Agencies: treat your people well; they may run a future agency review
The agency business is a tough business. Clients expect a lot. Agency economics are strained. And staff often move around for promotions. It’s hard to run a successful agency. In this tough environment, agencies that lose sight of one specific principle can doom themselves: this is a people business. The cost of an unhappy workforce […]
How to evaluate agency proposals
Very few marketers are taught how to evaluate an agency proposal, whether it is a formal written response to an RFP, a presentation or some other format. We’ve reviewed thousands of agency proposals and are often with clients in “the room where it happens”. We’ve learned a lot and had deep conversations with many of […]
Win more business with prospect-centric agency proposals
Proposals that win are focused on what the buyer needs. It takes serious work to write a proposal that way! It takes a change in approach. It takes a new focus and a new process. Here is a simple process that ensures your focus is on what the prospect needs. Try the following approach and […]
3 Quick Tips for Better Case Studies
Case studies are important tools in an agency’s sales process. In our work, we often see cases that only tell part of the story, miss key elements or are simply uninteresting. And we see agencies often send “canned” case studies that either lack relevance or the relevance is not obvious. We’ve seen it all. And, […]
Attention & Ad Effectiveness: topics marketers & agencies need to discuss
What should marketers and their agencies be discussing right now? Everyone is talking about AI. That is a given. Measurement and data are certainly popular topics. Those discussions all make sense. There are two other topics that marketers and their agencies should be discussing right now. Marketing and advertising have never been more complicated! If […]
How to Establish an Insights Function by Elizabeth Oates: More Than Just Interesting
Much has been written about insights. But how does a marketer or agency build an insights function that delivers results on behalf of the organization time and time again? The answer to that question is now over, as Eliabeth Oates’ new book More Than Just Interesting is available. The Mercer Island Group team was lucky […]
Retired P&G CEO John Pepper discusses his 1980 document: Characteristics of Successful P&G Managers
In 1980, as he was approaching a new role running P&G’s entire European operation, John sat down and wrote out the principles that he had learned from his mentors and observed from numerous Procter & Gamble executives. That 40+ year old document is too good to not share, and so John readily agreed that we […]
Retired P&G CEO John Pepper’s Characteristics of Successful P&G Managers
John Pepper knows all about success, and the commitment necessary to achieve it. John became CEO of the company in 1995. Following his time at P&G, he went on to serve as Board Chair at Walt Disney as well as Board roles at other fine companies and served as Board Chair at Yale. During his […]
Edelman, Nikki Haley & Trust
If you follow me, have seen me present at conferences or have worked with Mercer Island Group on your brand or agency’s positioning, you’ve likely heard me talk about Edelman, the global PR agency powerhouse. I’ve often referred to Edelman as the G.O.A.T. of agencies marketing themselves. The Greatest of All Time. Their “earning trust […]
It is NOT time for an agency review when…
Clients fire agencies every day. Some should be fired. Many shouldn’t. Good clients know how to weather temporary or occasional difficulties in their agency relationship on their way to achieving consistent long-term success. What issues should NOT trigger an agency review? It is NOT time for an agency review when:The agency has not received effective […]