Make them pitch for every project you have

Pitches cost agencies huge amount of time, hence money. This can be an investment on the agency’s part, as they might want to get a foot in the door with you as a client. It would need to mean the future work waiting to happen will largely offset the pitch investment. So having a 30K project does not paint that picture. At all. Do the math, how would the agency make any money on this? How often marketers deem they can expect agencies to fall in line for these schemes is astounding. This kind of behaviour doesn’t take them serious, nor will it do you as a marketer do you any good. They can’t really take you serious either, can they? Just select a proper agency that you trust to deliver on this (small) project.

Ask them to come up with multiple elaborate detailed ideas

So you got an agency to work on your brief. What normally is the case, is that the agency will present its client with multiple ideas. Often the ideas are different angles to the solution, hopefully responding to the aforementioned brief. The whole set up is that you choose one and then go into further developing the idea into a concept. Good agencies will often come up with some preliminary designs to give you an idea what it all will look like and how it could be applied across various media. Now comes trouble. Some people then expect agencies to work out every one of these ideas into fully developed concepts, basically creating multiple ready to go campaigns. I suspect this is because agencies have nothing better to do than create all kinds of campaigns for you. It’s kind of a hobby.

Keep the ideas from pitches for your own use

You may think reading this, but that’s crazy. It happens, I kid you not. More often than you think. There are people out there who love to have agencies pitch to then be able to “pick and choose” and have a third agency further develop it all into a campaign. Does this sound like “a free ride” or stealing? Yes, it does. It’s really not okay to expect this. Please either have them work on the idea and actually pay them or don’t use the idea. It’s quite simple actually.

Expect them to do your alignment work

An amazing experience for agencies. Gives new meaning to self-steering teams. Cause why would a marketer actually align with other agencies or departments on a campaign? Way too much work. Better be busy with .. strategic projects and thinking. Why orchestrate the entire thing? I keep on laughing when I hear this happening. The mess that is the consequence of this behaviour is gigantic. Someone who likes this, came up with the phrase “lead agency” to make it all sound plausible. What does that mean… lead agency? Again, being accountable for alignment and making choices is way too tricky for your corporate career. This way, you can always blame.. the agency!

Ask them stuff they’re not equipped for

Sometimes you need to be mindful what you ask your agency to do. As the thing is, they’re not great at everything. Even though some will whisk stuff like “full service” or “one stop shop” at you, it hardly ever pans out. There is a reason you have design agencies and BTL agencies and PR agencies and ATL agencies and… and.. Well, you get the gist. Setting up for success or dwindling away in corporate obscurity is your choice as a marketer. You need not only to brief properly, but also brief the proper agency. The other way around is frustrating and most likely ends up with parties blaming each other. Wasn’t that the marketer messed up the agency. Of course not.