The Secret to Being Your Agency’s #1 Client—On Any Budget

10 Tips for Building a Strong Partnership With Your Agency

 There is a prevalent notion that small clients in an agency equate to lesser importance. Johanna McDowell, CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) and SCOPEN, asserts that this is a myth. “An agency’s success hinges on the success of a client’s brand, regardless of its size or expenditure. All marketers possess the same opportunity to cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship with their agency that results in business success for both the client and the agency.”

Tip 1: Leverage Your Unique Value Big agencies don’t just chase big clients—they seek brands that bring something fresh and exciting. Smaller businesses offer agencies the freedom to push creative boundaries and innovate. Plus, direct access to decision-makers, like the MD, speeds up approvals, streamlines execution, and fuels bold, standout campaigns. Use your unique edge to become a high-priority client.

Tip 2: Be Available Agencies cannot operate effectively in a vacuum. Campaigns flourish when clients are engaged. Make time to attend brainstorming sessions and provide input when required. Visit your agency’s office regularly and be part of the creative journey. In addition, the communication industry can be fast-paced, and when last-minute changes are required, your availability can make or break a project.

Tip 3: Nail the Brief A great campaign starts with a great brief. Always provide a clear, written brief and, when possible, present it in person. Make it an experience—invite your agency to your office or an inspiring location that embodies your brand. The more context and detail you provide, the more impactful the campaign. If your agency needs more info, respond promptly and comprehensively to avoid delays.

Tip 4: Provide a Budget Framework A cynical belief is that agencies view the proposed budget as a target, but realistically, agencies need clear financial parameters to develop impactful campaigns. When you share an achievable budget framework, your agency can respond with solutions tailored to your needs. If budgets are tight, communicate openly. In an economically constrained environment, transparency builds trust and helps agencies maximise limited resources creatively.

Tip 5: Regular Inductions and Updates Even seasoned agency teams benefit from regular immersion in your business. Host annual induction sessions to showcase new developments and ensure your agency team, especially new members, remains aligned with your goals. These updates can provide valuable insights and inspire more targeted and innovative campaigns.

Tip 6: Maintain Courtesy and Boundaries Respect and professionalism are the backbone of a strong agency-client relationship, especially in a culturally diverse and hierarchical industry. Set clear communication standards across platforms like Teams or WhatsApp, and don’t tolerate abusive behaviour from either side. If your agency falls short, address it head-on—have a direct, constructive conversation with the agency MD and agree on clear timelines for improvement.

Tip 7: Pay Fairly and On Time The financial landscape is challenging, and budgets have barely increased in three years. Everyone is doing more with less. Recognise the value of your agency’s efforts and thank them for going the extra mile by paying on time—unfairly long payment terms can damage their business. A reliable payment process signals appreciation and supports long-term partnerships.

Tip 8: Provide Good and Timely Feedback When agencies present ideas or campaign drafts, consolidate feedback from stakeholders within your company before responding. Delayed approvals can stall production timelines and lead to unnecessary costs. Aim to provide clear and timely feedback to keep projects moving smoothly.

Tip 9: Share Campaign Results Keep your agency in the loop on campaign performance—good or bad. Sharing results builds trust and accountability. Don’t overreact to slow starts; some campaigns need time to gain traction. Set clear targets with your agency, track progress together, and keep the feedback flowing. Transparency fuels stronger relationships and sharper campaigns.

Tip 10: Align on Awards If awards are part of your business strategy, communicate this to your agency. Agencies may prioritise creative accolades like the Loeries, while your business might value industry-specific awards for operational excellence. Discuss your preferences to ensure alignment. Celebrating wins together can boost your agency and enhance your brand’s reputation.

Conclusion Strong client-agency partnerships thrive on respect, clear communication, and shared goals. Implement these tips, and you’ll craft powerful campaigns while building a relationship that drives real value. In our fast-paced, competitive industry, strong partnerships aren’t just beneficial—they’re essential for success.

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IAS Media Auditing Masterclass Series: Enhancing Media Efficiency & Agency Transparency

Our increasingly complex media landscape places significant demands on marketers to ensure their ad spend works as efficiently as possible. The IAS Media Auditing Masterclass Series, in partnership with Media Marketing Compliance (MMC), is a no-charge, short but highly informative four-part webinar series designed exclusively for marketers. This focused masterclass series is in addition to the already planned IAS Masterclasses throughout the year.

 A media audit plays a key role in making sure advertising budgets are spent effectively, media plans are completed as intended, and opportunities for better results aren’t overlooked. However, many advertisers may not realise the hidden costs and inefficiencies that can creep into their media planning and buying process.

 Johanna McDowell, CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS), highlights the significance of their partnership with MMC, "This collaboration ensures independent media analysis, helping advertisers optimise budgets and align with best practices. Partnering with MMC also brings global expertise to the South African market, enhancing media auditing services."

 This masterclass series will equip marketing professionals with the knowledge to identify risks, optimise media investments and drive accountability in agency relationships. Each session is a 45-minute deep dive into key industry challenges, providing expert insights, practical strategies and actionable takeaways.

 The sessions will be presented by Stephen Broderick, Senior Global Partner at MMC UK, who brings extensive expertise in media transparency and agency audits. MMC, a UK-based company, works in partnership with IAS in this area of the business, ensuring that advertisers have access to best-in-class media compliance and accountability practices.

Masterclass Sessions:

February 13 | Proprietary / Inventory Media (Non-Disclosed)

Why are advertisers being pushed toward non-disclosed media models? MMC will break down how these work, the high margins agencies earn, and the risks for advertisers. Learn key watch-outs to protect your media investments.

 March 13 | Media in 2025: The Marketplace Reality

MMC will outline key concerns from recent Programmatic and Principal media studies, detailing their impact and providing strategies to help clients mitigate risks and adapt.

 April 10 | Marketing Contract Management

MMC will share best practices for managing multiple marketing supplier relationships while ensuring financial transparency and contract compliance.

 May 8 | Recent Trends in the Ad Market (Non-Media)

Agencies are adopting new revenue-generating practices as the industry evolves. MMC will give insight into these trends, helping advertisers gain transparency and make more informed decisions.

 Who Should Attend?

This masterclass is ideal for CMOs, Marketing Managers, Brand Managers, and professionals working with agencies who want to maximise media efficiency and enhance transparency.

Venue: Online via MS Teams. A meeting link will be sent upon registration.

Reserve your spot today! To confirm attendance and receive session links, please contact Robynne@agencyselection.co.za.

SCOPEN South Africa unveils creative and media agencies new business report

SCOPEN South Africa is excited to announce the launch of its New Business Report, a no-charge resource designed to enhance industry knowledge around new business activity in the advertising and communications sectors.

 Johanna McDowell, CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) and SCOPEN partner, explains, "This report is part of SCOPEN’s commitment to delivering valuable insights and being a true partner to the industry. We aim to support agencies by providing data that can help refine strategies and foster growth."

 SCOPEN, well-known for its biennial AGENCY SCOPE Report—and widely regarded as the leading study of marketer and agency market perceptions—is enthusiastic about this more niche yet equally impactful New Business Report. While smaller in scale than AGENCY SCOPE, this new report will be packed with insights agencies can use to improve their knowledge of business development processes and what is happening in this market and globally.

 “New business is the growth engine for creative companies,” says César Vacchiano, President and CEO of SCOPEN. “By shedding light on best practices and opportunities, we aim to help agencies drive innovation, optimise their pitching strategies, and ensure they are fairly rewarded for their efforts.”

 The New Business Report’s key highlights will include

• Pitching volume: Average number of pitches agencies participate in each year.

• Pitch success: The percentage of pitches won and the factors that can influence these outcomes.

• Pitch dynamics: Insight into the nature of pitches, the number of agencies involved, and the average length of the process.

• Cost vs. benefit: The ongoing debate of paid vs. free pitches and how it impacts agency resources.

• Evolving practices: Agencies’ thoughts on how the pitching process is changing and how it can be improved.

• Agency investment: The state of New Business departments within agencies, including resource allocation and ROI.

 South Africa marks the fourth market in which the New Business Report has launched, following successful rollouts in Spain, Chile and Brazil. McDowell believes that the South African market stands to benefit immensely from these other global comparisons. "By understanding global trends, we ensure South African agencies are better equipped with insights that drive competitive advantage and innovation," she says.

 Alejandra Ferrari, Executive Director at the Chilean Creative Companies Chamber, praised the potential of the report to drive meaningful change. "For us, having independent, concrete data on selection processes is a game-changer. This kind of insight allows us to focus and develop better practices that ensure healthy and fair competition,” she added.

 The New Business Report for South Africa is expected to be released in February. SCOPEN plans to expand the New Business Report to include all twelve international markets where it operates, offering even deeper insights into the global new business landscape.

SCOPEN presents a New Business report at the Creative Companies Festival

On 10 December, international consultancy SCOPEN presented a report, led by its President and CEO César Vacchiano, analysing the New Business practices of creative companies in Chile. The presentation took place at the Creative Companies Festival, an event designed to connect and highlight the transformative power of creativity, bringing together leading figures from the marketing and communications industry in the country.

The report is the result of a small study commissioned by the Creative Companies Chamber and conducted by SCOPEN. It examines the New Business activity of creative companies and advertisers' practices in this area, comparing them to other markets such as Spain and Brazil, where similar studies are conducted. With participation from 36 creative companies, the study provides a significant snapshot of the sector, highlighting practices, challenges, and opportunities. Creative companies include creative agencies, advertising agencies, production companies and all kinds of companies related to creativity, culture and innovation.

In Chile, 30% of creative companies have a dedicated New Business department (compared to 43% in Spain). In those that do, teams are composed of an average of 2.8 people (3.3 in Spain), although 9% of companies have teams of more than 10 professionals dedicated to this area. The roles most involved in this activity are Account professionals (63.6%), followed by Commercial (45.4%) and Creative (36.4%) profiles.

Over the past year, creative companies in Chile participated in an average of 23pitches, with an average success rate of 32.5%, slightly below Spain's 37%. One-third of the companies participated in between 6 and 10 pitches annually. In Brazil, the annual average is 16.2, while in Spain it is 27. Interestingly, the company with the highest success rate won 80% of the pitches it participated in, having competed in five.

Advertisers rarely disclose the number of creative companies participating in pitches. In Chile, this information is shared in only 30% of cases, a significantly lower percentage than Spain's 88%. In 22% of the processes, the number of participants remains undisclosed.

The average number of creative companies invited to a pitch by an advertiser in Chile is 5.5 (4.5 in Spain). The highest number recorded in the study was 12 invited creative companies. When asked about this, creative companies believe the number of invited participants should be limited to a maximum of four.

In the pitch processes in which the surveyed companies participated, the average duration was just under three months, similar to other markets (3.3 months in Spain). Half of the respondents mentioned processes lasting two months, 20% resolved within one month, and the longest process took 20 months (an exception, as the second longest was five months).

Regarding the time given by advertisers for creative companies to submit proposals after receiving the brief, the average is three weeks. Of the advertisers, 44% provide one month and 36% two weeks.

The remuneration of these processes is one of the most significant challenges advertisers face with creative companies, a common issue across all markets studied. In Chile, only 1% of pitches were remunerated, compared to 16% in Brazil. According to creative companies, the minimum amount advertisers should pay participants is 3.6 million pesos (R70 000).

The average annual investment made by creative companies in Chile in New Business is approximately 25 million pesos (R500 000), of which almost 18 million (R350 000) corresponds to personnel expenses. Around 6 million (R115 000) accounts for external costs such as research, travel, and material production.

According to César Vacchiano, President and CEO of SCOPEN, “New Business is the growth engine for creative companies and a key factor in driving innovation within the industry. Improving and remunerating these processes would ensure fair recognition aligned with the effort made by creative companies.”

Johanna McDowell, Founder and CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company and Managing Partner for SCOPEN Africa comments, ”This is a very useful report and I am pleased to announce that SCOPEN will be producing a report for South Africa during the first quarter of 2025.  This kind of data will be enlightening for this market.”

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#BizTrends2025: SCOPEN's Cesar Vacchiano - The trends shaping marketing in 2025

2025 begins, and the dynamics of marketing, especially in the digital area, are evolving at a rapid pace. Driven by technology, consumer behaviour, and the ever-changing demands of brands, are some of the key trends that we at SCOPEN believe will shape the future of marketing in 2025.

Marketing Automation with AI
Marketing automation, powered by generative artificial intelligence, is one of the major trends at the moment. It is transforming how brands create content, with tools that automate and personalise campaigns in real time. These tools generate customised text, images, and videos at scale, guiding customers based on their profiles and stage in the purchasing cycle. On the other hand, consumers are increasingly aware of how these technologies are used, so transparency will be essential to maintaining their trust.

Commitment to Inclusion and Sustainability
Inclusive Marketing has become a necessity, not merely an option. By 2025, brands will be compelled to reinforce their commitment to Inclusion and Sustainability in an authentic way. Inclusion will be critical for brands to connect with their audiences, and their campaigns will reflect cultural and gender diversity. Sustainability will be increasingly regulated, demanding greater responsibility from businesses.

Data Privacy and Transparency
Privacy continues to be a critical issue, especially as new regulations are introduced. Brands must be transparent about how they collect and use user data, and trust will become a cornerstone to maintain long-term relationships with consumers.

Innovation in Social Media and Relatable Influencers
Social Media platforms are integrating features that allow users to make direct purchases without leaving the apps. Products can now be bought directly through Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest, offering consumers more interactive and personalised shopping experiences. According to McKinsey, social commerce is expected to reach a value of $1.2 trillion by 2025. Additionally, consumers are shifting away from large, distant Influencers and leaning towards the authentic opinions of regular, relatable users. This trend opens new opportunities for micro and nano-influencers, who provide a more genuine connection with their audiences.

Restructuring Marketing, Communication, and Technology Teams
Advertiser teams are undergoing restructuring to work more cohesively, utilising the same data and tools to build closer, more direct relationships with their consumers.

Consolidation Among Industry Players
We are already witnessing the consolidation of agencies and other players offering Marketing and Communication solutions. These moves aim to strengthen integration for marketers. In 2024, one of the big headlines was the Omnicom-IPG merger, and similar operations may occur in the near future. A similar trend is emerging on a smaller scale among independent agency groups, which are merging companies with different specialities to strengthen their offerings.

2025 will be a year of profound change for Marketing, particularly in the Digital space. From AI to the evolution of social commerce and a heightened focus on Inclusion and Sustainability. Brands will need to adapt swiftly to a constantly shifting landscape where, additionally, with declining population growth, they must also prepare for a market with an ageing consumer base. The key will lie in finding authentic ways to connect with consumers, leveraging new technologies to create more personalised and engaging experiences.

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Ogilvy scoops IAS Agency Credentials Award for the second year running

The Assegai Integrated Marketing Awards, in conjunction with the IAS (Independent Agency Search and Selection) is proud to announce Ogilvy as the winner of the IAS Agency Credentials Award for 2024.  The standard of entries was exceptionally high with both Ogilvy and Boomtown being ranked in the prestigious Assegai gold category and Ogilvy being best in show with an almost perfect score.

Although this award was inaugurated in 2016, IAS revitalised their relationship with the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa (DMASA) - organisers of the Assegai Awards - in order to “relaunch” the IAS Credentials Award in 2021. The award ceremony took place on 14 November 2024 in Melrose, Johannesburg. Entries were received from creative, digital and media agencies.

Judges included several leading South African marketers as well as international judge Cesar Vacchiano who is President and Global CEO of SCOPEN International. Johanna McDowell, CEO, Nikki Munsie, Business Director and Tebatso Masete, Project Director of the IAS were also part of the judging panel.

According to Vacchiano “The judges were quite specific about the criteria and the winning entry certainly displayed evidence of an agency that was clear about their focus and positioning.  The credentials entries provided the judges with insight into the agency culture and the successes of the work that they are doing for their clients.  ROI was clearly evident.”

Johanna McDowell, Founder and CEO of the IAS comments: “We are committed to our partnership with DMASA and will continue to offer the Credentials Award. We would like to encourage more agencies to enter this award in the future because it will give them an opportunity to showcase their agency to the significant number of leading marketers on the judging panel,” concludes McDowell.

SCOPEN 2025/26: South Africa’s sixth wave study set for May

“The sixth wave of the AGENCY SCOPE study is on track in South Africa and Cesar Vacchiano, President and CEO of SCOPEN International, will be arriving in South Africa in February, ahead of fieldwork on the study beginning in May 2025.”

 This is the word from Johanna McDowell, SCOPEN partner and CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS), noting that the study is published every two years after in-depth meetings with the highest-level decision makers across marketing, communications and advertising, from the largest to the smallest spending marketers in South Africa.

 “In interviewing over 3000 CMOs around the world, we’re excited to see what 2025 brings’,” she says.  “A key objective next year will be to interview more marketing professionals from more companies.”

Ramping up AGENCY SCOPE’s evolution in SA

 

Another step in AGENCY SCOPE’s evolution will be interviewing new profiles of key decision makers within the participant companies, encompassing leaders in digital, technology and innovation. “These managers also hire and work with agencies and other partners,” says McDowell, “which will bring even greater depth to the value of data we collect.”

 The fieldwork will also identify and include other profiles of client companies, over and above the usual investors in communications. In this section, the study will note start-ups, the dot.com sector and digital platforms that are working with agencies more than ever before. “Numbers in this area may not be significant at this point,” she says, “but it’s certainly an area we need to be aware of to keep our finger on the pulse.”

 Lastly, among the additions to AGENCY SCOPE 2025/26, the study will amplify its sample of agency professionals interviewed, an important viewpoint to understand as they assist in determining which agencies are most attractive to work for.

 “Following on from the inclusion of the best agency to work for in the 2020/2021 study and the success that this data found in the market, we will be driving a broader study for 2025/26,” she asserts.

 McDowell adds that going into the 2025/26 study, this data will be richer and even more valuable.

 AGENCY SCOPE fieldwork calendar

Interviewers will hit the ground running in May 2025, with their tasks completed by the end of August. Analysis and processing will run through September and October, and reports will be presented from late October for a month.

 One-on-one meetings with the agencies will be held in February, when Vacchiano arrives in the country and spends a week talking to subscribers. “We’ll be gathering the commentary of agencies around what they feel is important to glean from the study.”

SAMPLES OBTAINED IN PAST EDITIONS

“Samples of the research from 2016 to 2023 show how this sector has grown from 191 respondents across marketing, creative and media professionals in 2016 to 528 in 2023,” says McDowell.  AGENCY SCOPE will be aiming for 700 completed interviews in 2025.

 “We see 2025 as the opportunity for marketers and their agencies to steady the industry and apply innovations from the recent past, while continuing to seek new ways of collaborating and growing their businesses, based on robust data,” concludes Vacchiano.

ADFORUM GLOBAL SUMMIT 2024 PARIS 28-31 OCTOBER - RECAP

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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.

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Intermediary expertise: Piecing a client’s puzzle together

When a client works with an intermediary, writes Johanna McDowell, CEO of IAS and SCOPEN Africa partner, it means they’re serious about their agency relationships. Here’s how an intermediary’s experience brings both art and science to the picture.

Primarily, although marketers may well know who the leading agencies are and which ones they’d like to meet, they don’t know all of them and are often relying on information given to them by other industry leaders or someone “who knows someone”.

Often, they’ll be reading up on agencies to note the awards they’ve won - we know this from Agency SCOPE, where research shows clients often note their long list of agencies from what they read in industry media. At this stage, they’re looking at reputations, thought leadership pieces that indicate media trust in certain individuals and companies.

When they choose an intermediary, however, it’s indicative of the real, long-term value they’re looking for in appointing an agency and the trust they have that their intermediary understands the inner workings of each agency and its leadership. It’s the inside info you’ll rarely see using Google.

Knowledge from the source

Any intermediary who’s been in the business for a while knows every agency, not just from what the agency will publish but from working with them, or at least with their leadership over the years.

Vital knowledge includes agency history and any major changes in their business that could affect a client’s operations. We know their people and their journey to earning the reputation they have, which is the first reason a marketer will call in an intermediary.

The second reason is due to the extensive process, to get to where we show them credentials from a number of agencies. Clients review the information, select a short list and then we’ll have a chemistry session, where potential colleagues get real and aren’t just words on a page.

At this point, the IAS is the only intermediary that includes the chemistry session as part of an early elimination process.

What encourages all parties to bring their best to the table is, of course, financial. With skin in the game, clients want the right agency to deliver on the creative and strategic results required to drive sales - the third reason to engage an intermediary.

The fourth is that when marketers choose agencies, they need to be absolutely scrupulously fair and be seen as such.  "They have to know there are no brown envelopes, corruption, or whispers. Honesty and transparency are key, and with compliance requirements, everything must be documented—another onerous task for a marketer to undertake while focusing on running a brand."

A professional process is run like an audit, with reminders around how each agency was selected for shortlisting in the first place. Time management is crucial, so a marketer and the agencies can see a beginning, a middle and an end. Marketers who take intermediaries seriously know that it’s the best route to take, as the intermediary has no vested interest in any particular agency, but does have a reputation to uphold.

Longevity in relationships

Involving an intermediary is also pivotal in creating long happy partnerships. In fact, experience shows relationships well designed from the outset last twice as long as the average industry tenure, saving time and money in the long run.

After all, the client’s core business is not managing agency appointments and the expert advice offered through the process by the intermediary is invaluable.

Management and onboarding

Managing the pitch process is a critical part of why a business would engage an intermediary. From setting up meetings and briefings, to working closely with the client in following the brief and handling all communications, marketers can expect clear, vital feedback throughout.

The intermediary will now have a map of how the agency will be onboarded, including contracts required to legitimise the deal. This is the fifth reason an intermediary is appointed, and has been noted as “invaluable” by many clients, who have seen the amount of research and reporting to be completed, and the precision required through onboarding communications.

When marketers say, “We couldn’t have done this without you”, intermediaries know they’ve done their job – not just putting the pieces of the puzzle in place, but being at the marketer’s side through a process where a missing piece can ambush success.

Intermediaries understand fitting puzzle pieces together is a science – but fitting human beings together is both science and art.

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ADFORUM GLOBAL SUMMIT 2024 PARIS 28-31 OCTOBER - OVERVIEW

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.

You may also be interested in IAS off to AdForum in Paris and ADFORUM GLOBAL SUMMIT 2024 PARIS 28-31 OCTOBER - RECAP

IAS off to AdForum in Paris

The AdForum Summit, held twice a year  in selected cities across the globe, will include Johanna McDowell and the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) as part of an exclusive, captive audience of search consultants.

The 2024 second half AdForum Summit will take place in Paris between 28 and 31 October 2024, providing the IAS with the opportunity to assess and forecast global communication industry trends; and, with up-to-date information constantly being exchanged, an exclusive forum to share ideas, challenges and opportunities.

The AdForum summit is an invitation only event that brings top players in the industry together, and offers them the chance to grow their business, network, and experience how they are shaping the future. The IAS is the only South African pitch consulting company that has been participating consistently in the summit over the past 17 years.

“The main reason we accept the invitation to attend is to ensure that the IAS continues to be at the forefront of global issues and trends facing the advertising and communication industry and the complex world of agency selection. AdForum offers us the chance to discuss the future of the marketing communications industry. This will be especially important this year with the rapid strategic shifts taking place within agencies as they grapple with the new needs of marketers, new ways an agency can partner with business, as they seek to break through the old, embrace change and bravely tackle the next frontier of challenges,” said Johanna McDowell, Founder and CEO of IAS and partner for SCOPEN Africa.

SCOPEN Africa will be represented by McDowell at the Summit along with other SCOPEN colleagues from around the world.

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#MasterclassNotes - Case studies and clients

These days, advertising case studies are far more sophisticated and elaborate, and include lots of data and results, as well as strategy, creative and so on. But where do the marketers, the clients, fit in?

When I first started reading case studies from agencies as part of their submissions for pitch processes, those case studies were essentially creative content. Indeed, 18 years ago (when I started my company), many agencies hadn’t really started to prepare full case studies for work that they were producing and mainly relied solely on creative showreels.

But what did clients have to do to make campaigns work or launch a new service? And how did they tackle the logistics inside their organisations to make it all happen on time and in time? It seems to me that agency case studies would have even more authenticity if we heard directly from clients what their roles had been in helping all the work to succeed.

Why?

For several reasons:

• It adds to the reality and authenticity of the case

• It means that the client concerned has seen the case study and approves of it

• For other brands or clients reading the case study, they have a much better idea of what’s possible with client input

• The “behind the scenes” aspect adds a real learning opportunity to the case for both agency teams and clients reading the content

Marketers relate to marketers

I often hear marketers commenting when reading case studies that they could never relate to a particular case or that it wouldn’t have been possible in their own organisations. Sometimes, this could be because of the nature of the brand or service that’s featured in that case. More often than not, it’s because there’s no explanation of what a particular marketer had to do in order to fulfil the needs of the particular case being viewed.

Some years ago, at one of the AdForum Worldwide Summits in New York, one of the Stagwell agencies presented a case study to us on razors and razor blades, and included the Procter & Gamble client in the session. It was a complex and very successful campaign for the brand, which is in a highly competitive category. P&G took us through all the logistics that had had to be put in place for this campaign to succeed. It shared the highs and lows, as well as where things went wrong but also went well.

That explanation has stayed with me for all these years and I really encourage marketers and their agencies to share more in this particular aspect — but without revealing too many secrets.

Even if those secrets can’t be included in a written case study or in a case study video, it might be worth considering exposing them on a one-to-one basis in a chemistry session. Marketers relate to marketers, and feel comfortable when they’re able to share experiences. Not only will this endorse the success of a case study — and therefore an agency’s work — but it will also endorse that agency/client relationship.

Budgets

Budgets within case studies are also important and this, again, is tricky from a confidentiality point of view. However, when reading case studies, I often hear clients commenting that they wouldn’t be able to afford to run such a campaign or create such a case as their budgets are small when compared to large brands.

Often, agencies can share budgets or budget parameters within those cases that might reflect a very different perspective than the obvious — and incorrect — assumption that a vast production budget was needed. Here, too, the client or brand concerned can talk about how the budget was allocated, and it would add to the authenticity and learning within that particular case study.

Paramount for shortlisting

With agency credentials and case studies being of paramount importance when marketers are shortlisting agencies, it makes sense to enrich these and make them stand out.

Making case studies more meaningful and relevant, so that they resonate with prospective new clients and brands, might require a great deal more effort from the agency concerned but, I’m convinced, will enhance the success rate in new business acquisition and possibly even in awards competitions, where case studies are the backbone of those entries.

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Judges of the IAS Agency Credentials Award announced

A panel of respected judges will review all Credentials Award entries, which will consist of the agency’s written credentials document as well as the agency culture.

The judging panel will be made up of four seasoned and renowned Marketers from leading companies in South Africa – already judging the Assegai Awards - along with international and local intermediaries in the marketer/agency space including:

Cesar Vacchiano is the president and CEO of Scopen International, responsible for the international expansion of the group. He has developed projects in many countries, and Scopen now has offices in Spain, Portugal, UK, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, China, India, Singapore and South Africa.

Scopen provides knowledge and identifies demands and future trends for marketers, agencies and media owners. The company’ researchers are focused on the communication, marketing and advertising changing environment. He is the only non-marketer member of the Directors Council in the Spanish Advertisers Association (AEA), Secretary of the Spanish Effectiveness Awards and member of the Jury in other Industry Awards and Festivals.

Johanna McDowell is CEO of the Independent Agency Search and Selection Company (IAS) and founded the IAS in 2006. Johanna has had a long career in advertising, marketing and communications since the early 70s having qualified with a Business and Marketing degree equivalent in the UK. Working both as a client and as an agency person, Johanna is well placed to advise clients and marketing services providers on both the commercial and relationship aspects of long-term contracts.

Nikki Munsie is business director of the IAS. Nikki has more than 25 years of experience in the marketing and advertising industry with the last 13 years being in a consulting role where she was involved in the development of business and brand strategies with a strong emphasis on cross functional action learning for clients.

Tebatso Masete project director for the Independent for the IAS. Tebatso has recently completed her post graduate diploma in business management through Unisa. Her key responsibilities at the IAS include the streamlining of processes, ongoing data management as well as the management of the IAS Client and Agency relationship programmes.

Entries close at the end of August so enter now and don’t miss out.

Marketers searching for the integration unicorn

On the one hand, clients want to keep control of things but on the other, with so many different agencies involved in the eco system, the conundrum is how to keep control of the mix while making sure the overall message is consistent across all platforms.

The variety of digital specialists required in terms of performance of content, creative content and social media channels mean the variables grow rapidly and how it can all be integrated is a challenge that keeps clients awake at night.

According to president and CEO of SCOPEN, César Vacchiano, in an ideal world, there would be a team of people ensuring the cohesiveness of the various players and that everything happens when it should.

“But the truth of the matter,” he says, “is that marketing departments are not as big as they used to be and are often under resourced. This puts greater reliance on the agency personnel to manage the integration.”

SCOPEN 2023-2024 figures show a small uptick in the number of key industry professionals who will only work with an integrated agency, but markets such as Portugal, Argentine, Chile and Brazil are joining others with a strong commitment to integration.

Wading through the options

With specialty agencies on the rise – including digital platforms, advertising agencies, media agencies, digital agencies, PR and more – Johanna McDowell, chief executive officer at Independent Agency Selection (IAS) and managing partner of SCOPEN Africa, suggests there is a pervasive anxiety among business leaders to determine what specialists they require.

“Often, there’s a curve ball with every new industry specialist that comes along,” she asserts, “pressuring clients to consider their value before there is any data to prove their worth,” she says.

For each specialty, McDowell notes, analysis is also required as well as campaign reporting. “Somewhere in the ‘specialisation gold rush’, it’s easy for the brand essence to get lost.”

Both Vacchiano and McDowell note from the SCOPEN research that this revolution needs an integrator to make everything work. “The opportunities for agencies to grow with marketers looking for integrators can be seen in the SCOPEN study,” says Vacchiano.

“Those who choose to work only with integrated agencies at the moment appear to be growing, especially in South Africa where the current number is extremely low, but plans for the future take the clients up to around 20.”

Here, McDowell adds that as things stand now – where marketers are working with an average of 15 agencies – it’s an untenable situation.

“In South Africa, the mantle of ‘integrator’ tends to fall to the creative agencies but they, too, are not necessarily the best entity for the job, being preoccupied with their core purpose,” she says.

“What is better and more obvious,” she continues, “would be for the media agencies to be the integrators. They know what the channels are, can see the bigger picture. However, what they would be unlikely to keep track of is whether all the messaging is correct and cohesive.”

Searching for a unicorn

Bottom line – clients are looking for a Unicorn; a person or group of people that will be responsible for making sure the brand’s messaging is cohesive, that things are done on time and that money isn’t wasted.

Vacchiano, like McDowell, believes that right now, there is a lot of “don’t know” across the industries, given the speed at which new platforms, Martech and marketing opportunities are cropping up.

Says McDowell: “Globally, clients are talking about risk a lot more than they used to. Is that because of the economy? Certainly everybody wants to ensure that whatever money they spend gets the maximum return, which is what is driving a lot of the move towards integration.”

Marketing teams have got to deliver; they’ve got to make sure they know how to deliver; and they’ve got to have the right teams in place to deliver. This is over and above their regular work, making them a knowledge-rich but time-poor group, and one that has to trust the agency personnel and their systems.

Even with the looming potential of AI, marketing is an intuitive business, according to McDowell. “It’s art and science, which no machine right now can replicate to the standard of what a human can do. We’re not there yet and until we are, marketers and their various agencies have an onerous task ahead in finding that integration Unicorn.”

Well-structured agency credentials continue to attract the attention of marketers

Agency credentials are so important, and we chose to focus attention on the IAS Credentials Award because we want agencies to understand just how valuable they are. We selected the Assegai Awards to host the IAS Credentials Award because they have a range of marketers on their judging panel. It was vital that agency credentials be judged by marketers and not by other agencies, as some awards are.

Marketers will tell us what works and what doesn’t work, which is of utmost importance as agencies entering the awards will get feedback on how they did and what their credentials highlight about them.

We’re in a tough economy and we are acutely aware that award entries cost money. While we are very respectful of the fact that agencies have limited budgets and realise how challenging it can be to decide which awards to enter, we’d ask them to consider their choices as the opportunity they’ll have to test their credentials and case studies among marketers could prove invaluable.

Opportunity to be seen

Our mission as the IAS is to put agency credentials in front of as many marketers as possible. It’s an opportunity to be seen and it’s a learning exercise for marketers, who get to understand more about what is happening with agencies by viewing their credentials and also what is changing among agencies in the marketing communications sphere.

Over the six years that the IAS has been supporting the Assegai Awards, our belief in what we are doing has grown. What we want is not just for agencies to be seen by marketers, but for those marketers to increase their knowledge about agencies and the marketing communications sector as a whole.

It is a sector that is changing on a daily basis; there’s never been a greater wave of change among agencies than there is now. It’s a phenomenal time, when you see the speed and the type of change shifting the industry at this rate of knots.

We want marketers to take note of these changes and the response to them by agencies, and learn about the new world agencies are working in. Only by agencies entering can marketers understand the sheer depth of change and what agencies are now capable of.

It goes without saying that if marketers see something they like, they will be able to make contact with an outstanding agency, and the latter’s reputation will grow.

Cracking the pitch long list

One of the things we know from the agency scope study is that when marketers are putting a long list of agencies together, reputation is one of the key factors in who they place on the list. The greater the agency’s stature, the more likely they are to be put on a pitch-long list and get a chance at making the shortlist.

Obviously there are other criteria that gets an agency onto the short list, but the long list certainly views reputation as vital.

Years ago there were publications that printed the list of rankings of agencies, but those no longer exist. So, how do clients know which agencies to look at? Today, they review the awards tables and note the profiles of the agencies which are doing their own marketing well and the attraction begins there.

I always emphasise that it’s not so much the awards an agency may win as the way in which the agency works that gets marketers excited.

Although it has no direct bearing on the IAS Credentials Awards, another reason we’re happy to work with the Assegai Awards is that they have grown their international footprint through their new association with the Echo Awards - highly rated by the creative industry all over the world - which has added to the stature of the Assegai Awards.

We look forward, as always, to the agencies that catch the attention of the marketers on the judging panel – and how far they go from there.

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#MasterclassNotes - AdForum highlights

Here are four key highlights from the AdForum Worldwide Summit in New York City, 13–17 May 2024, in which we pitch consultants met with 15 network agencies and 10 independents.

#1. Adolescent content

Adolescent is a female- and black-founded agency which positions itself as a global creative consultancy and content studio for Generation Z. It helps brands more effectively reach youth audiences by using its global network of diverse youth creatives and creators. The founders started it because they wanted to be authentic and to break rules, and they intend to keep to that promise.

This was a fascinating session: the agency had set up as a panel discussion with its founders and four of its youth creatives who were all Gen Z. Various questions tabled included:

• Regarding content creation and influencers, how does Gen Z see them?

• Although influencers started off more organically, there’s now too much product placement

• There are now too many influencers pushing product too obviously; it’s no longer realistic

• The original model is now outdated

• How does Gen Z find out information about products if not via influencers?

• Via TikTok, which is viewed as a search engine

• MetaAI is also viewed a search engine

• Regarding brands/department stores, do the brand’s ethics influence their buying decisions?

• Most people will buy what they can afford, regardless of ethics

• Every week there seems to be a controversy with brands; brands will focus on their bottom lines

• If brands are ethical, that’s great but it’s not a deal breaker

• A brand will be supported if it goes out of its way to support a community or niche market

• How does Gen Z shop, instore or online?

• Buying clothes must be in store

• Sizing and fabrics are important to test and feel

• Popup shops really help with the online support experience

• How does Gen Z see the US elections this year? How do they feel?

• They want to be informed

• They’ll find out on TikTok

• They’ll probably not vote so much (it’ll be interesting to see)

• Brands shouldn’t get involved in politics

• They trust their local community leaders

#2. Virtue

This was another strong session as Virtue shared the truth about what’d happened to it in the past couple of years since parent company Vice went into chapter 11 bankruptcy. Pandemic and other issues also played havoc during this period.

Agency leader Chris Garbutt — yes, he’s a South African whose dream is to open Virtue in South Africa — talked about how it as an agency had to “bet on the future”. His team stayed in place with him, some others who’d left previously returned, and 80% of its clients also remained.

The agency’s view on culture:

• Brands need the courage to let culture lead

• When brands get it wrong, they’re left outside of culture and become irrelevant

• When brands get it right, they thrive

Virtue positions itself as being born on the inside of culture — cultural change makers. Its global head of strategy talked about its “cultural operating system”, which is a four-stage process.

We consultants were taken through a deeper look at the five trends and culture drivers today:

• The big pink rethink: Girls have redefined their roles and masculinity is also evolving

• Day capsules: Living in the moment/simple living/living in little moments

• Embracing chaos: Free-form living/“a lawless era”/amoral misfits

• Passion advocates: What once was niche is now mainstream; a “fandomonium” is upon us eg Taylor Swift

• The FriAInships: Friends via artificial intelligence (AI) with AI

#3. The Brandtech Group

With the theme of AI front and centre, David Jones, The Brandtech Group global CEO and founder, started us off with an excellent session focusing on how AI’s already changing things in advertising, as well as on a global scale across all types of industries. Here is why he believes that AI will change the world:

• The tech companies are saying it

• Company leaders are saying it

• People are saying it

• It’s a horizontal, not a vertical; it can apply across everything — it’s not a platform

• Its quality is already amazing and its imagery, for example, has dramatically improved and very quickly

We were shown examples of how things have improved and what’s happening:

• A creator economy revolution is under way; this won’t reduce the number of people in our industry but will improve the quality of their outputs

• But how do you exceed expectations when everyone can create their own ads? It’s not about what can be created but how it’s created.

Brandtech has developed its own tools to enable its various processes to be even better with AI. It’s commercialising this mainly through its in-housing content — where Oliver and Jellyfish agencies are active — and this is where growth is expected. Better, faster cheaper but what humans need to become really good at is prompting as this is what makes the difference when using AI.

#4. Media Monks

Media Monks is the purely digital agency brand of S4Capital that consists of 8 600 digital natives across one global team. It combines media, data, social platforms, studio, experience brand and technology services to help its clients continuously reinvent themselves through increasingly rapid cycles of disruption.

Eight out of 10 of the world’s most innovative companies work with Media Monks, which focuses on brand performance and AI business transformation. The agency was the inaugural Adweek AI Agency of the Year in November 2023.

Media Monks believes that AI can outproduce us, claiming AI currently can beat any work done by a manual media planner, as well as that AI can out-create us — “software will digest the world” — and, therefore, the question of ethics is an important one.

Naturally, the agency has developed its own tech, Monks.flow, an AI-centric professionally managed service for marketers. Its uses are as follows:

• Brand integrity

• Global consistency

• Collapsing the cost of creativity

• Effectiveness and conversion

• Media buying and planning, which will become more direct and have less need for digital media agency buyers; AI will handle most of this via algorithms

• More pipeline

• Fewer people

• More insights, much quicker and leading to a faster strategy

• Output- and outcomes-based commercial approach

Media Monks shared its growth figures and did some forecasting for the industry: in year three, it grew by 46%; in year four, by 23%; and, in year five, by 2%. For the current year, the growth is flat and will be tempered by tech costs continuously decreasing. What does this mean for the industry? There will be more consolidation; the number of staff will continue to decline; and holding company staff numbers will decline, too.

In terms of AI and ethics, Media Monks believes that ethics will become more and more important, far more so than legal issues.

Overall trends

In conclusion, here are my overall trends from this latest AdForum Worldwide Summit:

• Social media is now more powerful than paid digital media

• A creator economy revolution is under way; this won’t reduce the number of people in our industry but should improve the quality of their outputs

• Culture drivers are becoming more and more important for brands to remain relevant

• Influencers are more important than ever, the original model is now outdated and authenticity is key, and

• TikTok is being used more and more as a search engine.

THE IAS AGENCY CREDENTIALS AWARD 2024: Marketers look past awards to get to the grit

Everybody loves an award – and winning agencies almost always get a second look. However, writes Johanna McDowell, CEO of the Independent Agency Search and Selection Company (IAS), what they’re really looking for is grit - credentials that outshine trophies.

Every agency strives for creativity, that ‘special sauce’ that sets them apart from their peers. But with today’s budget constraints and a digital explosion that can edge a brand from good to great with just one campaign, marketers want grit: and this is seen in Credentials that show the backbone of an agency.

Having the confidence to reveal credentials in a pitch shows a marketer that the agency understands the client’s business requirements and the importance of ROI. Highlighting history and their current client list notes the agency’s standing in the industry, especially when backed up by press coverage and case studies. What any marketer sees here is value for money.

Add to this agency culture, BBBEE standing and procurement recommendations, and the client gets the full picture and not just the frame.

As we head towards the 2024 Assegai Awards, incorporating the IAS Agency Credentials Award, the importance of overall expertise is under the spotlight. Those who have followed the IAS Credentials Award journey will know that the panel of judges comprises mainly marketers to ensure fairness and not having an agency judging a peer.

Judges include overseas experts in marketing, along with several renowned local marketers. Ensure that your entry meets the specifications and provides the opportunity to shine. The submission format encourages agencies to present their best sizzle to a calibre of marketing experts they ordinarily may never meet.

With entries open now, the Assegai Awards along with the IAS Credentials Award 2024 close on 31 August - so get your creds out, give them some polish and make sure your entry gets noticed – for grit, not just shine.

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