Your Agency Growth Strategy Is Broken
From “Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast.” With guest Steve Boehler. Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast. Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine. Listen
What will we learn from the State of the Pitch?
What will we learn about the current “State of the Pitch” in the US? You may recall Mercer Island Group has teamed with Campaign and Trinity P3 to launch the State of the Pitch survey here in the U.S. The survey is live and any pitch you have participated in since January 2025 can be […]
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 […]
What We Get Wrong About Agency Proposals and How to Fix It
From Build a Better Agency. With Emily Shapiro & Robin Boehler. Agency owners and leaders are no strangers to proposal writing. But despite our vast experience, there are things we still get wrong, and there is always something we can improve — especially as the industry shifts and changes so quickly. Listen
Winning Work: The Power of Creativity & Collaboration
From “Think Fresh.” Steve and Robin Boehler of Mercer Island Group join us to explain what fuels the best work from the world’s biggest brands and agencies of all sizes. Industry veterans, they’ve seen firsthand the powerful combination of creativity and collaboration. Agency advantages. Industry trends. Discovering insights that shape campaigns. We cover it all. […]
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 […]
The Buying Journey of Your Agency’s Prospects
From Build a Better Agency. With Robin Boehler. Like every other consumer, your prospects go on a wild and winding journey as they consider whether or not they want to hire an agency and then go about finding that perfect partner. It’s amazing to me that many agencies teach their clients about buying journeys and […]