said, “I can’t talk now.” Her snapped reply was, “Well, I’m here to schedule a time with you.”

My whole brand experience here went from interest to inquiry to experience to brand rejection in less than 60 seconds!

Savvy marketers understand that brand experience is the product of integrated marketing efforts, starting with publicity to create interest and extending through personal selling efforts. All of a brand’s touch points with a customer.

I guess that grumpy, old man in the McGraw Hill ad is still right. Even though we have so many new tools to interact with customers today, you still have to earn a customer's trust before they’ll consider your brand’s proposition. Understanding the customer’s buying process and their information needs will always trump efforts to “just close the sale.” Yet, I’m frequently amazed at how many marketers don’t make the effort to understand what their customer’s information needs are or decision-making process is.