how to identify the right marketing agency in today's digital world

How To Identify The Right Marketing Agency in Today's Digital World

G. Donck - Customer Happiness Manager

IntroductionBudget spent on Digital Marketing Skyrockets

€57,3bn (2014) -> €103,4bn (2019 exp.) - +80% (Forrester Research)

Shift from an “Agency of Record” to an “Agency Roster” Model

Association of National Advertisers

E.g. Google has 5 agencies… only for Digital!

Only 11% work with a lead agency that handle all digital assignment

More and more agencies (1 700 + only in Belgium!)


About Sortlist.be

54 000+ Agencies Worldwide

1 700+ Agencies in Belgium

Partnership with Media Marketing (BE)

14 500+ visitors / month

+/- 6 projects / day

€ 4 millions marketing budgets managed in the last 2 months

“The Meetic of the Marketing World”


#1 PREPARATION IS KEY

Is your budget clear?

Who is going to manage the process?

How many longlisted - shortlisted?

Timeframe?Do you need to involve procurement departement?


What business issues are you trying to solve?

Is the solution a distraction or really key?

Does the agency understand this issue?

Are they coming up with relevant solutions?


#2 BUSINESS ISSUES

Do they understand your sector?

Are there conflicting businesses?

Any experience addressing your customers?

Do they understand your competitive landscape?

Do thet know the eventual technical terms?

Or any legal requirements?


#3 YOUR SECTOR

Do you have enough resources to manage the agencies?

Do you want the best specialists in each discipline?

How do you plan to optimize your budget?

How are you going to make sure they communicate with each other?


#4 ONE-STOP-SHOP vs SPECIALIZED

Are they recent references?

What was the scope of the project they accomplished?

Are they more specialized in B2B, B2C, both?

Are they more Strategist vs Maker?

Are they more Out-of-the-box vs Classic?

Are they more Specialized vs Full Service?


#5 REFERENCES

Do you need a dedicated account manager?

How will you balance your in-house taskforce with agency work?

How transparent seems the agency?

What tools are they using to communicate?

Who will take care of you?


#6 CLIENT SERVICE

What are they promising you?

What is the frequency of your assessment?

What are the key performance indicator (KPI) you plan to set up?

How will you assess your return-on-investment (ROI)?


#7 ASSESSMENT

Do you prefer to be the big customer of a small agency or a small customer of a big agency?

Who will work directly with you?

Who will be your account?

Are they certified? Awarded?

Are they experienced?


#8 AGENCY STAFF & SIZE

Possible to work remotely?

Do you need meetings?

Are aligned with the culture?

Do they need customers insights?

Working on remote not as easy as it seems


#9 PROXIMITY

Do you know your budget?

Is it media included?

How flexible are you?

Does it involve strategy or just production?


#10 BUDGET

Are they interested to work for you?

What feeling did you have after the chemistry meeting?

Do they share the sames values?


last but not least: CULTURAL FIT!

Questions?

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