“Advertisers No Longer Seek Advertising Agencies,” Reports AgencyFinder.com
“Clients are looking for marketing service firms that can solve their problems. What they call themselves is irrelevant,” says AgencyFinder’s Chuck Meyst.
Richmond, VA (PRWEB) January 24, 2012 – An annual review of website traffic and search criteria submitted by advertisers to leading online search selection consultant AgencyFinder.com shows that clients are more open to solutions from non-traditional marketing service providers than ever before. “If you look at the hundreds of search inquiries we’ve processed over the last 18 months, you see more and more clients willing to meet with the entire spectrum of marketing service firms – from integrated marketing firms to shops specializing in digital, social, experiential and other medias and mediums,” explains AgencyFinder’s Chairman and CEO, Chuck Meyst.
“Over the years, ‘ad agency’ and ‘advertising agency’ have morphed to become marcom, integrated marketing communications, digital, interactive, experiential, shopper, crowd sourcing, social media and more, all contributed to by well-intended individuals seeking differentiation,” Meyst continued. “But clients (advertisers) regard those distinctions as services. Clearly there’s a difference between what giant corporations desire and what many small to mid-sized clients desire, but regardless of size, most suggest they’d like a marketing partner to provide whatever discipline is called for.”
Are we witnessing the demise of the term ad agency and the rise of marketing agency? According to AgencyFinder’s Meyst, the answer is probably “Who cares?”
“Advertisers want marketing partners to solve their marketing issues but don’t particularly care what a marketing firm calls itself. And that’s been the our experience after 15 years and more than 10,000 pairings.”
To cut through the clutter, Meyst advises clients to study and become intimately familiar with today’s agency variants. Then, both clients and agencies should seek to embrace powerful, proven business search services which match the needs of clients with the experience and services offered by agencies using proprietary search engines and experienced hands-on staff consultants.
At AgencyFinder, clients search first by vertical market experience, then services, end-user demographics, location, size and more. Who the client selects and invites to pitch their business depends heavily on each agency’s profile, website and case histories. The ultimate business award is influenced by relevant samples, agency site visits, chemistry checks and client-site final presentations.
January 2012 AgencyFinder website traffic, analytics, inquiries and registrations confirms this is again a time of research and preparation by clients looking to hire a new partner. Meyst suggests marketing firms develop an effective “elevator pitch” to explain their specializations to an identified and preferably face-to-face prospect, but avoid general broadcasts or the use of unfamiliar terminology.
About AgencyFinder
Founded in 1997, AgencyFinder’s agency search and match-making service is offered at no cost to advertisers or consultants working on their behalf. The service is funded through subscription fees paid by voluntarily registered agencies seeking to be found and hired.
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