AI and avoiding a sea of advertising sameness
The promise of AI is extensive in advertising. Clients expect more, better, quicker, cheaper. Agencies are exploring and creating tools to help deliver on that promise while working to create new compensation models that protect their ingenuity and financial security. There is a risk to marketers and their agencies that is not being discussed: the […]
What’s the State of the Pitch in the US?
What is the “State of the Pitch” in the US these days? RFP and pitch processes can sometimes be far from perfect. Horror stories abound and those are the stories that get the most attention. But when we talk with agencies, we typically hear much more nuance as many experiences seem respectful and positive while […]
Brand codes: a creative effectiveness multiplier
The highlight for me from Cannes this year was the release of research using a combination of the Effie Global database of case studies and System1 creative effectiveness research. The Creative Dividend: How creativity multiplies profitability report is essentially a primer on effective advertising – advertising that drives business impact. Some considerations that leap off […]
5 critical client decisions before an agency review
Clients manage thousands of agency reviews and selection processes every year. These processes are incredibly important. The right agency partners in any area from creative to media, PR or performance marketing can be business multipliers. Getting the search “right” is important for the client’s business and sometimes even for their career. There is a great […]
Agencies, avoid unforced errors: the prospect visit
A client needs a new agency and after a diligent process has narrowed the field to a couple agencies. The prospect is excited! They’ve done their homework. They think they’ve found a couple promising agencies! The agencies are excited – they know they are one of only a couple left standing in the competition. But […]
Key learning from speed dating 36 indie agencies in an afternoon
The 4As hosted a fascinating effort last week in Austin as part of MPF 2025: they programmed an afternoon of speed dating for agencies and search consultants. Thirty-six fine agencies met individually with several of the country’s top agency search consultants. MPF stands for the 4A’s “Management Practitioners Forum”, an event that brings together leaders […]
54 agency biz dev mistakes
What are the top 54 pitch mistakes agencies make? Robin and I were delighted to present 54 Mistake Agencies Make in New Business Development during the annual Build A Better Agency Summit presented by Agency Management Institute. Forbes calls it the #1 conference for agency executives. This is the ideal agency conference for small to […]
Holdco clients: take charge in 2025
The world of large agency holding companies has lost its collective mind in the past 6 to 12 months. Publicis led the way with an ever-increasing emphasis on principal buying and centralized teams working across differing agency brands. Omnicom then ate IPG in an attempt to seemingly enjoy even more nontransparent media practices and headcount […]
Follow these experts, be a better marketer! Vol. 2
It is so hard to keep up with seemingly daily changes in technology, marketing, media and consumers. Marketing strategy, creative and media effectiveness, transparency, AI and attention are just a sampling of the areas that are challenging for anyone to master. Luckily, there are a handful of people you can trust to keep you up […]
Run a Modern Agency Review in a Few Quick Sprints
Every year there are hundreds of agency selection processes in our industry. While we run a sizeable number of reviews and are a major “player” in reviews, many more reviews are run by clients themselves or by other consultants. The problem is that few people have ever been trained in how to run an agency […]