Successful Strategy to Search for a New Agency During the Pandemic - Joanne Davis
Joanne Davis, a highly connected industry leader, has been working to optimize client — agency relationships for many years. She is known for her highly unique approach to her work. Her trade mark is integrity and she always aims to ‘save the marriage’ before finding a new agency partner for her clients. The COVID pandemic forced Joanne to revisit successful strategies of finding the best agency for her clients. Here she shares some insights.
The environment that the world is in today is unlike anything we have ever experienced. It has affected all parts of our lives in many ways we never could have imagined. We no longer go into work, but rather into our living rooms. We do not see our co-workers or clients face-to-face, which has most definitely complicated the workspace.
But alas, we must prevail. Alex Rodriguez recently spoke on a VaynerX “Marketing for the Now” episode and what he said resonated with me:
“The pandemic is nothing more than a rain delay. Keep your head in the game, stay focused and prepare for when the delay is over. This way you close like a champion.”
Finding a new agency during COVID-19 is not as easy as it could be before the pandemic, but there are certainly ways we can approach it that will let us ‘close like a champion’. This starts with living by new principles.
Always keep these notions in mind:
Principles
Apply to all reviews but require extra attention now:
1. Take sufficient time to consider why you want the review/search. Clearly define what you need that a current roster agency or internal group can’t provide. What’s working and not on both sides — client and current agencies.
2. Clarity on what type of agency you need and which should be the focus, data driven, digital first language, etc.
3. Think about the long list of agencies that might fit your needs. For media, if you need a global agency of scale, there are a finite number. But for other types of agencies there are thousands and unless your knowledge of the market is current, you need time to explore the universe directly or with help.
Whatever your choices are, make sure you take the time to analyze, don’t rush to a new agency before really understanding all the issues, and having worked on solving those, before moving on.
Visit Joanne Davis Consulting or connect with Joanne on LinkedIn.
