Agency Relations Committee

Open to Client-Side Marketer members only

The Agency Relations Committee is for client-side marketers who manage agency relationships and are looking to enhance and improve the client/agency relationship for the best business results. While the advertising agency is a crucial marketing partner, relations with other types of agencies are also considered (e.g., media, direct marketing, digital, social, and other specialty agencies). This committee provides a forum for education, networking, and discussion that helps elevate individuals in their respective organizations, as well as advance client/agency relationships throughout the industry.

Committee Co-Chairs:

• Kerry Kielb, Director, Vendor and Agency Management – AT&T 
• Kwan Yim, Director, Global Agency Management – Citi

ANA Staff:

• Greg Wright, Vice President
• Peter Kenigsberg, Director

Resources:

• Supplier Diversity Resources
• Presentations and recaps from the 2023 ANA Advertising Financial Management Conference

• The Agency Search and Selection Playbook

Discussion Topics:

• Agency compensation models

• Agency diversity and inclusion strategy

• Agency management team roles

• Agency operations staffing (e.g. roles and responsibilities, team structure, etc.)

• Agency performance evaluations and internal stakeholder engagement

• Agency roster models

• Agency search

• Future agency trends and future agency work

• Getting great creative (elements of a great brief)

• How to be a great client

• Incentivizing your agency

• Managing an in-house agency with external agencies

• Scope of work management (contracting process and improvements)

Client-Agency Relationship Forum Discussion Series:

Building off the work from the 4A's/ANA Agency Search Simplification Report, the ANA and 4A's are holding a series of conversations between client and agency partners to understand where there is room for improvement in the search process and overall agency-client relationships.

• Mastercard and McCann NY, March 2 (replay)
• Beam Suntory and Havas Street, April 6 (replay)
• Target and Colle McVoy, May 3 (click to read the recap)
• Edgewell and Digitas, June 27 (click to read the recap)

Leadership Initiatives

ANA/4A's Cost of the Pitch
Historically, it has been understood that agencies devote significant resources to the defense of an existing account when put into review and to the pursuit of new business. Until now, however, there has been little if any data on the cost of any agency review to the client. The findings from this research identified a significant cost to the client when they run a review, as it is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. The cost implications, potential for disruptions in daily work, and delays in campaign and product launches, as well as the evident impact on partner relationships, should not be taken lightly. (July 2023)

Trends in Agency Compensation, 18th Edition
For more than 50 years, the ANA has fielded this unique and comprehensive agency compensation survey among client-side marketer members. According to the results of the 2022 ANA Trends in Agency Compensation survey, fees, particularly labor-based fees, are the most dominant method of compensation. Fees are becoming so prevalent that they are, in fact, increasing in popularity over newer methods of compensation, such as value-based compensation and sales commission-based methodologies. The report also revealed that the use of performance incentives as a complement to fees are being increasingly questioned with most respondents stating that they "don't know" whether performance compensation is improving their agency's performance. (November 2022)

ANA/4A’s Agency Search Simplification Report
The agency search/pitch process has become fraught with concerns by both agencies and clients. Both sides recognize the complexity of the process yet aspire for an opportunity to reach a mutually agreeable solution. The ANA and the 4A’s surveyed their respective members to understand the various pain points in the agency search process, as well as their value (or lack thereof) to the overall process. This report contains results of that survey, as well as key findings, conclusions, and next steps. (September 2022)

The Business Case for Relationship Management
A strong client/agency relationship management program with at least an annual 360º evaluation component is key to ensuring a long-term client/agency relationship that is built on trust. This report from the 4A's and ANA covers the findings from quantitative and qualitative research conducted to measure the current state of affairs related to relationship management program adoption levels, overall satisfaction, and benefits derived from their use. (October 2020)

Best Practice Guidelines for Agency Search Consultants
Agency search consultants can provide a valuable service to marketers and agencies by running a well-structured agency review. This guide provides the industry with ten Best Practice Guidelines for agency search consultants, with the goal of creating an environment where all parties are clear about the role of search consultants in the agency search process. These best practices have been endorsed by the 4A's and the ANA in an effort to align the interests of marketers and agencies around agency searches and make the process clear and beneficial for all parties. (August 2020)

Other

List of Agency Search Consultants
The 4A's is pleased to provide its list of Agency Search Consultants to ANA to make available to our network. The search consultants on this list have read and agreed with the guidelines in the 4A's/ANA 2020 Best Practice Guidelines for Agency Search Consultants, and the list is updated on a regular basis.