How agencies should talk about the money
Most agency executives and teams hate talking about money with clients and prospects. And they don’t do a very good job of it. Agencies often seem to approach the topic of money as a required nuisance or as an afterthought. The agency’s economic proposal may be a simple spreadsheet. Or a spreadsheet embedded in a […]
You Get the Agency You Deserve: Every marketer should read Jared Belsky’s new book
Some marketers get absolutely amazing support from their agencies! Brilliant strategies and amazing service. Work that builds the brand, moves customers to action and builds business. Great, self-sustaining relationships. Unfortunately, this isn’t the experience of all marketers. Many marketers often get less than they want from their agencies. Fewer great ideas, strategies that aren’t really […]
Enhancing your next agency review process: 21 pitfalls marketers can readily dodge
Your brand is in search of a new agency. You’ve initiated a review that you are overseeing personally and it’s proving to be considerably more challenging and time intensive than you initially anticipated. Heck, you already had a full-time job before adding this important added effort. And, while progressing your way through the project (researching […]
Tombras, Figliulo, Goodby & other agency stars on What Matters to Agency Prospects
By Steve Boehler with input from an all-star team of agency execs Ever wonder what is on prospects’ minds? This is a question we often hear from agencies of all sizes. Over the years we have enjoyed countless discussions with agency leaders on this specific topic. What matters to the senior executives that rely on […]
Marketer & Agency Exec’s guide to the agency visit
You’re considering an agency for a key assignment. You may be well into a competitive agency review or simply are exploring agencies for near term or future efforts. You’ve done your homework. You’ve found an agency that looks promising! But any agency decision is an important decision. You’ve decided to visit the agency (good idea!) […]
Edelman’s 2023 Brand Trust Report: What brands and agencies need to know
The folks at Edelman recently released their latest Trust Barometer research. The report is a must read for business leaders, marketers and agency execs everywhere. The Edelman team has studied trust for nearly 25 years and the annual Edelman Trust Barometer research is a cornerstone to that work. In our current highly polarized and rapidly changing […]
Former P&G CEO John Pepper on leadership, business immersion and the “Air” movie
A discussion: Steve Boehler with John Pepper Former P&G CEO John Pepper and I recently discussed business leadership, how to immerse yourself into an organization and business, and Matt Damon’s Air movie about Nike and Michael Jordan. John knows a thing or two about leading a successful business. And about good movies! John was Procter […]
Better clients run better pitches: 10 principles
We often say that “good clients get good work”. A related truth is that “better clients run better pitches”. This is hugely important because selection of the right agency can make or break a business and marketing plan. Great agencies can deliver inspired strategy and creativity that is a true business multiplier. Better pitches deliver […]
How to develop strategic insights! Workshop in Denver July 24 & 25
In our work with agencies and clients we routinely see a simple truth: the best campaigns and the biggest account wins often are driven by the best strategic insights. And compelling insights are rare. A data point is not an insight. It’s data. Analysis of data is not an insight. Analysis is interpretation. It’s what […]
Mid-Year Agency Search Trends 2023
We’re approaching mid-year and a quick review of what we are seeing and learning in the agency search space is in order. We have a pretty good sense of what is happening. We talk to agencies and marketers daily. We conduct 20-25 agency searches per year and not a day goes by when we aren’t […]
