Things to ask before the final marketing agency selection

Congratulations ! It looks like you have found the perfect agency for your campaign or project. So they did a good job on their pitch to you, but they won't be pitching to you anymore. Once the agency selection is truly final, the work begins, and this is when you may get some surprises from the agency.

As part of the agency selection process, you need to ask some questions that are not related to the strategy or creativity of the pitch to ensure that you and the agency are a good match.

1. Does the agency get involved in the strategy of the brand, or do they just implement the project based on the directions of the Brand Manager?

Some agencies provide strategic input whereas others just get the job done based on the marketer's input. Either way is fine, as long as it meets your needs ansd stick to your brief.

If you are looking for a long-term partner, you will benefit from an agency that gets involved in the strategic direction of the brand.

This does not mean that you are handing over the strategic decisions for the agency to make. As the marketer, YOU are the expert on the brand and YOU have the insights on the company's long-term vision for the brand.

2. Who from the agency will be working on the brand?

Oftentimes, somebody from top management at the agency will be the pitchman when you are selecting an agency. However, once the agency has been selected, that person may not be involved in managing your account.Usually the Account Manager.Ask upfront who will be your Account Manager as the main contact person. The quality of the relationship between an agency and a marketing team often depends on the person that you interact with on a day-to-day basis.Your Account Managr is key, as he/she is the person who will brief the studio wthin your agency.

3. What does the agency include as well as exclude in a typical job estimate?

Some agencies do not itemize every single cost component involved in a project. For example, they may not include printing costs, or honoraria, or other. Ideally, the marketer should received a very detailed estimate with details on the cost of every single component. At the end of a project, there should be no cost surprises, unless a project has changed direction based on the marketer's demand. Even if the project changes direction, the agency should be able to provide the difference in cost versus the original estimate based on the new changes.

4. How and when will the agency be invoicing?

This is something which has to be discussed upfront. I strongly advise you to involve your Purchasing department ( if any ) in the discussion from the very beginning. Some agencies include printing costs in their estimates, some do not. Some agencies ask for 50% payment upfront with the final payment once the goods have been delivered. The percentage may vary from agency to agency. Some agencies send their invoices quickly whereas others take many months. This is important for you to know as it impacts your budgeting (if you have funds to pay for a project this year but the invoice comes in next year, this may cause budgeting issues for you).

5. Is the agency working on any other brands that may be competitors with your brand?

Agencies should let you know if they are working on any other brand that may be a competitor. If they are not currently working with any other competitor, would they pitch for the business of a competitor in the future even if they are still working on your brand. As a marketer, you want the agency to be working exclusively on your brand.

6. Are there times that the agency closes down during the year that might impact the delivery timelines?

It is important to know when agencies shut down, and whether they are able to continue production during seasonal holidays.

For example, many pharmaceutical companies hold sales meetings in January or February and September.( 2 campaigns).In a perfect world, all sales collaterals to be delivered for that sales meeting would be completed and in the marketer's hands a few weeks in advance of the meeting. But things happen and projects get delayed. Will the agency be available during the holidays to continue the work to ensure delivery prior to the meeting?