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AAI Search & Select
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Choosing the right agency partner is critically important for any marketing organisation.
With a wealth of experience in successful search assignments, we offer expert consultancy throughout the whole selection process, ensuring you get the agency you really need, without wasting time and investing unnecessary resource.
That is why many leading marketing organisations rely on AAI for their agency search and selection regardless of discipline.
The benefit is being certain that you have chosen the right agency partner at the right price committed to helping achieve your business goals. This peace of mind gives you more time and energy to focus on other priorities.
No two assignments are precisely the same. And when you factor in the human 'chemistry' element of choosing any relationship you'll see why sixteen years ago we developed a structured methodology to apply to the process. It asks fairly searching questions of you, as well as of the target agencies. Much imitated, hundreds of searches later we haven't seen the need to change its fundamentals:
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Early Considerations
Understanding company goals and setting selection criteria
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What is your company aiming to do? Are you planning for this fiscal year, or five years out? Do you, for example, need a 'system' agency with a global footprint? Or a hotshop working through a network? Getting the criteria right is crucial.
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Early Considerations
Defining agency scope of work |
What exactly do you expect the agency to do? What's included, what isn't part of their remit? Do you want them to contribute to the debate about taking the brand into new areas? If so, will you pay them to contribute?
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Early Considerations
Negotiating remuneration and terms of business
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We know how much the market in each country is charging for what service; which payment-by-results schemes are working and which aren't; whether you're getting, or even setting , a fair deal. Our help negotiating terms of business at an early stage is invaluable.
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Step 1
Market mapping |
In our business we keep tabs on all key agency developments so we can give you an up to date briefing as to who's equipped to meet your needs. Can the agency really deliver what it promises?
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Step 2
Constructing a short list
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A process of filtering and interrogation will hone a market trawl to a long list, and finally to a short list. It could include 'establishment 'agencies and newcomers: 'did you know about that new start-up shop in Melbourne/Berlin/Durban?
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Step 3
Managing the Pitch itself
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We have introduced a host of techniques to ensure a speedy, efficient pitch process to ensure your people's time is well used; from defining the agency brief through to selection decision-making. And take time midway between briefing and pitch for a workshop; the agencies get a steer and you get better solutions presented two weeks later.
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Step 4
Structuring an ongoing evaluation process
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In our experience, installing a systematic review process can be the single most effective way to get the best out of the client/agency relationship. We have pioneered a new approach to this area.
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As ever, clients can buy into any one, or all, of these services.
Lucinda Peniston-Baines
Consultant
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AAI's
counsel and industry knowledge throughout the pitch process
for our Cup a Soup and Supernoodles brands was invaluable. That,
combined with a great process and a very dedicated team of professionals
meant that we got an excellent agency within a remarkably short
and pressurised time period.