Chasm in Client / Agency Relations

More than 90 percent of senior marketers believe training resources for successful agency management are inadequate and that more comprehensive training is needed, according to a study by the ANA’s Marketing Training & Development Center.

The study serves as a follow-up to the 2020 ANA/4A’s report The Business Case for Relationship Management. That study found there is better communication between client and agency under a relationship management program, which leads to better work and increased business results.

The results of both studies support the MTDC’s decision to launch a new training program designed to help both clients and agencies improve their working relationships to drive growth, reduce costs, and relieve unnecessary friction and stress.

The survey, conducted online in November 2021, also revealed:

• Almost 60 percent of respondents said that as much as 30 percent of their marketing budget is lost to inefficiencies in agency management.
• Eighty percent of marketers said they experience “high levels of stress” with their agencies not delivering on expectations.
• Almost 50 percent said the quality of creative output from agencies can sometimes be considered “hit or miss.”
• Seventy-five percent cited multiple agency alignment as a challenge to performance.

“To address this need, the ANA has created what we are calling the ANA Client/Agency Optimization Enterprise Curriculum,” said ANA CEO Bob Liodice. “This is a robust program specifically designed to help marketers offset long-term costs, reduce turnover, and significantly reduce the day-to-day stress caused by ineffective processes.”