Selecting suitable pitch agencies

marketing management consultants

Advertising Agency Shortlists ��

(The TrinityP3 approach to selecting suitable pitch agencies)

Prepared by TrinityP3 © 2013


Defining your Requirements

•  With the increased complexity, diversity and convergence of agency offerings it is essential to define a clear set of requirements.

•  TrinityP3 has developed a comprehensive checklist of requirements in our four page TrinityP3 Market Search Brief.

•  The completion of this brief with the marketer and procurement allows us to cast the net as wide a possible and filter down to the most suitable agencies against the requirements.


Filtering the Market

Does not handle conflicting business

Geographical location

Agency size, creative reputation, depth of resource

Experience with similar brands/scope

Preferred core skills, ie B2B, digital, shopper

Category market knowledge/experience

Capacity and desire to pitch

Incumbents

Preferred attributes, ie strategic, collaborative

All Agencies

Key criteria from

client search brief

Shortlist


Eliminating the non-compliant

•  Based on the broadest requirements TrinityP3 will consider all agencies. In some cases this can amount to hundreds depending on how broad the requirements.

•  The filter may also require subsets such as ‘creative with digital’ or creative and digital specialists, media planning and buying or media planning and media buying separately.

•  Against each criteria TrinityP3 documents those suitable and those not suitable to make a recommended list and the “John West” list*

Does not handle conflicting business




Preferred core skills, ie B2B, digital, shopper



Incumbents


* It is the fish John West rejects that makes John West the BEST.


Special Considerations Does not handle conflicting business




Preferred core skills, ie B2B, digital shopper



Incumbents


We report all conflicting business in case a marketer still wants to approach

an agency to test their interest

For service, marketers are inclined to want an agency with an office in the same city but increasingly marketers are more interested in best in market

no matter what the location. Big marketing budgets often want to

minimise risk by selecting big agencies. But in some cases a big advertiser may have the need for a

smaller, more nimble operation.

Beyond capabilities there are attributes, culture and characteristics that must to be considered to assist in getting the

chemistry right.

Often within the agency personnel there are resources with recent category

experience, although the agency as a whole does not have this experience.

While agencies generally desire new business, some of the more successful agencies will manage the new business process and not pitch because of lack of capacity or because they do not desire

the particular brand or business.

With many agencies diversifying their skills and capabilities to increase their share of budget, it is important to be

very specific to get it right.

While category experience is always preferred, it is worthwhile thinking broader in regards to the attributes

required as often category experience means they are working with your

competitor.

You should not just consider the incumbent you are going to pitch, but look at all your incumbents, because it could be the capabilities you need are

already in your roster.


For assistance selecting your shortlist contact…

TrinityP3 Pty Ltd Sydney

+612 8399 0922 Melbourne

+613 9682 6800 Hong Kong

+852 3589 3095 Singapore

+65 6884 9149

[email protected] www.trinityp3.com

TrinityP3’s liability is limited as per our standard terms and condition as approved by the client prior to the project commencing

@trinityp3 www.trinityp3.com/blog/ TrinityP3 Darren Woolley

Business

Selecting suitable pitch agencies