7 Steps to Refuel Your Agency Relationship

Finding and changing agency partners is no easy task. In fact, it can be labor and time-intensive. In addition, the rapid-fire changes going on in the agency universe doesn’t make the process any less arduous. Sometimes, it only takes a little “marriage counseling” to get your relationship back on course.

Before jumping ship, try some of these tactics to help refuel the relationship:

1. Ask to change out some of the agency team members on the account to bring fresh perspective without losing the history and learnings of the brand.
2. Re-define business goals, results and expectations in order to maintain clarity for the brand and to ensure both parties on “on the same page.”
3. Evaluate the agency team on a 30-60-90-day basis in order to identify strong suits and issues that still need to be addressed. Be specific.
4. Have the agency evaluate the client team and make sure they’re specific with both positive and negative points.
5. Ask to see historical work done by your agency team for similar categories or other categories with the same target…historical work can sometimes spark new ideas.
6. Do a review of all work done by the team for your brand for the past 24-months: the key is to ask for ideas the agency team thought wasn’t “worthy” of showing you at the time.
7. Go out to dinner! Yes, get together as a team and learn what makes people tick, how they think and their passions. Chemistry is key in every relationship.

When it comes to an agency search, It’s often the case that the “shiny new toy” seems brighter but it’s the “comfy ol’ shoe” that knows the history, compliances, regulations and all the intricacies of the business to help build a successful and enduring partnership through its ebbs and flows.

Of course, when all else fails and you’ve both tried but know it’s time to let go…don’t trust your agency search to just any consultant. AAR Partners has successfully identified key variables that predict compatibility and the best potential for long-term relationship success. Schedule a confidential call with the search consultancy that’s been helping marketers find the best agency partners for their needs for almost 40 years.

For more information on how AAR Partners could potentially help you with your agency review, please call or email me at 212-400-1470 / Lisa@aarpartners.com.

Tags: Client-Agency Relationships

Lisa Colantuono

Lisa Colantuono is the President of AAR Partners. An agency search consultant for over two decades, Lisa is also an avid writer. Lisa has contributed many articles in top industry trades such as Forbes, Huffington Post, Advertising Age, Adweek and HubSpot Blogs’ Agency Post. Lisa entered the world of publishing with her book, @AARLisa: New Biz in 140 characters (or Less), written for the on-the-go new business exec that needs cut-to-the-chase insights to nail new business wins again and again. Lisa is also part of the industry speaking circuit, presenting at national conferences including 4A’s Transformation Conference, AAF Admerica National Conference, BOLO, HOW Design Live, Mirren, and AdAge Small Agency Conference.