IAS Agency Credentials Award 2023 beefs up agency opportunities to shine

As the call goes out for entries to the 2023 Assegai Awards - incorporating the IAS Agency Credentials Award - agencies can look forward to new opportunities to showcase their credentials and talent to a panel of marketers leading up to the main event.

Having relaunched the award in 2020 in conjunction with the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa (DMASA) which hosts the Assegai Awards, the aim of the IAS Agency Credentials Award is to recognise innovation in agencies’ credentials stack – written credentials document as well as the agency culture reel.

Johanna McDowell, CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) and Scopen partner, says that for the first time since the Award’s inception, a forum is to take place in June designed to assist agencies with how to enter the IAS Credentials Award, with Ethan September of the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa in attendance.

“Bearing in mind that the judges of the IAS Agency Credentials Award are predominantly marketers, agencies will get robust and useable feedback from a number of key marketing leaders. Standout credentials are likely to leave an indelible imprint on the minds of these marketers for possible future work opportunities,” says McDowell.

“Understanding what leading marketers look for and how they evaluate credentials is the platform from which agencies can build their offerings and reputations as the rapidly-changing market looks for solutions.”

Virtual glimpse into judge’s mindsets

Another innovation this year is a virtual judging session with the IAS and the marketers who will be adjudicating the IAS Credentials Award. It’s an opportunity to ensure all judges are aligned in their preferences, providing discussion around the winner that indicates industry consensus rather than individual preferences. “Basically, a ‘from-the-horse’s-mouth session,” notes McDowell, “designed to ensure maximum agency impact on today’s marketers.”

From the start in 2016, a credentials award was a natural fit within the categories of the DMASA Assegai Awards, and the IAS Credentials Award brought a vital feature to the Assegai’s bid to benchmark the South African direct marketing industry and highlight best-in-class examples, while encouraging all industry players to work towards achieving distinction in their credentials.

“The ultimate goal of awards is to keep raising the bar for the whole industry,” says McDowell. “With both the Assegai Awards and the IAS Agency Credentials Award sounding the call for entries before 31 August 2023, I believe that taking the opportunity for agencies to get their credentials perfectly aligned with what marketers want should make this year’s awards easier on the agencies and tougher on the judges.”

Before you pop the question, do you really want to put a ring on it?

The chemistry session goes well. You like what you see. But have you asked the questions that will ensure the pitching agency really is The One? Think of it as a pre-nup, writes Johanna McDowell, CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) and SCOPEN partner, and one that could save a marketer time, money and heartache.

In a recent article from marketing ecosystems experts AAR Group, the long term partners of IAS, drive lead consultant Vicky Gillan highlighted the importance of agencies having robust client retention strategies.

A key issue raised by Gillan is that client retention has “always lagged behind the shiny ‘sexiness’ of new business. At least, that’s certainly always been the perception”, she says, noting that previous AAR client/ agency research showed 76% of clients and 61% of agency leaders agree that “agencies appear to value new business more than existing relationships”.

There’s the first question marketers should be posing to the agency: When the honeymoon is over and we’re all putting in the hard yards, how easily will your head be turned by the next ‘huge business win’? For this to be a solid relationship, marketers need to know the agency’s track record of client retention.

How does the agency keep a spring in its step and keep the client not just happy, but delighted? As Gillan notes, it’s easy to do when the connection is “shiny” and new. So, how long can a marketer expect the same enthusiasm for their business?

The solution is to ask about service level agreements and the agency’s policy on client retention. Also, what sort of longevity does it boast with its current clients – and would a bigger, shiner client put your business on the back burner?

Facing potential uncertainty together

As we look at what the future may bring – budget cuts, rampant inflation, a plethora of new platforms with which to engage – marketers need quality advice, robust strategy and more innovative ideas than ever. A winning client / agency partnership is one that can put a different focus on the business, noting that organic growth with current clients beats onboarding a new client every time.

The costs of acquiring a new client far outweigh the costs of keeping a current client happy. While the same amount of time and effort is involved, it is of a different sort. Nothing compares with having a history together to ensure both parties have a deep understanding of how each works.

This was proven during the pandemic, when marketers and agencies worked far more closely together, even virtually. Together they overcame uncertainty and challenges, creating great trust.

Now the pandemic is over and everyone is looking for growth, there’s a danger that if an agency is spending all its time pitching for new business, they may well be neglecting current clients.

So, what’s new?

Agencies often forget to tell long-term clients what their skills are – and these are bound to be changing all the time. They also highlight new offerings on their website, but current clients are rarely going to take a look, unprompted.

Think of it as date night – where an agency reminds clients of all it brings to the table, and marketers are able to ask about new services, because marketing to existing clients is as important as marketing to potential clients.

Viewing this important business relationship in the same way they would a long-term partnership or marriage is vital: You’re going to fall in love, get married, go on a wonderful honeymoon together… but how are you going to sustain, maintain, and grow the relationship in order to keep each other happy?

It’s not unreasonable for marketer who has put a ring on it to say, “Surprise and delight me. When I know I have a meeting with my agency that week, I want to be really excited. How will your agency ensure that the excitement continues to be there?

ADFORUM GLOBAL SUMMIT 2023 NEW YORK CITY 17-21 APRIL DAY Wrap Up

AdForum is a unique and hyper-focused event for agency CEOs to present their strategy and vision to the world's leading search and management consultancies. IAS is proud to be representing SA and Africa at this summit.

ADFORUM GLOBAL SUMMIT 2023 NEW YORK CITY 17-21 APRIL DAY 5

AdForum is a unique and hyper-focused event for agency CEOs to present their strategy and vision to the world's leading search and management consultancies. IAS is proud to be representing SA and Africa at this summit.

ADFORUM GLOBAL SUMMIT 2023 NEW YORK CITY 17-21 APRIL DAY 4

AdForum is a unique and hyper-focused event for agency CEOs to present their strategy and vision to the world's leading search and management consultancies. IAS is proud to be representing SA and Africa at this summit.

ADFORUM GLOBAL SUMMIT 2023 NEW YORK CITY 17-21 APRIL DAY 3

AdForum is a unique and hyper-focused event for agency CEOs to present their strategy and vision to the world's leading search and management consultancies. IAS is proud to be representing SA and Africa at this summit.

ADFORUM GLOBAL SUMMIT 2023 NEW YORK CITY 17-21 APRIL DAY 2

AdForum is a unique and hyper-focused event for agency CEOs to present their strategy and vision to the world's leading search and management consultancies. IAS is proud to be representing SA and Africa at this summit.

ADFORUM GLOBAL SUMMIT 2023 NEW YORK CITY 17-21 APRIL Day 1

AdForum is a unique and hyper-focused event for agency CEOs to present their strategy and vision to the world's leading search and management consultancies. IAS is proud to be representing SA and Africa at this summit.

ADFORUM GLOBAL SUMMIT 2023 New York City 17-21 April Preview

AdForum is a unique and hyper-focused event for agency CEOs to present their strategy and vision to the world's leading search and management consultancies. IAS is proud to be representing SA and Africa at this summit.

How marketers are adapting to specialisation

Getting the selection of agencies right will be paramount to success

As the number of specialised services required by marketers and brands keep rising along with new platforms that deliver target audiences, the days of the single-stop agency may well be over. If they are indeed over, what will the new-era marketing department look like?  

In recent years we’ve seen a growth in marketers’ need to engage with a plethora of new platforms, which is likely to bring with it a necessary increase in the size of marketing departments, particularly those in-house operations in large organisations in the banking and fast-moving consumer goods sectors, where a vast array of requirements must be met. 

To manage all this will require the support of specialist skills of a variety of agencies. Right now, the “silver bullet” agency that houses the sheer number of skills and expertise doesn’t exist. The pressure on marketers is increasing, not only because they must manage a plethora of different agencies, but they have to do so while managing the various needs of their own business clients.  

This trend has put the spotlight firmly on agency selection, as the appointment of the most appropriate specialist partners becomes increasingly important. It’s no longer a case of “we need a digital agency”, but rather “we need an agency with these particular skills”, across the areas of performance, lead generation, content development and other expertise marketers need to provide to the business. 

Then, as the list of required skills grows, a marketer who doesn’t have a complete understanding of both needs and potential solutions available will be unable to properly manage an agency. The layers of complexity are becoming more apparent and putting pressure on marketers, particularly in terms of time.  

For quality results, specific needs will have to be defined and agencies with the precise skills must be sought. Marketers will require guidance on how to work with the business and agencies to get the briefs right. It’s going to mean a whole lot of upskilling — and additional people. 

Over the past few years it has seemed as though marketing departments have been shrinking as a result of budgets, the economy or a shortage of skills. Now the pressure is on to repopulate these departments with the expertise that fulfil the needs of the business and the level of specialisation required. 

This applies not only to marketing departments in large companies but also to smaller companies, which often only have two or three people in their marketing departments and who must now be more trend-savvy and spend more time on defining all aspects of projects.  

It’s not going to be easy. Marketers will need assistance with identifying suitable partners in each sector, all of which will be able to work in a collaborative way so that the marketer isn’t required to spend masses of time on every project.  

Getting the selection of agencies right will be paramount to success — and the growth of marketing departments looks set to be driven by ever-increasing choices and ever-fragmenting communication channels. 

You can read this online here

Global trends show brands value collaborative agencies

Scopen President and CEO César Vacchiano has highlighted global trends in marketing and advertising from the Agency Scope studies. Vacchiano was recently in Johannesburg to present an IAS Masterclass.

Working with partners

Among the top trends noted by Vacchiano is that clients are working with an increased number of partners, as post-Covid marketing teams are smaller and the communications industry more complex with more options and platforms.

“Clients need expert assistance across more areas, and it is difficult to find one agency with expertise in every area,” he says. “Effective collaboration is becoming a challenge. In South Africa, many clients select a lead agency to help coordinate the process.

Another trend is the increasing importance of data. “Markets have had to deal with the after-effects of Covid, along with political changes and wars, making it difficult for CMOs to anticipate changes,” says Vacchiano. “We’re living in a permacrisis, an extended period of instability and insecurity. It’s a huge challenge, and CMOs want to understand trends, and rely on data around their competitors and the market.”

Here, McDowell notes that in a data-dense era, marketers are also looking for data focused on consumers and the consumer journey. “Understanding the consumer and being able to engage with them has become critical, but while many marketers have access to this data, not all know how to use it effectively yet.

“Martech is becoming increasingly important with the huge amount of data available, adding to the need for new learning.”

The importance of experience

Another vital element in the mix now is the importance of clients having senior and well prepared teams within their agencies. Says Vacchiano: “Clients realised that through Covid, they were often dealing with junior agency staff members, likely due to marketers putting pressure on agency fees.

“Now, clients want more involvement from an agency’s leadership team. It’s also clear that the independent agencies appear to deliver on access to leadership better than the large network agencies, which may be important for larger agencies to note.”

Saving the biggest – and most rapidly changing arena – for last, Vacchiano and McDowell agree that the pandemic accelerated the growth and implementation of digital, and the importance of investing in this sector.

“Agency Scope studies show that agencies globally did a better job than marketers at investing in digital capabilities and the hiring digital talent or the acquisition of digital agencies,” Vacchiano asserts.

McDowell adds that agencies as a whole are in a better position when it comes to digital skills and Martech than they were three years ago. '

“Marketers are lagging and relying on agencies to provide the expertise in this area,” she says. “In South Africa, it’s clear that those agencies who are able to collaborate with other digital agencies or set up in-house facilities are becoming far more attractive to the client.”

These top five trends have shaken up marketing and agency relationships overseas, and the same is already being seen and felt in South Africa, says McDowell. “We look forward to our researchers’ data coming in as Agency Scope SA 2023-2024 makes headway from May.”

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Why South African agencies and marketers should embrace media assurance auditing

Budgets are tight, and rumours of a recession circulating. Which, of course, means marketing, media and advertising budgets will come under pressure.

To reassure clients their money is being well spent, their campaigns are effective and their return on investment is positive, media assurance auditing will play an increasingly important role.

A recent partnership between South Africa’s Independent Agency Search and Selection Company and Eley Consulting in the UK offers campaign effectiveness analysis by facilitating independent scrutiny of media expenditure. The system is designed to review all areas of a brand’s expenditure across all platforms. Ultimately, it helps markets and media agencies to assess best practice, good governance and compliance. 

Eley consultant Richard Edwards says it is difficult to generalise about agency capabilities in a market or region. “As far as their specific knowledge of media audits is concerned, it is fair to say that South African agencies are not as accustomed to being audited as agencies in other regions – particularly Europe, where media auditing is most prevalent,” he says.

“However, it could also be argued that this is a positive thing – agency/auditor relations have become fairly combative in many markets, with big clients focusing heavily on price and pitching their business on a regular basis, aided (some would say egged on) by the big audit firms,” he adds.

Edwards believes South African agencies are less suspicious of auditors and more open to developing a constructive relationship with them.

“At Eley+ we would argue that this suits our style of auditing – we are keen to engage with agencies in three-way partnerships along with their clients and, wherever possible, add genuine value through the entire media cycle, from strategy to buying, rather than simply tick boxes,” he explains.

“This may well be one reason why the larger audit firms have never made real inroads into the South African market – they simply don’t have the patience to engage with a market in which client/agency relationships are often close and long-standing, and auditors need to take time to understand their clients business and work out how they can offer constructive services that benefit all parties.”

Pace of change

Edwards admits media audits have struggled to keep up with the pace of change. “Media auditing is still heavily wedded to an analogue and TV-centric media world and auditors have struggled to develop products that genuinely help clients optimise their digital media investments,” he says.

“Media auditor’s service offerings are dominated by pitches these days – clients pitch their business, elicit media guarantees from their agency and then measure these over (typically) a three year period. This means that media price and quality is generally managed on a year-on-year tracking basis – you compare the current year to a baseline and produce a savings number that is almost exclusively designed to deliver the requirements of big procurement departments (and drive their bonuses). This is a problem for auditors because, while it is relatively easy to measure TV price YoY, it is much more difficult to do so in a fragmented, programmatic digital world. Hence, a lot of dodgy media maths!”

Still, as a boutique consultancy, Eley+ recommends more complex products to clients, particularly in the digital space. “We believe that this approach, which usually appeals more to media and marketing teams than procurement specialists, ultimately drives greater return on media investment,” Edwards says.

In terms of frequency, those running audits for the first time should consider  undertaking them on a half-yearly basis for the first year, moving to annual audits after that. “We would argue that audit timing is the most important factor – our audits work best when they are timed to feed into the next year’s planning process – hence, a client might ask us to look at an 18-month period up until the half year (June) with a report delivered in early September that is designed as one of the kick off meetings for the next year’s planning process.”

The pitfalls

Edwards underscores the major pitfalls of not having an audit framework in place. “If you don’t measure it then you can’t control it. Simple. And no one should be marking their own homework – agencies will always give themselves top marks when producing PCRs for their clients,” he explains. “It is also fair to say that agency teams are concerned with the future – new ideas, the future planning process etc… auditors are much better placed to carefully and methodically analyse previous campaigns in order to generate learnings that can be fed into the planning process.”

The biggest risk in the digital space is the reduction in the share of media spend focussed purely on working media, Edwards says. “There are so many different agencies, tech platforms etc.. between client and media owner these days, all of whom are taking their cut, that you can get to a ridiculous situation where less than half (50%) of total budget is actually spent on working media (eyeballs). For reference, circa 90% of media budget is spent on eyeballs when you put your money into linear TV (in any market).”

On the brand side of the equation, businesses  often use auditors to help them find a media agency – usually via a formal pitch. “Once they have chosen an agency they will then typically bring the auditor in to assess the efficacy of the agency’s work. The auditor will typically be heavily involved in ensuring that the client’s contract with their agency is comprehensive and fit for purpose,” says Edwards, adding that the total media audit market is growing, which suggests that brands are generally more likely to use auditors these days than they ever have been. Again, this differs by region/market.

Read this article online here

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#Masterclass Notes

What are marketers looking for in this time of accelerated change? With experience on the agency side earlier in her career and across Africa first at an agency and then as a marketing professional, Sithabile Maphumulo, Renault South Africa vice president of communications, was the ideal person to comment and share insights on this topic at the first masterclass of 2023.

How does the market look in 2023?

The vehicle market has been quite robust in recent times, primarily because owning a vehicle in SA is a necessity due to the lack of public transport; in other markets, owning a vehicle could be seen as a luxury. Growth is expected to continue as the automotive industry becomes more and more innovative, such as building an insurance product cost into the ownership of a new car.

Brand purpose has become more and more important, and this is also expected to increase further.

How can agencies help clients be even more effective in 2023?

Understanding the needs of marketing in terms of driving sales harder is one way that an agency can help clients be more effective. At the same time, agencies need to develop knowledge of the competitors; understand the long-term strategy of the business at hand while setting milestones to assess the effectiveness of the strategy and communications that accompany it; and understand how to lift brand sentiment and creat work that will help the brand achieve that.

Trust is a critical success factor in a client-agency relationship and that includes the ability to push boundaries and step out of comfort zones. Clients look for agencies which won’t be “yes people” but will rather lead clients into new areas or possibilities that will be relevant for their brands and help them to grow.

How can agencies work better/collaborate with each other across a client’s marketing ecosystem?

This was an interesting discussion. Collaboration among agencies could be likened to working in a case-study group during an executive education programme. How does a group let each expert in their respective field shine, similarly with agencies in a typical marketing ecosystem?

First, and most importantly, client responsibility is to provide a clear brief with clear deliverables for each agency in the system. Muddling up those work streams can cause endless problems and frictions among the agencies, which results in poor delivery for the client.

To brief all of the agencies together at the outset of the project or campaign is another critical success factor; don’t only bring in the BTL or social media agency at the last minute once the big idea has been cracked. We all know that a big idea can come from anywhere and that it’s certainly not the domain of the ATL or lead agency only.

Perhaps, when the agencies come back with their various solutions, it’s best for the client to listen to each of their agencies one by one, instead of all together. That seems like best practice in this situation. Trust, again, is an important part of this collaborative process.

Tips during pitching — “inside a review”

When clients are reviewing agencies in a competitive pitch situation, there are some important aspects that clients consider and which will tip the balance for an agency to be selected:

• Shared values

• Governance

• Demonstration of abilities, rather than ‘hard sell’

• Chemistry, and

• The quality of the team who will work directly on the client’s business, as well as the agency’s overall reputation.

Taking the pain out of an account handover

The pitch is over, a new agency has been appointed and the incumbent agency has to hand over – this is when the going can get tough. 

When a client chooses a new agency, it’s usually a trying time for the previous one. The new firm is looking to get started as quickly as possible, and the client has likely got a string of briefs to give the winning agency. In short, it’s the easiest time for things to go wrong, unless all participants follow best practice from day one.

The process requires a lot of thought, time and effort to get right, and one misstep can result in an outgoing agency being contacted for months after the handover with requests about previous work. To save all parties time and angst, a single point of contact is crucial to ensure previous work is available and to be able to answer everything the incoming team may ask.

All four parties should ideally meet at the client’s office – suggesting otherwise is not only unprofessional but also bad practice. The two agencies will be more comfortable outside of each other’s space.

These meetings are best conducted in person, and not online. Teams, WhatsApp, e-mail, WeTransfer – regardless of how popular – do not provide the security required by most companies exchanging data or the assurance that all the data arrives in order.

Data privacy and compliance requirements must be met too. Using a variety of online platforms cannot guarantee that, especially as every item must be copied twice. That’s why we recommend saving all the handover documents onto a hard drive for the client and then duplicating it for the new agency.

At the in-person meeting, the outgoing agency’s printed list describing everything that can be found on the hard drive can be checked. This means the client or the new agency, or both, will be able to ask questions immediately if something sounds amiss. Naming conventions, date and time indications and anything else that makes finding work from a few years ago easy should be used.

If this sounds pedantic, it is – and for good reason. If there are outstanding items, the outgoing agency will note and then copy the required documents and re-save them to both hard drives. But this rarely happens, and if the preparation has been done properly before the meeting, what sounds like an ordeal should actually be painless.

An independent party is able to facilitate a painless process, reduce any potential animosity or unpleasantness and, worst of all, delays.

So, with hard drives in hand, the responsibility becomes that of the client and the new agency to make time to check that they can pick up the work and run with it as quickly as possible. The history contained on the hard drives will show how the account was run and what work the client had in the past, often including years relating to specific brands.

With access to this in one place and a touchpoint to contact with queries, the new agency is able to start work with speed and the original agency need not spend unnecessary time on a previous client.

Though a handover means a client lost for one party and one gained for another, it does not have to be an unpleasant, time-consuming experience.

Read this online here

Agency Scope SA: Divulging what marketers really think

With the fieldwork for Agency Scope South Africa 2023/2024 set to make tracks in May, the biennial study, which ultimately divulges what marketers really think, takes some interesting twists and turns as the scope of the communications sectors adapts to the pandemic, technology and global developments.

Scopen president and CEO César Vacchiano notes that an increased number of respondents will be interviewed this time around, with sights set on 220 client companies, compared to the 158 in 2021.

In-depth info on sustainability and diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI)

“There will also be more interviews with marketers including – importantly – companies from the new economy,” he says. “Look out for the dot coms, startups and digital platforms.”

Participants now also include chief technology officers (CTOs), chief innovation officers (CIOs), heads of digital companies, and those working in the all-important customer experience sector.

“Due to their importance globally, we’ll be getting in-depth info on sustainability and diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) to add the South African market viewpoint to our worldwide knowledge bank,” Vacchiano says.

Digging deep into digital

Data will include digital platforms and digital tools and how marketers work with them.

“So, this focuses on how they collaborate with Google, Meta, marketplaces, Twitter, TikTok and other new communication options,” he says.

He adds that that data from marketing tools, marketing automation and personalisation such as SalesForce, Adobe Selligent Marketing Cloud and Microsoft will also form part of the research, analysis and knowledge shared in Agency Scope 2023/2024.

“All those tools require investment,” Vacchiano asserts, “so working with the right partners that have the appropriate profiles who understand these tools for implementation by brands is important.

“We’ve noted that some who purchase these tools to better compete often don't know what to do with them, and how to use them for their marketing objectives. So, agencies that can assist with the tools, digital strategies and use of platforms are the ones more sought after now.”
Groups or independents? 

Large holding group versus the independent agency

Johanna McDowell, CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) and Scopen partner says research for the next Agency Scope will also delve into the value of working with a large holding group versus the independent agency.

“The responses we’re looking for include what clients find most valuable for their needs, and what the strengths, weaknesses, and benefits are with a marketer’s choice of independent or group agencies,” McDowell notes.

Vacchiano promises a deeper research and therefore analysis on the various digital verticals related to Martech, including CRM, mobile and apps, e-commerce platforms, the Metaverse, and Web3.

“We want to explore which of these are important for clients and, of course, which they are they investing in - if any,” he says.

“The value for our subscribers will centre around what type of companies the C-suites and business leaders in our industries are working with and how they work with them. Equally important will be how they evaluate these new disciplines.”

About that captivating talent...

McDowell says another area growing rapidly in importance is how respondents value a good professional team.

“Does the talent employed by a specific agency make a difference? Which agencies have highly recognised leadership and does this influence the agency selection process?

“Sometimes individuals captivate a client due to their strategic vision, their ideas and innovation, or – these days – their understanding of digital and MarTech. These individuals can help transform brands and businesses and we’d like to hear their value from the horse’s mouth.”

With the Agency Scope researchers raring to go, Vacchiano says his hope is that this information gives participants some early insight into what they’ll be required to respond to.

“Respondents’ lived experience has changed over the past few years, and Agency Scope relies on this valuable insight to add the South African perspective to our depth of knowledge.”

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Agency Scope SA: Divulging what marketers really think

With the fieldwork for Agency Scope South Africa 2023/2024 set to make tracks in May, the biennial study, which ultimately divulges what marketers really think, takes some interesting twists and turns as the scope of the communications sectors adapts to the pandemic, technology and global developments.

Scopen president and CEO César Vacchiano notes that an increased number of respondents will be interviewed this time around, with sights set on 220 client companies, compared to the 158 in 2021.

In-depth info on sustainability and diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI)

“There will also be more interviews with marketers including – importantly – companies from the new economy,” he says. “Look out for the dot coms, startups and digital platforms.”

Participants now also include chief technology officers (CTOs), chief innovation officers (CIOs), heads of digital companies, and those working in the all-important customer experience sector.

“Due to their importance globally, we’ll be getting in-depth info on sustainability and diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) to add the South African market viewpoint to our worldwide knowledge bank,” Vacchiano says.

Digging deep into digital

Data will include digital platforms and digital tools and how marketers work with them.

“So, this focuses on how they collaborate with Google, Meta, marketplaces, Twitter, TikTok and other new communication options,” he says.

He adds that that data from marketing tools, marketing automation and personalisation such as SalesForce, Adobe Selligent Marketing Cloud and Microsoft will also form part of the research, analysis and knowledge shared in Agency Scope 2023/2024.

“All those tools require investment,” Vacchiano asserts, “so working with the right partners that have the appropriate profiles who understand these tools for implementation by brands is important.

“We’ve noted that some who purchase these tools to better compete often don't know what to do with them, and how to use them for their marketing objectives. So, agencies that can assist with the tools, digital strategies and use of platforms are the ones more sought after now.”
Groups or independents?

Large holding group versus the independent agency

Johanna McDowell, CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) and Scopen partner says research for the next Agency Scope will also delve into the value of working with a large holding group versus the independent agency.

“The responses we’re looking for include what clients find most valuable for their needs, and what the strengths, weaknesses, and benefits are with a marketer’s choice of independent or group agencies,” McDowell notes.

Vacchiano promises a deeper research and therefore analysis on the various digital verticals related to Martech, including CRM, mobile and apps, e-commerce platforms, the Metaverse, and Web3.

“We want to explore which of these are important for clients and, of course, which they are they investing in - if any,” he says.

“The value for our subscribers will centre around what type of companies the C-suites and business leaders in our industries are working with and how they work with them. Equally important will be how they evaluate these new disciplines.”

About that captivating talent...

McDowell says another area growing rapidly in importance is how respondents value a good professional team.

“Does the talent employed by a specific agency make a difference? Which agencies have highly recognised leadership and does this influence the agency selection process?

“Sometimes individuals captivate a client due to their strategic vision, their ideas and innovation, or – these days – their understanding of digital and MarTech. These individuals can help transform brands and businesses and we’d like to hear their value from the horse’s mouth.”

With the Agency Scope researchers raring to go, Vacchiano says his hope is that this information gives participants some early insight into what they’ll be required to respond to.

“Respondents’ lived experience has changed over the past few years, and Agency Scope relies on this valuable insight to add the South African perspective to our depth of knowledge.”

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Making friends with data

Fear of job losses and big egos stand in the way of the level of collaboration needed in the digital age

It’s not often those in the advertising and marketing industry are blunt and critical. It’s a sector partly built on smoke, mirrors, spin, and client retention at all costs. And so, when a little honesty is handed down, it’s not only refreshing but should be taken seriously.

César Vacchiano, president and CEO of Scopen, a global industry research company with a strong footprint in South Africa, believes that for media and advertising agencies to flourish in the digital age, they need to increase their co-operation and ability to source and manage data.

What’s preventing more collaboration, he says, is a fear of downsizing and consequent job loss; not knowing how to rationalise inevitable duplication; and the big egos preventing the process.

Vacchiano has been in South Africa ahead of work on the Agency Scope survey that is published every two years after meetings with decisionmakers across marketing, communications and advertising — from the largest- to the smallest-spending agencies in South Africa.

Given the importance placed on data, the study will also incorporate leaders in digital, technology and innovation.

Vacchiano says brands’ relationships with data have changed irrevocably.

“What marketers realised after the pandemic and various other global shifts is that it’s difficult to make decisions, and what they need is data that shows them trends and what is happening with consumers to engage with and get closer to them. They need to understand all the media and media channels, competitors, and new generations and new targets.”

His argument is that data is evident across the entire media value chain but needs to be used more effectively across every facet of the marketing process, from planning and buying to idea development and content creation.

A perennial problem — and more pronounced in South Africa — is not just the data overload factor but having the right people to interpret it meaningfully.

Vacchiano concedes it’s a problem. “There is often too much data to go through and read so agencies need people within their teams to condense and extract points of interest. They want extracts with key findings, and they are realising how important it is to work with partners who use that data to find insights and build solid strategies that will produce big ideas.”

And then, a view that is likely to upset ad agency studios, he says: “And that’s why, after the pandemic, strategists have become even more important at times than creatives. And what is making the difference now when selecting agencies and evaluating their services is their strategic planning capabilities. What is needed first is to identify insights that will create solid strategies and with those solid strategies it’s easier to build and create big ideas.”

Vacchiano says he is, however, starting to see better integration between the creative and strategic sides in agencies.

“It’s changing very fast because more and more clients want to go for ideas that are based on data and solid strategies. It’s difficult to find clients that go for ideas that are just creative concepts on their own. They want to reinforce those ideas with data.”

And complicating the equation is the rapid introduction and growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots and their impact on content.

Vacchiano isn’t particularly worried. “The most effective ideas are those that include emotion in the campaign, and I think machines can learn in future, but I think now it’s very unlikely that AI will create campaigns that resonate in peoples’ hearts — that make them cry and smile and really bring their feelings to the brand.”

While agencies need to rethink their operating approach to become more data led, Vacchiano isn’t for one moment writing them off. “What happened during the pandemic is that clients realised with all the agencies they were working with, the ones that used data in their strategies to get through the pandemic to reinforce their positions in tough times made great partners. The role of agencies was reinforced.

Furthermore, clients have also realised how important it is to deal with the leadership of the agencies and not the juniors and account directors who do not necessarily have the level of expertise and holistic vision you should find in agencies. All of this has made clients realise they need to work with agencies and pay these experts more to produce valuable work.

So there has been a rediscovery of the talent that exists in agencies, but also a recognition that the talent needs to be used effectively with interaction at the right level. This will inevitably help agencies to elevate their position within client ranks.

Read this article on Financial Mail Redzone here

Unpacking SA's marketing economy

Twice a year the Worldwide AdForum Summit brings together search and agency management consultants. In April 2023 this select group will be meeting in New York for AdForum's NYC Summit. AdForum's managing director Carol Mason takes the opportunity to hear from these key influencers about the marketing economy in their countries and chatted to Johanna McDowell, founder and CEO of the Agency Search and Selection company about the marketing economy in South Africa.

What are the biggest challenges and, therefore opportunities, for brands in South Africa?

1.     Keeping up with global trends and needs so that brands remain competitive.

2.      Aligning spend with marketing objectives – often those objectives are in excess of what the budget that is allocated can deliver. This results in pressure on the agency partners to cut corners to deliver results.

3.      Fragmentation of marketing channels – reaching consumers in a way that will drive purchase and repeat purchase. Brands are not certain where to spend their money first.

4.      Building brand value v driving sales – a continuous dilemma for brands during tough economic times.

Looking at media consumption, what formats or channels would you say are most prevalent in the country?

1.     Television is still dominant but the way in which consumers access their programmes has changed.

2.      Tracking of the way in which television advertising is consumed is a big pre-occupation currently as consumers are accessing via different devices. Streaming of various channels has posed new challenges – this is particularly important when managing ad spend on TV.

3.      Outdoor advertising is big in South Africa due to our rural communities and size of the country.

4.      Radio is a vital medium for consumers here as there are many different languages and the country is geographically spread out.

5.      Printed magazines and newspapers are dying or have died. Digital media is thriving.

6.      Digital experiential spend is also a new frontier for advertisers.

Getting a feel for African brand heritage, new entrants and customer loyalty, how difficult is it for a non-South African brand to enter the country and win market share?

1.     South Africans love global brands and are always very excited when a new global brand enters the market.

2.      Global brands are often able to spend more than their local counterparts due to the currency differences e.g. the dollar stronger is stronger than the rand – buys more media space etc.

3.      South Africans generally are very brand conscious and will spend more on a well-known brand in preference to cheap counterfeit varieties.

4.      Local South African brands are very successful too of course, such as Nando’s which is now a global brand and whose brand marketing is managed from South Africa.

5.      South African food brands are also very popular and successful locally.

What is your best advice to an agency shortlisted for a pitch? What makes for a winning proposition in South Africa?

1.     Understanding the different cultures in South Africa is an essential ingredient for an agency to be successful in a pitch.

2.      Reading the room – understanding the diversity within a client marketing team and ensuring that the agency team is even more diverse both from a racial and gender perspective is essential.

3.      Demonstrating successful delivery among existing clients through strong case studies is very important as CMOs need to know that an agency can and will deliver.

4.      Then there are the obvious tips:
- The team presenting must be the team that will be on the business should the agency win. (Clients absolutely hate it when agencies do not do this.)
- Read the brief, present what is requested then show the client prospect what else is possible.
- Respect the budget provided but again show what else could be possible once you have delivered on the brief.

Which campaign / activation / promotion caught your eye in 2022 and why?

1.     Fast delivery campaigns have been very eyeeye-catching and novel here and the large stores – mainly food chains – continue to develop and deliver these.

2.      These are fully integrated campaigns that focus on the app for ordering and delivery and then on the ways in which delivery can be done. It’s been a huge growth area in the e-commerce space in South Africa in the past 12 months.

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Media assurance: Data-based map of how your budget works for you

The vital role of media assurance for marketers and agencies examining 2022 expenditure and planning their 2023/2024 expenditure cannot be overstated.

This is the word from Johanna McDowell, CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) and SCOPEN partner; and global media and marketing consultancy, Eley Consulting’s Richard Edwards, whose partnership in media assurance auditing responds to the acronym on every CMO’s mind: ROI.

“With over 70% of corporates financial year starting on 1 March, strategies and expenditure will be top of mind as they head back to work in January,” says McDowell.

“By applying in-depth, independent media analysis, CMOs can see precisely how and where they spent their money, and how efficient that spend proved to be. Obviously, fiscal efficiency is essential right now, and following a blueprint that shows quantifiable ROI can set a marketer up for better savings and greater outcomes.”

Where data makes the difference

Media assurance auditing involves review of every area of a media process across all platforms to provide marketers and media agencies with robust data to see which area is aligned with best practice.

“The data gleaned from this process provides the CMO with a GPS, as if it were, mapping the route taken and the route ahead, complete with warning and potential detours,” Edwards notes. “We review the entire landscape of a media process across all platforms to help marketers and media agencies see which areas are aligned with desired outcomes.

By conducting a series of interviews and collecting media data and supporting documents from a client over a 2-4 week period, the IAS and Eley Consulting are able to maintain regular analysis over a number of campaigns. “It’s the analysis of this data that can direct a client to make changes in their budget with agility, taking advantage of what is working for them at the moment,” says Edwards.

“Every CMO – and CFO – is constantly pursuing improvement, especially where it results in time and cost savings. Assurance auditing may not always mean cheaper media in cash terms, but will certainly ensure an agency is delivering as substantial a schedule as possible.”

Optimising opportunities

Both Edwards and McDowell reiterate the significance of media effectiveness to marketers and media agencies, both of which need to prove that budgets are optimised through the most valuable advertising on the right platforms. “Of paramount importance is determining who is keeping an eye on the measurable return on investment,” McDowell says.

“With the acceleration of spend into paid digital media likely to continue in 2023, marketers are seeing its impact on brand awareness as well as ROI. The map for next year and 2024 must be able to show both the increased spend in this area and its benefits, which is not a simple one for marketers to review,” she says.

The IAS and Eley Consulting partnership’s expertise across platforms and its independence is pivotal to its ability to empower clients to better understand the scope of advertising opportunities and take control of it, in conjunction with their media agencies.

“Media assurance auditing is a quantifiable benefit to marketers, agencies and media houses, providing the transparency in cost and compliance that is vital to sustaining trust between all parties,” Edwards concludes.

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