What’s The Real Key To Finding Your Muse?

(A three part series on the process and how to separate the purest wheat from the finest chaff)

The Ultimate Selection Tool…

An assumption is built into the agency/client mating dance that both will be partnering with the other on a specific and not-so-small mission: build business. But as stated earlier the process when focused on a project assignment may yield a wide range of outcomes that can be useful, actionable or just plain wrong. Too much like a poker game or darts and not enough like a true collaboration where the best and most effective ideas always spring.

So are we just to accept that this is an inherent weakness in the deliberation and press on? Well, no.

Too many places along the standard RFP path to go off the track or never be really on the rails that in our mind suggests we should instead narrow the bandwidth of the entire evaluation criteria. Perhaps to focus on something that is at once powerful and also revealing about an agency’s brainpower and way of doing things.

It’s light bulb time….

All communication, no matter what the specific objective, is about changing behavior. We know that effective communication will always be built on a foundation of relevance to the recipient. The sequence is as follows: relevance leads to effective communication, which leads to preference, which leads to sales. So where does relevance come from?

Effective strategies and creative solutions must come from a fountain of – insight. If this is any affirmation on the importance of the subject: according to the Intelligent New Business Survey. When asked about the most effective way for agencies to engage with the prospective client the top box score of 92% went to you guessed it – insight.

Audience-centric evaluation

Our recommendation for selecting an agency is target audience insight. Could be category insight, too. But perhaps audience insight might lead to the most satisfying dialogue. Peeling the onion another layer, the yardstick of agency selection analysis would derive from identifying key areas of lifestyle relevance and how the brand can connect successfully. This steers the process away from complete campaign execution and towards the foundation on which you can mutually build a successful and effective program – based on audience insight.

This is no cheap date or letting the agency off lightly. It requires some research. Some study time, some thoughtful evaluation, creative interpretation and strategic thinking to connect the dots. The agency evaluation on this platform, by virtue of its focus, is more apple-to-apple for the selection participants.

And it doesn’t feel like (to an agency) you’re giving away all of your intellectual property. The “poker-like” nature of the review process would be less palpable and the journey more engaging. Mix two parts chemistry with two parts insight and the process will go from murky to clear.

What do you think? Let us know…

What’s The Real Key To Finding Your Muse?

(A three part series on the process and how to separate the purest wheat from the finest chaff)

What Really Matters…

What is chemistry? I like you? You seem smart? I respect you? I like your tie? This organic equation does not require a formula in our opinion. It will be there or it will not for a thousand reasons that aren’t too far removed from the same attraction juice that causes people to be drawn to or repelled by others we come into contact with. Humans make decisions about people very quickly says Malcolm Gladwell in his book BLINK, a fascinating tour of powerful sub-conscious cues. It just IS as they say.

How the fit fits between client and agency is the stuff of spark, flame, comfort or decided lack thereof. You cannot compel it (chemistry) but nevertheless recognize how vital and essential the matter of rapport will be. After all you’ll be slaying dragons together presumably.

Getting to know you…

What real-time investment is made to get to know each other? Conversations not presentations loom large. Dinner anyone? Does this feel somehow frivolous? Our recommendation is this: way more weight needs to be focused on the human side of the journey than perfunctory RFP processes often allow for. A consultant, by the way, cannot do this for you. The right pheromone formula is a highly individual thing and human contact is the only route to assessment. On-site agency tours can also be revealing in terms of environment, practices and people — and could be an integral part of the overall chemistry check analysis.

Business is done between people who trust each other. Period. Everyone in a decision role (not too many please) should be involved in meet, greet, talk and get to know one another sessions. Outside of the conference room would be good. This can steer you towards a successful partnership and away from something destined to shipwreck later. You’d be surprised how much you’ll learn through informal, hair-down discourse.

It’s really about the people. That’s what you’re getting and trust is the key ingredient.

“>What’s The Real Key To Finding Your Muse?

(A three part series on the process and how to separate the purest wheat from the finest chaff)

Setting the Table…

This is a subject near and dear to our hearts about an often lengthy, sometimes bumpy process that goes on literally everyday. Clients looking for fresh thinking or support in the launch of a new product or brand, or attempts to fix a business in decline will send out RFPs and so the winnowing race begins. Sometimes it can feel like a crapshoot for everyone.

Client decision makers walk into a process (in the midst of pressing everyday business priorities) that from the get-go with can be vexing and mysterious. Agencies, too, have a love/hate relationship with the whole thing: love the hunt and the strategic challenge but hate the vagueness implied in a search process and the inevitable giveaway of their intellectual property product.

Not surprising is the general nod with some regularity to a fairly routine line-up of selection criteria such as relevant previous category experience, chemistry, listening skills, strategic chops, planning process, creativity, people power/bench strength and so on. Still there’s a sense of risk involved or so it seems and therefore often an assignment (tell us how you would launch Brand X) is arrayed on the table to put agencies into action so their process and outcomes can be vetted. And from a distance mind you!!

Flaw in the ointment…

All is well and good except every business is deeply unique, and the entire procedure is at once three miles wide and a half-inch deep. It is unavoidably the nature of the beast. This can result in ideas that, while innovative on the surface, are wrong for the brand. This is not due necessarily to lack of due diligence from the agency but more about proximity. No one knows the other all that well. Even with briefs and data dump meetings, many assumptions will be made on both sides that could be right, could be wrong.

Is there a better way?

Yes!!