Who wants to marry an ad agency?

The process undertaken by most companies to select an advertising, marketing or public relations agency has often been compared to a courtship. And while the intent is to find a suitable partner for a long-term relationship, the process usually bears little resemblance to dating in anticipation of one day finding oneself at the alter. More often, it’s like going on a blind date hoping to find true love.

Typically, companies survey the marketplace, look at news coverage and ask trustworthy associates outside the company for a list of agencies that might be a good fit. Armed with this information, the list of candidates is whittled down and an RFP is sent to the finalists, inviting them to show off their brainpower at a pre-determined time.

On presentation day, a steady stream of agencies parade their thinking in front of a group of observers who will later score the performances and pick a mate, all based on which agency sufficiently wowed the crowd.

Is this any way to select a partner you plan on trusting with your company’s brand? Of course not.

The best agency/client relationships – in fact, the only ones that truly work – are those where there is unmistakable chemistry between the parties. If you don’t take the time to suitably evaluate both the chemistry and the qualifications, the marriage will be stormy and, most likely, short-lived.

Here are some steps you can take to ensure that your agency selection process is a successful one:

• Don’t rush it. If you rush the process, you’ll eliminate agencies that might be a great fit but who have no time to jump on your quick-turnaround RFP. Count on spending at least eight weeks in the process so you have time to adequately evaluate the agencies, and the agencies have time to show you their best thinking.
• Start with a questionnaire. Ask the agencies you’ve selected to tell you a little about themselves: billing levels, clients, credentials, processes, examples of their work, etc. The purpose of this questionnaire is not to select, but to eliminate agencies from further consideration because of a conflict of interest, staff members that don’t seem to have the necessary experience or any of a host of other indications that the fit just isn’t there.
• Have a meet and greet session. Those that make the cut at the questionnaire stage should be asked to host a brief meet and greet session. The agenda for this meeting should be limited; the objective is to get to know one another and to begin to test the chemistry.
• Send an RFP. The agencies that pass the initial chemistry test should then be sent a formal RFP, asking them to present their ideas on a specific challenge facing your company. The question most often asked at this stage is, “How much creative should we ask the agencies to prepare?” The answer is, “Only enough to demonstrate their thinking.” If an agency has reached this stage, you’ve seen enough samples to know that they could handle the creative chores. What you want is a true strategic partner. Pay more attention to the thinking on display than to any creative you might see. If the thinking is sound, you’ll be able to collaborate to come up with the best creative solution.

Emergency needs are for freelancers. This is a marriage. Take the time to really get to know your options before selecting a mate.