Search Statistics

Flash Report – March 08, 2001

This BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT information is for agencyfinder.com Certified Agencies, Agency New Business Executives and agency subscribers. We communicate with registered member-agencies using e-mail.

CONTENTS:

1. Search Statistics
2. You Will Fare Well
3. How Now Dot.Com?
4. The R Word
5. New Business Talent

SEARCH STATISTICS

The daily news carries pessimistic business prognostications, and there’s more on that below, but the downturn has apparently caused clients to take a closer look at things. The result here at agencyfinder.com is a 17% increase in search volume over the same period last year. Here’s a status report:

Current active searches – 5 (waiting to close)
Searches in the ready-cue – 7 (waiting to invite)
Searches in development – 18 (evaluating essays)
Closed searches – 5

YOU WILL FARE WELL

I hope it doesn’t sound corny because it’s not meant to be, but we promise to do anything and everything we can during 2001 and beyond to see that YOUR Certified Agency fares better at new business (by a minimum of 300%) over those that aren’t registered with us — period.

For those at your agency charged with business development, the cold hard reality is that it will be critical to DO EVERYTHING RIGHT in the months ahead. If you know anything we could be doing to help you more, I personally want to hear from you.

In case you hadn’t heard, we’ve been providing new business development consulting to the agency and public relations side of the industry since 1990. I’m also proud to announce that our Internet service agencyfinder.com is now in its 5th year of operation!

HOW NOW DOT.COM?

I’m puzzled, maybe you have an answer.

In our database, 1118 agencies claim they do Web site design & development. Yet only 194 claim they’ve done work for dot.com startups; 198 claim work for dot.coms that are primarily internet firms; and 187 say they’ve done work for brick and mortar firms with Web sites. That either means 539 agencies (1118 minus 194 minus 198 minus 187) are reporting they COULD DO the work but HAVEN’T DONE ANY yet, OR more likely, many agencies have not been back to update their files.

By example, the same holds true for e-commerce (193), lotteries (36), mortgage lending (79) and the list goes on — covering the 61 new fields we added back on December 18th, 2000.

We’re puzzled — what message (just short of immediate identifiable lost business) would make this a priority matter with everyone? At the moment, and for what we hope is just a transitory period, clients aren’t necessarily getting a chance to find ALL the most appropriate agencies. For those who have yet to update the file, (so I don’t necessarily mean you ), it could be their agency that gets excluded.

THE R WORD

Did you read AdAge this week and see the article entitled AD INDUSTRY SPOOKED BY GATHERING CLOUDS?

The lead line starts — “It’s beginning to look a lot like

recession.” It’s a timely piece. Writers quote statistics, then name agencies and more layoffs. But there’s one comment that will endure the year, maybe more. John Butler, co-creative director, Butler, Shine & Stern, Sausalito, Calif., said many agencies’ new business strategy for the past two years consisted of answering the phone. “That’s going to change,” he said, anticipating a return to the days when a pitch for an obscure $2 million account will draw not just small shops but powerhouses, too.

It certainly may come back to that. Clients had been telling us some agencies didn’t even answer the phone. Can you believe — we even know agencies that would love to take a shot at any old “obscure” $1 million account! Have they no shame?

In every agencyfinder review, we intercept and consult with ALL clients. For everyone’s benefit, we pre-screen searchers, working to identify only those that are serious and prepared to conduct a proper review. I must confess a few bad apples have gotten past security!

As a point of differentiation – we’re not a simplified on-line directory or a “look-up & steer-them-to-you” service. NEW BUSINESS TALENT

New business development is our exclusive, so we’re frequently called upon to help fill departmental vacancies.

If you or anyone you know is looking for experienced agency or public relations new business talent, just give us a call.

Charles G. Meyst, Chairman/CEO

Business Partnering International, Ltd.
Vantage Place, 4327 Cox Road
Glen Allen, Virginia 23060 USA