How To Engage Your Agency

I’ve worked with several agencies throughout my career helping clients develop and execute marketing campaigns. I’ve noticed that some relationships are more rewarding and beneficial for the client and agency. Here are some suggestions on how to ensure that the dollars spent are utilizing the talents and services of the agency to their fullest potential and producing the best results.

Talk to your team about the goals you are looking to meet or the problems you need to solve instead of assigning a tactic. Be open to hearing a solution that you may not have thought of when first discussing the engagement. Always provide as much information as possible so that final work is on strategy and meets expectations. Share marketing plans and customer or industry research that may be floating around the organization. It allows for an agency to be informed and proactive.

Hold quarterly agency reviews if you are working with more than one agency. Share past performance data and future work. I’ve found this to make everyone more united, focused and efficient. It may be that two photo shoots were planned by two agencies when one could be leveraged for all needed assets. Or, an interactive agency could pull metrics for a print campaign driving to a microsite. You could even try presenting your agencies with a project brief and let them brainstorm together and present an integrated marketing plan based on your budget.

Be up front with your budget. Is it $10k or $50k? Knowing this ensures that the best solution is recommended and time invested on planning actually makes it into the project execution. This also saves frustration from both parties. Beyond a specific project budget, share your annual advertising budget and get input on how to best distribute for maximized results.

Trust in your partnership. Your team really wants to see you succeed! There is a bad misconception that agencies want to win “cool” work for their own benefit and do so at great profit. This is simply not true, especially with interactive shops that are held accountable by data. We are truly invested in your success and want to make an impact on your customers and your business.

Make time to be accessible to your team. For all review cycles makes sure to have a phone or in-person check-in. Tossing feedback over email is bound to leave out some detail that would have been uncovered with explanation and conversation. In the end it will save time on revisions. Have strategic conversations outside of the day-to-day to allow for higher-level ideation. If possible, make time for a celebratory meeting, when deserved.

Be honest with feedback. Allow for a day to let it resonate and talk with all stakeholders before finalizing. Try not to apply personal opinion to your target consumer opinion. Express praise when you are happy. People have invested a lot into their work. Likewise, be honest if something needs changed or just doesn’t feel right; the sooner the better.