CMOs and agency execs can learn about customer centricity from the best (and worst) of Hollywood
Hollywood entertainment is a fascinating world. Huge mega hits often arrive side by side with financially disastrous movies. It’s a high stakes environment. What’s the key to success? I believe it is customer centricity, like in most (all?) markets and categories. Unfortunately, not all Hollywood directors understand this, to the detriment of their investors. Marketers […]
CMOs: How to Get the Best from Your Agency (with FIG’s Judith Carr-Rodriguez)
FIG’s Judith Carr-Rodriguez By Steve Boehler with special guest Judith Carr-Rodriguez It seems like every day there is an even greater emphasis on a company’s return on marketing and advertising investment than the day before. CMOs are under intense pressure to deliver better results and they expect even greater productivity from their agencies for less […]
How to Run a Modern Agency Review in a Few Quick Sprints
Every year there are hundreds of agency selection processes in our industry. Earlier this year we shared the principles that guide our agency review process. We developed these principles with an eye towards effectiveness on behalf of our clients and respect for agencies. However, while we run a sizeable number of reviews and are a […]
Balancing Brand & Performance Marketing Investment with Marketing Star Doug Brames
There is a large and growing body of evidence that the best long-term results are achieved via a balance of both longer-term brand impacts and shorter-term performance efforts. Much has been written on the topic, and many experts have shared their research and philosophies. From Byron Sharp’s books to Peter Field’s and Les Binet’s research […]
Boldly Go: The Agency Pitch Through the Lens of Star Trek
Bear with me. Many agencies who’ve just won a pitch ask, “Why us?” Answers vary in the specifics, but it’s always a combination of the solution, the expertise to back it up, and chemistry, which includes both passion for the opportunity and “something new,” which I will and won’t define by the end of this […]
It pays for agencies and marketers to be gracious
One of the most endearing qualities in business is the ability to be gracious. This is especially true when things don’t go our way. It’s an attractive quality and it pays dividends in our work and relationships. At a recent agency conference, a presenter declared that agencies pitching new business should not say “thank you […]
Sargento’s Chip Schuman’s Tips for Marketers
Written by Steve Boehler with special guest Chip Schuman The folks at Sargento Foods face tough challenges on a daily basis. They are a mid-sized food company going to market against some of the largest food companies on the planet. They are outspent in marketing and face off against larger R&D budgets and much larger […]
The Prospect-Centric RFI
Last week we discussed how important it is to write a fantastic RFI if you want to successfully move through a competitive review. We discussed how most clients read the RFI responses and the RFI responses help determine which agencies advance to the coveted finalist list. Despite the importance of having a well-crafted and compelling […]
RFIs Matter!
Many agencies dislike the RFI step that often occurs in agency search processes. At this year’s AdAge Small Agency of the Year Conference, one presenter went as far as to suggest that an RFI (Request for Information) should be a “red flag” to agencies. That same presenter claimed that clients don’t even read agencies’ RFI […]
Tips for Creating Long Term Client-Agency Relationships
Business development is often looked at as the acquisition of new clients. However, an agency’s most important clients are the ones you already serve. Agencies should focus, now more than ever, on creating a relationship and experience that places their current clients as the highest priority. Good client service is simply good business. Satisfied clients […]