“Our marketing sucks.”
The thought runs through your head at least once. If you’re a marketer and you’re asked to help choose a marketing agency the thought worms its way into your head.
Maybe you’re overwhelmed with the requirements that come from a campaign. Or, you feel like you’ve struggled to gain traction. Or, that hiring an agency is what mature companies do.
Whatever the reason, you’ve been asked to support the agency selection process.
Just one problem.
You’re not sure where to start.
A lot of the advice we read online feels… off
If you’re an experienced marketing pro, you’ll realize something about the advice most “pros” peddle is off. At times it feels like you’re using the wrong tools and metrics to evaluate an agency.
But you can’t quite put your finger on it.
You’re not wrong.
We’re professionals but most of us don’t receive a lot of hands-on training with choosing the right firm. Most entrepreneurs don’t either. Which is probably why clients in our industry struggle with disbelief and chronic disappointment.
They want specific results.
They think they’re choosing the right team to deliver those results and then… nothing. The natural assumption is to believe they were hoodwinked by another horrible agency.
https://www.workzone.com/blog/the-definitive-guide-to-managing-your-internal-marketing-team/
What if it was something else?
What if their agency selection criteria created the problems they were looking to avoid?
Am I saying it’s the clients fault, your fault?
Not at all.
If you haven’t received the education you need to choose the right agency and you’re trying to do it anyway, you’re brave.
You’re a fighter.
You’re going into a bad situation with no tools, no resources, and no backup.
Today you get some backup.
Let’s back up for a second, all the way to the beginning
Your ability to choose the right marketing agency depends on one important thing.
You.
Or more specifically your business. When you have a clear understanding of yourself you know what you need, when you need it and who can provide it.
When you don’t know your business, it’s easy to get it wrong.
I already know my business that’s marketing 101. If it feels like I’m insulting your intelligence, stay with me.
I’m making a point.
I’m not asking about marketing intel and business metrics, I’m asking about the value system and temperament of your organization.
Here’s why.
Businesses are like people. Because they’re filled with and run by, people. Each business has its own personality and culture, it’s own rules, attitudes and norms.
These are the ingredients that help you find the right marketing agency. So what is the right agency?
- The right agency understands your business. They speak “you” fluently. Doing that means their agency can attract more of the right customers for you.
- The wrong agency shoehorns their ideas onto your business, creating frustration and conflict with customers. Forced ideas are usually rejected.
Okay, so we know what the right agency looks like. What about the right ingredients
Your organization’s temperament impacts agency success
A good marketing agency understands business temperaments and culture. Understanding this changes their approach; they’re able to create something that’s tailor made for you and your customers.
- “Do it all for me” clients Often spend a lot of time deliberating on which agency to choose. Once they’ve made their decision they push all of the work onto their agency. Their motto? “just take care of it.”
- “Do it my way” clients have a definite vision or plan they want their agency to follow. They’re more interested in finding someone who can deliver on their vision, less interested in agency feedback and collaboration.
- Collaborators want an agency that will sit down and strategize with them. They want to hash things out together; they believe this kind of back-and-forth is a natural part of how work should be. They want to be challenged and supported.
- Teach-me clients want to learn. They realize they don’t know what they don’t know. Hiring an agency gives them one-on-one education from people who work in the trenches every day. Once they feel they’ve learned enough, they move to bring their marketing programs in-house, or they hire generalists they train.
So the question is. Which client are you?
The answer is important because it tells you how a marketing agency should approach you. Even better, you’re able to see if they have a firm grasp on your temperament during the discovery process because…
How they sell you, is how they’ll serve you.
Your temperament and values guide their approach
You view and approach marketing through the lens dictated by your organization’s culture.
Let’s look at temperament first.
There are lots of different rating systems. I’ll keep things simple for the sake of argument and focus our attention on four basic client temperaments.
Control temperaments are…
- Leaders. These organizations are leaders in their industry, field, local area
- Decisive. These clients know what they want and they’re focused on getting things done the way they want
- Results oriented. Get to the point, I want it now, just the facts, give me the bottom line. These clients have no patience for rambling or wordiness
- Driven. These clients tackle big problems and they live for the challenge. They gain energy and power from conflict
Brands with strong control tendencies
- Apple
- Walmart
- Trump
- Liberty Mutual
Fun temperaments are:
- Pleasure seeking. These clients love to share amazing experiences with others. Their marketing is heavy on passion and light on left brained subject matter
- Fun. These clients work hard but play harder. They joke around, laugh often and enjoy the lighthearted.
- Lovable. They love the spotlight and they’re able to work it well. These clients are the extroverts, the life of the party that everyone is drawn to. They’re able to quickly connect with others, whether that’s another influencer, company or partner
- Free spirits. They prefer choices and options and tend to despise limits or restrictions
Brands with strong Fun tendencies
- GEICO
- Red Bull
- Go Pro
- Old Spice
Perfect temperaments are:
- Methodical. these clients are deep thinkers focusing on problems from all sides. They think about how their choices affect their past, present and future
- Precise. They’re detail oriented and exact in their work. Things need to be just so, or they can’t be satisfied
- Data driven. These clients use facts, statistics and data to convince others – far above and beyond the average organization
- Consistent. Clients in this category have very high standards; they love rules and crave consistency – feeling lost when things aren’t as they should be
Brands with strong Perfect tendencies
- Apple
- Pixar
- Nest
Peaceful temperaments are:
- Relational. They’re relationship experts, these organizations have an intuitive sense of how to please and take care of their customers.
- Loyal. They focus on their people and their customers first, making their own needs secondary. They fight for and defend their people (customers and employees) from all comers
- Traditionalists. These organizations rely on tried and true methods to get the job done. If it works why change?
- Peacemakers. These organizations hate conflict, seeking to avoid it at all costs. They have a culture of choosing their words and actions carefully, always thinking about how it will affect others.
Brands with strong Peaceful tendencies
- Zappos
- Ritz-Carlton
- Sainsbury
- Opryland
Which client are you?
It’s an important question to ask and it’s one that needs an answer. Why?
As a marketing professional, the answer is obvious. The more intel we have the better our customer’s experience.
As clients, the agency we choose should understand and speak our language. Speaking our language means they can speak to our customers on our behalf and more importantly, that our customers will listen.
Then there’s our value systems.
Eduard Spranger, a German philosopher and psychologist defined the six value systems that determine how we view the world. These are much less about morals and ethics and more about how we make sense of the world around us.
Aesthetic organizations focus on beauty, form, harmony and details. They view the world through the lens of presentation, beauty and appearance.
Brands with these values
- Apple
- Adobe
- Feed
Individualist organizations have a greater desire for significance and recognition. They crave power and want to be known for their accomplishments.
Brands with these values
- Kevin Nations
- Rich Dad (via Robert Kiyosaki
- KFC (via Colonel Sanders)
- Trump (via Donald Trump)
Social organizations are focused on their fellow man and their environment. They invest their time, money and resources on initiatives that help and serve others. Their goal is a better world and their organization is the vehicle they use to achieve that.
Brands with these values
Theoretical organizations are organizations with a learning culture. These organizations have an insatiable desire to discover, absorb and share knowledge.
Brands with these values
Traditional organizations have a strong respect for the past, using it as a filter to view their present and their future. These organizations crave unity and utopia.
Brands with these values
Utilitarian organizations focus almost exclusively on the bottom line. Anything they give, whether it’s their time, money or resources is framed in terms of ROI. What am I going to get in return?
Brands with these values
- Craigslist
- Berkshire Hathaway
- IBM
- UPS
Here’s why this matters.
When a marketing agency gets these puzzle pieces right, when they have the ability to see your organization the way you and your team see it, they send an important signal.
They get you.
All of the other details – understanding your audience, appealing to customers, launching your campaign – that’s secondary. You’re a marketing pro, agencies are marketing pros.
That’s the easy part.
Showing that you speak the same language, that you see and understand what makes your organization what it is, that comes first.
And it starts by knowing who you are.
Find the worst marketing agencies and you win
We’re trained to look for the best. Find the best agency your money can buy and hire them. That’s the typical approach.
- Reach out to network and connections for a recommendation
- Go through your company’s contacts to find someone
- Finally, place an add, RFP or request with a list of agencies
These approaches work. But only if you know who you are and what you’re looking for in an agency. Once you have that, start by eliminating the worst agencies in your list. Next, you’ll want to create a list of contenders who are ready for vetting.
These are the agencies you’re going to be assessing.
So what should you look for in a marketing agency?
Let’s look at a few of the traditional criteria and see how they stack up.
Criteria #1: Agency size
The rationale goes like this. You choose an agency where your budget will put you in the top 3 percent. Why? To get more attention on your account which leads to more traffic, leads and sales.
Why it’s a problem
Ryan Holiday runs a one man operation via his firm Brass Check Marketing. His firm routinely outperforms traditional agencies. The results he’s achieved and his client portfolio show that “agency size” isn’t as important as people make it out to be.
What to do instead
A much better question to ask your agency (and even harder to answer) is, can they deliver? Ask them to provide hard, objective evidence showing (a) they understand your business and your customers, (b) they’re able to speak your language and, (c) that they’ve delivered amazing results for other clients in the past.
Criteria #2: Category, market segment or product experience
The rationale goes like this: You find an agency that specializes in your industry. They already know the industry and they already know what works. This minimizes their learning curve and training so they’re able to get up to speed quickly.
Why it’s a problem
Finding an agency that specializes in your industry would be a great idea if they’re continuing to push things forward.
Here’s what usually happens.
These agencies fall into a rut, creating the same marketing campaigns over and over for different clients. I’ve seen first hand how agency leaders recycle landing pages, marketing copy and creative from one campaign, using them over and over with other clients in the same vertical.
That’s a profitable business model for them, but it’s a marketing disaster for your organization.
What to do instead
If your organization is fairly conservative in their approach you’ll want to find an agency with some experience in your industry or vertical. Working in a wide variety of industries forces agencies to focus their time and attention on what works. It’s much harder to recycle or rehash material when it isn’t a good fit.
If you’re willing to take on more risk, work with an agency that has a proven ability to attract a lot of attention. Working with someone that can move the needle financially means you’re able to get results much faster, but it comes with a higher risk of failure. Validating this agency’s ability becomes more important, not less.
Criteria #3: Location
It’s common for organizations to want face-to-face meetings with their agency. It’s a great idea because you’re able to sit down and strategize with the people who are doing the work on your account. It feels like you’re getting more for your money when you’re meeting face-to-face, right?
Only you’re not.
Why it’s a problem
Specialty services aside, it’s actually disruptive. Agency employees spend time traveling to your location, setting things up, working, packing up and traveling back to the office.
Their days are filled with dead time.
Dead time that could have been spent working on your account. These days there are very few things that can’t be done remotely. Video, designs, feedback, collaboration – almost everything can be done remotely.
What about the occasions where that isn’t the case?
You travel, hire locally or subcontract to get the results you need. But let’s be honest, are these in-person meetings due to big events or required due to expectations and control?
Experience tells me it’s the latter.
Criteria #4: Agency self promotion
What this basically boils down to is, does this agency practice what they preach? Are their websites and marketing materials up to standard? Does their client work show they know what they’re doing? Does this agency care about their image and reputation?
Why it’s a problem
The vast majority of agency websites are brochure sites. Does this mean all of these agencies are terrible? That they’re filled with incompetent marketers?
Absolutely not.
It means agencies focus their time and attention on the one thing that matters most.
Their clients.
It’s a caretaking relationship where the agency puts their client’s needs ahead of their own. The problem with that is the fact that there’s always another client, another brand that needs their help.
And you know what? Great marketing agencies deliver.
Here’s the downside. There’s usually nothing left for them to work on their own material. It seems ridiculous until you’re in the trenches yourself. Then, suddenly, it all feels normal.
Prioritizing their own material means their clients don’t get the help they need and the money stops flowing.
What to do instead
Ask prospective agencies to show you an A to Z marketing campaign. That’s a campaign they brainstormed, planned, and executed. Then, ask for the results. Go through their case study with a fine tooth comb. You’re looking for:
- The financial results of their campaign
- How they ran the campaign
- How they came up with their ideas
- How customers responded to the campaign
You’re looking for a clear indication of each step.
Criteria #5: Client references
Most of the time clients ask for references. The idea is the fact that you’ll get a good indication of the agency if you ask for (and get) references.
But what usually happens?
We get the references and we don’t call. Because we don’t know their clients. It’s awkward and quite honestly, it’s an unpleasant part of the negotiation process. What’s worse, you don’t really get clear information from the client. It’s sort of hit or miss, maybe you’ll get the answers you need, maybe you won’t.
What to do instead
Ask prospective agencies to setup the client meeting themselves. This meeting should include the client, agency employees on the account, and you.
Great agencies can set this up fairly easy if they have the right kind of relationships with their clients.
Here’s why this works better than simply asking for references.
- Relationship. you’re able to listen to the interaction between their client and their staff. Does the client know agency staff members well? Are they well versed on the topic? Watching and listening to their interaction answers these questions powerfully.
- Results. Did the agency actually achieve the results listed in their case study? What did it do for the client? What sort of effect did this have on the client’s business? Your discussion gives you the ability to validate the results in real time.
- Tone. Are clients comfortable with agency staff? Does their tone sound like they’re old friends and have a relationship or does it sound forced, awkward and uncomfortable?
- Timing. How long did it take for the client to see results? When did they start? Did they last? Are these positive results continuing to grow or did they plateau? These questions come out organically, giving your team the details they need to assess each contender.
These details give you a remarkable amount of information because they’re dynamic. Asking for specific questions gives less-than-honest agencies the tools they need to deceive.
Time.
Dynamic questions allow you to watch things unfold in a way that agencies aren’t prepared for. This one strategy alone clears the field. Top performers can easily setup the interview. Poor performers know they can’t, which means most of them will remove themselves from the list of contenders.
You’re ready for contenders who pass the test
The agencies still standing have shown they’re worthy of your trust. Now you’re ready to use your standard qualification questions.
- Staff: experience and tenure
- Specialization: focus areas and experience
- Pricing: pricing methods, timing, amounts, etc.
- Legal: compliance with your legal requirements, terms, disclosures, etc.
- Process: How will they accomplish campaign goals and objectives?
- Pitch: is their proposed approach compatible with your brief, does it solve the problem, etc.
Obviously this isn’t everything.
There’s a comprehensive list of things you can ask for as the client. This is a helpful guide to get you started, showing you how to bypass the usual games involved with choosing the right agency.
What if you still choose the wrong agency?
What if you do everything right, you interview your agency and their clients, and you make the wrong choice? Now it’s your head on the chopping block.
It’s always possible to get things wrong.
You can miss something, skimp on details, settle for less information. But, follow the steps we’ve outlined and your odds of success go way, way up.
Success is far more likely when you know and understand who you’re dealing with.
Skimp on the process, cut corners and your odds of success drop considerably. Give in to temptations like nepotism and favoritism and things become grim.
Okay, what if things fall apart later?
What if you choose an agency that starts of beautifully, the results are there, things are going well then, out of nowhere things fall apart?
The relationship needs to be managed carefully.
Regular check-ins, carefully tracking activity and progress, these are the things you’ll need to do to ensure things stay on track. But you already knew that, didn’t you?
What if your marketing sucks?
If you’re tasked with choosing the right marketing agency the thought worms its way into your head. It’s all on you now; make the right choice and you change your business forever. Make the wrong choice and your head is on the chopping block.
Only things are different now.
You know the secret to finding the right marketing agency. You’re a fighter. You’re beginning your search with the tools, resources and know-how you need. You know exactly where to start because now…
You have backup.
