2005 has taken off with a bang. Here it is the middle of March and the team at P3 is busy with agency contract negotiations, television production workshops, media benchmarking and direct marketing process auditing.

The media talk about a boom 2005 appears to be a reality. Also in the media there is word on a number of agency reviews, with mixed reactions to the NRMA Roadside Project, the issue of pitching process and etiquette has been raised again.

In this edition of the P3 e-news we provide you with a list of dos and don'ts if planning to review your agency in the near future.

P3 ? helping people achieve commercial purpose through creative process

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DO make sure you have reviewed the current agency contract to be sure of any review or exit conditions. Even if you don't believe you have a current contract, ask the agency, otherwise it could be an unpleasant surprise.

DON'T race around telling everyone you are going to review unless you want to handle the many hundreds of approaches you will get from many inappropriate agencies. It is amazing how quickly information like this spreads.

DO form a review team of key decision makers and develop a timeline, ensuring that all decision makers are available throughout each step of the process, especially for all agency meetings and presentations.

DON'T underestimate the time commitment required from within the organization to manage the review process professionally. Depending on the size of the review, the number of agencies included and the number of participants within the organization, you could be looking at more than 500 head hours to complete.

DO write a brief of the type of agency and services you require from a new agency. A good place to start is by listing any shortcomings or issues with the current agency. Be realistic in your assessment of needs.

DON'T release the details of the selected agencies to the industry or the media until the final appointment has been made. In many cases agencies on the list will use rumour and industry gossip to undermine their competition.

DO set firm timelines and explain the process to the selected agencies at the start of the process. Even if the process is extensive and protracted, the agencies will appreciate your honesty.

DON'T invite more than three agencies to develop and present strategic and creative work. Using a process of RFI, credentials and interviews, you should be able to reduce the number of agencies to a short list of two or three, saving you and them valuable time and money.

DO offer the agencies reasonable pitch fees if you are asking them to undertake strategic or creative work as part of the pitch and especially if you require them to assign the right to this work to you even if they are unsuccessful. The amount will be based on your expectations of the agencies.

DON'T use pitch consultants who charge the agency to participate in the pitch. Charging agencies for pitch participation, or a success fee, compromises the integrity of the process as it is seen by most agencies as unethical.

DO contact P3 if you want help and advice on planning you next advertising or media agency review. P3 (Melbourne) 03 9378 3223 or (Sydney) 02 9279 4997 or email people@p3.com.au

P3 can provide you with a range of services, from providing a review of suitable suppliers from our extensive industry database through to providing you with a proposal to manage the whole process for you.

Truth in advertising

You may have seen part of this short film on the web, where the cast act out the roles of advertiser and agency, saying what they really think.

Did you know this is available as a DVD from Amazon.com?
 
Click this link to check it out at Amazon.com now!

It is really funny and very insightful.

The next P3 Top 10 delivers insights
into public relations.

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