Ad Agency

The pioneering search-consultancy Roth Ryan Hayes uses a variety of shortcuts to help bring marketers and agencies together. However, some techniques work better than others.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Chris Shumaker, former CMO of the Martin Agency, FCB Worldwide, Publicis USA, and Grey NA. Chris has a wealth of knowledge about the RFP and RFI process, which he’s generously shared with us here.  by Mark Duval – The Duval Partnership

Relationships with agency partners can be complex. Marketers are not just buying widgets — they have a unique and constantly evolving need to build brands and communicate messages to an intended target audience. Agency partners must be able to adapt to meet those shifting needs while delivering a constant level of quality and service.

The other day I spoke with an agency owner who told me that they aren’t “doing new business” right now because they had just closed a large account. Some readers will understand immediately why that thinking is detrimental to an agency’s fiscal health (and if not, I’ll explain it shortly). It’s a fast way to shut down a conversation with me, given my work as an agency new business consultant—and it’s certainly not the first time I’ve heard it.  by Mark Duval – The Duval Partnership

The ANA has teamed with the Boston Consulting Group and Reed Smith on an initiative to understand the top concerns in-house agencies have for both creative content development and legal issues. Importantly, our work also provides strategies to address those concerns.  By Bill Duggan

When I read “Managing In-House Agency Creative Content and Legal Concerns,” the Association of National Advertisers’ new study with Boston Consulting Group and Reed Smith, one thought kept crossing my mind: Partnership is key.  by Marla Kaplowitz – president and CEO of the 4A’s

Casanova//McCann announced the relocation of their headquarters. The Hispanic integrated communications agency will now be based out of The Hive, an indoor/outdoor creative office campus, in Costa Mesa, California.

Marketers with in-house agencies say they are having difficulty keeping their creative teams energized, and are also concerned about their ability to attract top-tier creative talent, according to a new study.

This week, I’ve rounded up six valuable tips on pitching from agency insiders. Some come from industry experts who have previously shared their expertise on The New Business Blog and some were sourced from other online sources. All of them will help you win your next pitch. As we approach the time of year when major decisions will be made for next year’s marketing budgets, take a look and think about opportunities to improve your “pitch game.”  by Mark Duval – The Duval Partnership

Agency senior executives are coming to terms with changes in client needs.  “More growth” rather than “more creativity” is what they are hearing.  The agency of the future is starting to sound more like a consulting firm with media and creative capabilities than a traditional service-oriented agency that wins awards.

Casanova//McCann announced that it was the most awarded Hispanic advertising agency at the 2019 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. This is the second consecutive year that Casanova//McCann has earned this recognition.

Shrinking media budgets, aggressive growth goals and ever-complex marketing needs are causing a shift in the brand-agency relationship. In their bid for self-preservation, brands are streamlining spending and in-housing capabilities.

It’s no big news that small agencies are winning in the current advertising ecosystem. Neither is it a huge secret why they are winning. But how should agencies—of any size—factor this trend into their positioning?  by Mark Duval – Duval Partnership

Richards/Lerma announced that Jorge “Rosie” Rosales received a first-place recognition at the 2019 American Advertising Federation Awards.

UniWorld Group, Inc. has announced a new executive addition. Victor Paredes has joined UWG as VP Creative Strategy.

The current state of agency-client relationships is not good, and it’s affecting your new business efforts.  by Mark Duval – The Duval Partnership

Alma, part of the Omnicom Network, yielded exceptional results at the 50th Annual U.S. Effie Awards. The agency was named the fourth most-effective agency in the U.S. and was awarded five Effie Awards across four major clients and multiple categories, making it the most highly-awarded multicultural agency of the year.

The prestigious DMN Marketing Hall of Femme and Women to Watch program recognizes female marketers who have taken risks, pushed limits, and achieved standout success in their marketing careers.

At the end of 2017, Adobe published a report showing that almost two-thirds (62 percent) of marketers planned to take all their programmatic media buying in-house by 2022, with the remaining 38 percent planning to take some elements of programmatic under direct control in the same period. A 2018 ANA report showed a similar effect from in-housing. The ANA’s “The Continued Rise of the In-house Agency” report, which replicated and updated similar studies from 2013 and 2008, found that the number of advertisers with in-house agencies has grown substantially, standing today at 78 percent of brands, compared to 58 percent five years ago and just 42 percent a decade back. Sixty-five percent of advertisers said that the in-house agency workload had grown “substantially” in the past year.

Having been away from the game for a little over a year, I watch with morbid curiosity as the ad agency business continues its downward slide.  The latest? The RFP recently issued by General Mills.  GM, like many clients, are going away from agency-of-record relationships. Now, the big CPG wants to buy its creative ala carte.  Creative tapas, if you will.  By Patrick Scullin