Let’s just establish right out of the gate that you really don’t have to love your ad agency. At least not in a literal sense, even if the agency principal is ridiculously pretty and a little bit flirtatious. But as we celebrate love as a community let’s take a moment to talk about the type of relationship that must exist so that agencies can maximize their ability to positively impact your brand.

I want to be clear here too that this blog is not specific to us but relative to all agencies who consummate their love for their clients with a monthly invoice. I also want to make it clear that the last time I checked, our agency principal was very happily married to a hunk of a man. (her words, not mine)

So finding an agency is not entirely different from finding a life partner.

As usual, I’m going to ask that you stay with me here.

You’re a business and you’re out there in the business world doing business things. At some point you think, “I have needs and I need someone to fulfill these needs…” (which sounds dirty and maybe that’s on purpose). So you ask your friends if they have any agencies they can introduce you to or perhaps you go to a bar and chat up agency types over a glass of wine. You could also, like many people do these days, go online to see if you can find a good agency match there.

It doesn’t matter how you find them, it’s just important that you find the right one.

Once you’ve gotten through the awkward first conversations, it might be wise to do some digging on your new agency interest. Check with their current partners to see if they are satisfied with them, take a look at what their work looks like, perhaps even get a sense of their personality/culture. Does it vibe with yours?

Once you get beyond all the initial back and forth make sure you commit to an agency that has your best interests at heart. I know this sounds harsh but some do not and they still manage to have lots of partners because of the way they put themselves out there (which also sounds dirty but maybe that’s also on purpose).

At some point during your courtship, there should have been discussion as to just how far you are willing to go with this new agency. We call that budget. A loving and caring agency should steward that budget as though it was their own. If they don’t, you may be in a bad relationship.

Deciding to go steady with an agency requires you to trust them. Trust doesn’t mean you immediately make room in your drawer for them; it means you need to let them do the job you hired them to do. Hiring an agency and then dictating how they do things is the sign of an unhealthy relationship.

Here’s the important message I want to be sure to convey. A client, agency relationship needs to be a positive one for both partners. If you’re the type of client that doesn’t trust an agency to be faithful in the execution of their job or if you feel that they are not making the right decisions for your brand, then you need a new relationship. Conversely, as an agency, you need clients that are good communicators, trust you and treat you well, which doesn’t sound dirty at all.

Business relationships are not really that different from personal ones … we should all be striving to have good ones. If you don’t think your agency is right for you or perhaps your client has commitment issues, then finding a new relationship might be what’s best for both of you.

We’re growing. Philosophically, it’s right in line with our founding principles. When things get tough, we want to run counter to the crowd. As of this day in what has really been an otherwise forgettable year, ReThinc Advertising now becomes ReThinc Advertising and Public Relations.

I couldn’t be more excited and no, I haven’t been drinking.

We understand that difficult economic times can be paralyzing for business. But times like this can also present great opportunities for growth and reinvention. Problems really can be opportunities if you simply choose to look at them as such.

We’ve partnered with a 15 year public relations veteran who is as well connected as he is quick with his pen. What’s even better is that he aligns perfectly with our pro-client business philosophy of providing excellence in a timely manner and at a fair price. It’s practically a dream sequence when he also agrees that life is short and making millions of dollars for some corporation is not nearly as attractive as making just enough money to be happy while also having the time to enjoy it.

It’s like we were separated at birth.

So for over a decade now (that seems like so long ago, right?) ReThinc Advertising has been providing our clients with award-winning graphic design as well as super deft execution for all things digital and traditional. More importantly, we have maintained a talented team of super great people that make it easy to do business with us. You know that we’re in your corner from the start.

I’m super proud of that reputation. We earn it everyday.

Now we can add a full suite of PR services that includes media relations, blog writing, crisis communications, thought leadership development, speech writing, CEO coaching, as well as internal and external communications strategies.

More importantly, my mother now has a better idea of what I do for a living.

All this has been made possible by an introduction made by a dear friend some six months ago (that seems like so long ago, right?). A lunch conversation led to a possibility, that led to an idea, and finally to a reality.

Friends, colleagues, and mom… I give you ReThinc Advertising AND Public Relations.

Still wondering who it is? Click here to read our first official press release!

In my opinion, there are lots of good ad agencies in the Phoenix market. I would go on to say that you can pretty much find whatever you are looking for in regard to size, capability, and cost when it comes to your marketing needs. I think perhaps the biggest challenge is finding an ad agency in Phoenix that is a perfect match for you.

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN AN AD AGENCY?

There is no one-word answer to this question. If I was on the client side, I would want an agency with experience. I do not need them to have experience in a certain field, but I need them to be experienced in the types of executions that my brand needs to be successful.

Let’s talk about that … agencies that deal in verticals offer both advantages and disadvantages. An agency that specializes in one particular category knows the industry vernacular and may be more aware of consumer trends that affect companies in that space. Conversely, what we typically see when we get a client who has worked with an agency that “specializes” in a certain industry is redundant creative, marginal account servicing, and a costly retainer. In general, I’m not a fan of agencies that operate strictly in one vertical.

If you’re searching for an ad agency, look for experience in execution before you settle for one that works exclusively in your category.

WHAT’S BETTER A SMALL AGENCY OR A BIG ONE?

Well … that depends. And no, not on the size of your company or even the size of your need. You could argue that the best answer to your question might be in the complexity of your need.

Allow me to explain.

Larger agencies consist of teams with specific responsibilities. Account servicing, graphic design, and digital are examples of departments that exist in a larger agency. These teams are assigned accounts that they devise and execute marketing plans for.

Agencies like LaneTerralever, Lavidge, OH Partners, and Riester have both the resources and talent to handle numerous large accounts. Their processes are highly refined. I find them to be very gifted at what they do. I’m equally enamored with the people that work at these agencies. Typically, they are good at what they do and cool as F as well (especially their leadership). If your need was hyper-complex, agencies of this magnitude are well-suited to steward your company to marketing success.

I will go on to say that there are plenty of what I would characterize as medium sized agencies like Colling Media, Anderson Advertising, Ideas Collide, and the James Agency. There are great people working in these shops. These agencies offer the best of both worlds when it comes to quality execution and the ability to tackle complex executions.

As a smaller sized ad agency, I can tell you with zero hesitation that we are equally talented, extraordinary in our own right and arguably cool as F as well. We also have departments similar to larger agencies. With smaller agencies, account servicing tends to overlap meaning that my digital manager could also be actively involved in the look of your collateral assets. For ReThinc, this is by design. We feel that it’s advantageous for us and ultimately for our clients.

In many ways, we as a company mirror what a team at a larger agency might look like. This affords a smaller agency the ability to be a little more intimate in addressing their clients’ needs. It also allows us to be more flexible when a client has a unique need or perhaps even a limitation when it comes to their marketing budget.

In my opinion, they are all great options for anyone seeking marketing assistance. If I was a big company with a potentially complex need, my solution may lie with a small, medium, or large agency.

HOW DO I HIRE AN AD AGENCY IN PHOENIX?

If I was a company exploring my options, I would first do what many consumers do when making a significant purchase. I would go online and do my homework. I would want to see and know who I’m working with, what their qualifications are, and what level of experience they have. I would then look for a philosophical match. Does their blog resonate with me? Then I would assess their body of work … is it appealing to me? Does this company specialize in the executions that my company needs? Lastly and not leastly (made up word alert) … I would check to see what their current and former clients say about them. Think about it, you wouldn’t hire an employee without checking references … why would you not do that when hiring an ad agency?

TAKE YOUR TIME

Once you’ve narrowed down your field of candidates, set up meetings with a few agencies. I think three is a good number myself. I would meet with them at their office so you can see their work environment, meet some of the staff, and get a feel for their culture. I don’t think agencies are overtly salesy (this has to be a word by now) so it should be a relatively painless process.

Often times, you may not be certain of what exactly needs to be done to put your company on a path to marketing success. That’s 100% OK. As part of your interview/discovery process, broach that hurdle with the prospective agency. A good agency should be able to give you some idea of what they think are good steps to achieve your marketing goals.

SIGN HERE PLEASE

Hiring the right ad agency can make all the difference in having the experience you want as well as the results you seek. At ReThinc, we do most of our work under mutually non-binding or short-term contracts. That way, you as the client won’t feel trapped while we as your agency never take your business for granted. Before you sign anything, I would vet that out. I would also make certain that you retain everything that the agency produces as well as all passwords, hosting information, etc.

If you’re in the market for an ad agency and need help finding the one that’s just the right fit for your brand, feel free to send me a note using one of many new contact forms on our fancy new website or email me directly at ed.olsen@rethincadvertising.com.

I’m not sure how many of you that read my blog are business owners or decision makers that work with an ad agency. If you are, or perhaps you may be in the future, I encourage you to read on. This blog will help you to work more efficiently with your agency, save you time, and make you more profitable.

I want to write this blog for my industry, not so much my company. Marketing is something I am extremely passionate about. I share that passion with the people I work with. We LOVE when a campaign we executed or an idea we created generates success. It’s a great feeling, really, and it’s one we get with every client we work with.

That sounds like bragging but, candidly, that’s not how it’s meant. At ReThinc, we can say with a great degree of confidence that we are successfully executing for all of our clients. I’m very proud of that and would bet the women and men that I call peers would say the same about their clients as well as their ad agencies.

What I want to put forth to you this month is advice for any client of any ad agency or any potential client of an ad agency so that they can accomplish what should be a top priority for their marketing efforts … your business success.

I don’t want to speak for other agency owners but I guarantee you that everyone in this business wants to make their outreach efforts more effective while saving their clients’ time and money by streamlining important agency touch points.

To what I would imagine is to a varying degree, each agency logs and charges their client for the services they provide. Essentially, the agency business model works on billable hours, commissionable media, and promotional product purchases. One of my friends at a larger agency told me that the minute the phone rings a client is on the clock and being charged.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Totally get it. We don’t do it like that at ReThinc, but I can see why as you may have a client needing, demanding, or just getting hours upon hours of marketing work and only paying for one component of service (i.e. graphic design).

The agency and the client should work together to create efficiencies that save them both time and money while improving the communication process to ensure success with the marketing execution.

If you are working with an ad agency or considering the value in hiring one, do yourself the favor of making sure you (or your staff) are buttoned up so that you don’t increase the amount of hours your agency is working or worse, decrease the effectiveness of what they are executing for your brand.

Here’s a few clarifying points to help any company that is paying an ad agency to grow their business.

1. Have a single point of primary contact for day-to-day communication. It’s totally OK if you are a business owner and you want to be involved, but for your sake, and the agency’s sake you really should not have a group of employees who are autonomously engaging your ad agency. Simply put, communicate internally and speak with one voice.

2. Have a formal process for approvals; this is especially important for companies with multiple decision makers. This keeps your company on the same page and keeps you from having multiple unnecessary revisions that drive your monthly marketing costs up.

3. Make sure that there is an appropriate flow of information coming to and from the agency. I put this on the agency to be sure to execute but sometimes clients get distracted with the many responsibilities that come with running a business. Regardless of the workload, it’s important to keep the weekly calls, the monthly updates or the quarterly market visits.

4. Be upfront with your budget and trust your agency to do what’s right (once you approve the plan, of course). In paragraph 5 I identified the primary ways that an agency makes money. I can assure you that it never comes to play when an agency makes a strategic marketing decision. That’s just foolish. An agency MUST make the right strategic decisions for a client or they will lose that client in very short order.

If you can’t trust your ad agency to act in your best interest then you have the wrong agency working for you.

5. Don’t get too high or too low on your agency. Yes, a good agency should be providing you with solid marketing services but know too that your product, your service, and your company has to provide a positive consumer experience for any campaign to really work. The best ad campaign in the world can’t save a bad restaurant with terrible food and poor service.

We position ReThinc as a different kind of ad agency. Our number one goal is to achieve marketing success for each and every one of our clients, regardless of size, regardless of need, regardless of industry. Part of that marketing success starts by saving them time and money. Following the steps above will do just that and whether you are working with us or one of our peers … we wish you the very best in achieving marketing success!

At ReThinc Advertising, we interact with a lot of businesses. As we approach our 10th anniversary we find ourselves working with larger, more established brands each year. That’s both a good thing and a little bit sad as we really made a name for ourselves by helping small businesses to grow.

Many of those businesses are still with us today and I vow to never “outgrow” them. They believed in our capabilities and in many cases grew right along with us. We owe them for helping to make us one of the best digital ad agencies in Phoenix and I know they appreciate us for the work we’ve done for them.

It’s tremendously rewarding to see a small company grow, especially when we are engaged in promoting their brand. Smaller companies have more pronounced challenges to achieving marketing success given the scale at which they operate.

As a service to small businesses everywhere, I’d like to share some marketing basics that should serve you well as you grow your business.

1. Please take time to hire a professional graphic designer. Good design is a critical component of positioning your brand for success. If you have a small budget, pay them hourly to save your limited capital on other components of your marketing strategy.

2. Make sure your marketing fundamentals are all in order. You should have the standard collateral assets (business cards, website, email database, Google my business listing, and basic social media profiles as appropriate to your product or service).

3. Don’t waste your time trying to be the king of every social media platform. Engage the platforms that make sense for your target audience. Trying to do too much on social media can make you mediocre at everything. I would rather see you be good at one platform than mediocre on several. Never use a feed service for your social media.

4. Referral traffic is your friend, check that… it’s your best friend. Whereas all companies are reliant on referrals, small businesses can thrive by creating solid referrals from their current customer base.

5. Don’t try to portray your company as bigger than it is. Often times, bigger is not necessarily better, especially when it comes to customer service. Embrace your niche and if you want to grow, do so in a methodical and manageable way.

6. Good employees are a critical part of your marketing plan (think about it) and so very critical to the success of your small business. No bad hires, if you make one cut the cord quickly before it has an opportunity to negatively impact your business.

7. One of the key advantages that small businesses have over large businesses is the ability to move deftly as market conditions or industry trends occur. Stay on top of what’s happening and be quick to make the necessary moves that your competition may be slow to adapt to.

8. Do your homework before you purchase any form of digital marketing. There are a great deal of not so awesome business practices going on in the digital world, particularly from companies that have traditionally sold you other forms of advertising like radio, print and TV.

Small companies are highly reliant on efficient and effective marketing practices. They don’t have the capital to make some of the mistakes you see larger brands make. If you are the owner of a small business and you have questions, challenges or just need a little direction, don’t hesitate to contact me for some advice – Ed Olsen 602-284-6722 or ed.olsen@rethincadvertising.com.