AdAge Agency News carried the story Monday that the Pappas Group agency turned down the opportunity to be featured on AMC’s “The Pitch”.  Author Anthony Pappas did a great job explaining why, and with just one exception, everyone who “posted” agreed.  The story is worth reading.  You should be able to find it here, at least for awhile:  http://adage.com/article/small-agency-diary/turn-a-shot-featured-national-tv/233233/

I chose to share our experience and posted this comment:

Sound decision. In actuality, most final presentations of three or more contenders are resolved based on chemistry, compatibility, philosophies – all else essentially being equal at that point. If apparent to the viewing audience, that might be more than awkward to explain or understand for those viewers who would be expecting some flashy, whiz-bang presentation to (as they so often say) – blow them away! That attention to personalities might suggest that there is no “magic” in the creative process and we know different!

Chuck Meyst, AgencyFinder.com

This is interesting but not at all surprising. An annual review of website traffic and search criteria at AgencyFinder shows people are more open to solutions from non-traditional marketing service providers than in prior years.

Of the findings, AgencyFinder Chairman and CEO Chuck Meyst said, “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 mediums.”

Continuing, Meyst said, “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 by well-intended individuals seeking differentiation. But 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.”

Yea, yea, yea. It’s the old bundle or unbundle conundrum. One day marketers want an integrated solution. Another they want a specialized shop with expertise in one particular area. And that cycle is likely to continue. One thing is certain though. If agencies don’t have (or acquire) the skill sets marketers seek, they will, for sure, be in trouble. Marketers want (and need) so much more than what a typical agency can provide.

No doubt, agencies will forever always say, “Oh we can do that.” But the days of saying that and sliding by by “partnering” with another firm that actually does the work may not last. It’s just too easy to find a firm that does exactly what you want without all the overhead of an ad agency.

Hmm. AgencyFinder might want to consider changing its name.

“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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We have an ongoing relationship with the good folks at Robert W. Baird in Milwaukee. Each quarter, they and we poll marketing firms for a “look forward.” Our entire database of registered agencies are welcome and entitled to participate; they are also entitled to the full report when it’s available.

In this case, thank you to the marketing and advertising professionals who participated in this survey. The color and depth of the additional commentary adds to the overall quality of the survey and their ability to interpret the results. Of note, the AgencyFinder partnership contribution was down at 23 responses to the overall pool. The more that contribute, the more meaningful the results and the ability to predict what’s up ahead! Join in next time … On this report, Baird remarked “Your group was slightly below the overall agency category in 3Q11 but their expectations for 4Q11 and both 2011 and 2012 remain higher. ”

View that report here: https://www.agencyfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/3Q11-Marketing-Survey-AgencyFinder.pdf

The “New Look” for agency selector service, AgencyFinder, is more than just a cosmetic improvement.

(Richmond, VA, May 1, 2011) – The only constant in the world of advertising and public relations is change.  At least that’s what it’s seemed like for a pair of professions rocked by economic downturns; a media industry turned upside-down and collapsing corporate marketing budgets.

“There has never been a more critical time for agencies to pursue new business and for clients to find and pair up with the right marketing partner,” said Charles Meyst, CEO of AgencyFinder.com and AgencyFinder.eu, the most comprehensive worldwide database of ad agencies and public relations firms in the industry.  Mr. Meyst’s business blends the matching technology of a dating service with its own, unique blend of one-on-one consulting to help hundreds of clients find the right agencies every year.

“Finding and hiring the best ad agency or PR firm for your business isn’t something you do by just typing key words into a search engine or looking up in a “yellow page directory.”  There’s a more involved methodology to it that produces the best results every time,” continued Mr. Meyst.  “We’ve honed that methodology over the past fourteen years.”

And now, for the first time in nearly half-dozen years, AgencyFinder is undergoing a significant change in their web interface.  “So many things have changed and improved over the last five or six years that we felt it was time to freshen things up a bit and make the registration and search processes even easier,” explained Mr. Meyst.

By adding video enhancement, deepening the Q & A database and introducing a streamlined 21^st Century agency invitation and client evaluation platform, AgencyFinder now serves as a comprehensive online resource for both agencies in search of new clients and for clients who need to find new or additional marketing service providers.  “There are 86 pages of content – from how-to’s to more than 3,000 case studies and 21,000 or more agency essays – all to make it easy for agencies and clients to evaluate and select the perfect candidates,” claimed Mr. Meyst.

Along with the increased pool of informative articles, the site also went through a design change that made it easier to use.  “Our new logo exemplifies our approach to simplification and greater focus on bringing together clients and agencies,” said Mr. Meyst.  “We’ve done it so often that it’s easy to take for granted.  Our re-design process helped us completely re-think how we worked and how we serve both advertisers and the agencies that pay our fees.”

AgencyFinder’s service is offered at no cost to advertisers seeking agencies or to consultants working on their behalf.  The service is funded through registration and subscription fees paid by agencies when they build their profiles and set their records “active.” If an agency’s record surfaces in a search because their attributes matched or exceeded the client’s specifications, those profiles, including the agency’s website-link, are ultimately presented to clients for consideration.

AgencyFinder assisted in the placement of  $214,000,000 in new business with registered advertising agencies, PR and marketing firms last year. 

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About AgencyFinder – AgencyFinder and its companion web sites agencyfinder.com and agencyfinder.eu is a service of Business Partnering, Int. (BPI), a Virginia corporation founded in February of 1997.  The service is unique in its match-making process for pairing advertising, public relations and marketing agencies with clients and is intended for use by companies seeking agency support for projects, campaigns or long-term relationships.  Searching is free to marketers and supported with complimentary search consulting advice (telephone and on-site consultations) provided by BPI’s executive staff.  Advertising agencies and public relations firms (right-sized for budgets less than $100,000 to more than $200 million) pay an annual registration fee to be in the on-line database and to be eligible to participate in AgencyFinder-managed reviews.

 Contact:  Mike Bawden

                   Principal – Bawden & Lareau Public Relations

                   563-359-8654 – phone

                   563-343-0411 – mobile

Two years ago April 6th, 2008, we introduced AgencyFinder to the United Kingdom, and entrusted our ground operations to the good folks at Reardon Smith Whittaker in London. Now, at the end of that 2-year arrangement, after lengthy examination of alternatives and very amicable negotiations, we’ve decided to go our separate ways.

Our two years with RSW have afforded AgencyFinder an opportunity to learn more about the UK and its marketing culture. It’s also given us an opportunity to befriend a number of highly qualified and talented agencies. So even though we won’t have a physical presence in Europe, AgencyFinder will not be leaving the market.

In fact, the AgencyFinder business model is designed to accommodate agencies and clients at great distance from headquarters, and with few exceptions over the past 13 years has it been necessary to visit anyone face-to-face. Not that we don’t enjoy doing so and look forward to doing that in the future, but the heart of our process is our large, all-encompassing agency database, not sit-down “consultant briefings.” We’ve already been able to validate and confirm this during recent UK searcher interviews.

We’re not like conventional search consultants or intermediaries. The AgencyFinder database consists of thousands of agencies worldwide and we use that database to objectively evaluate each agency against every opportunity. The precision of our match-making depends on your agency’s profile, not how you did or did not “impress us.”

More than 500 data-fields, seven essays and case-histories draw clients to your firm’s record; then we give them access to your profile and from there they examine your website. When everything clicks, they ask that we introduce you to each other. The remaining issues of creative and chemistry are best left to you both to determine during direct communication with each other. Certainly there’s more (in the details) and you’ll find that on the website or we’re happy to explain via email or over the phone.

When planning the UK launch, we considered the differences between agency search in the US and the UK and did make subtle adjustments to accommodate. But over time, we’ve come to discover we share a common bond – clients need great agencies; agencies need great clients; all with minimum fuss and expense! I’ve always been fond and had interest in England; evermore so 18 years ago when I married a wonderful woman from Woking, Victoria Bowring. Vicky still has a large family in Salisbury that we visit from time to time and will continue to do so. This new arrangement certainly suggests we need to visit more often, and when we do, we’ll find a way to gather together to meet!

We’re working on a long-overdue fresh, contemporary update to our website and I’m anxious to share that with you. I welcome your thoughts and input. More details will be forth-coming. Thanks for being an AgencyFinder agency!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Advertising veteran, Catherine Magee, has been named Manager, Agency Relations by AgencyFinder’s Chairman and CEO, Charles Meyst

Richmond, VA, January 11, 2010 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) – Charles Meyst, Chairman and CEO of AgencyFinder, announced the appointment of Catherine Magee as Manager, Agency Relations for the ad industry’s on-line and off-line match-making service. Ms. Magee’s primary duties will be to guide advertising agencies and public relations firms through registration and profile development so they can be found and introduced to any of the 800 or more clients expected to use AgencyFinder seeking new or additional marketing service providers.

“Catherine brings a great deal of agency-side experience which I found very appealing,” explained Mr. Meyst. “She knows what it’s like to go through laborious RFP’s for new business only to find out the client didn’t know what to do with the information once they received it.” The AgencyFinder registration process requires agencies to submit much of the pro forma information often required in an RFP, meaning clients are able to include and compare the important data for their search instantly and objectively during the first stages of the selection process.

Ms. Magee’s agency-side experience includes time spent at Lawler-Ballard/Earle Palmer Browne and Hawley Martin in Richmond, VA and ten years’ experience in Chicago working at Campbell-Mithun and TracyLocke on major national brands.

“As the economy starts to show signs of recovery, we expect to see even more clients come to AgencyFinder to find new and additional marketing service agencies. Once begun, that pace should continue to accelerate,” said AgencyFinder’s Mr. Meyst. “Catherine’s primary responsibility will be to make sure we’re continuing to recruit and retain the best agencies in North America to be part of the online portfolio we make available to these clients at no charge.”

Personal Touch Makes the Difference

The firm’s offices – based in Richmond (VA) – has continued to see vigorous search and business development activities from both clients and agencies, but it’s the personal interaction with the AgencyFinder staff that seems to make the difference. “Our subscribing agencies expect that and it’s imperative they know it happens.” explained Mr. Meyst.

“I bring experience that only someone who has worked on the agency’s side of the table can bring,” said Ms. Magee. “I understand where these agencies are coming from when it comes to new business; and having worked for both large and mid-sized agencies, I also understand the pecking order and political hoops that can be set up on the inside.”

“But once an agency understands how we work, they appreciate the speed, quality and objectivity AgencyFinder brings to the agency selection process. The system here allows us to make sure the right agencies are in the running for the right accounts,” said Ms. Magee. “That’s why our registered agencies and clients complete encompassing questionnaires and provide comprehensive information about their capabilities (from agencies) and the nature of the assignment (from clients).”

AgencyFinder assisted in the placement of over $294 million in new business with advertising agencies and PR firms in the US and UK in 2009. The average account size was slightly in excess of $1 million.

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About AgencyFinder – AgencyFinder and its companion websites, agencyfinder.com & agencyfinder.eu is a service of Business Partnering, Int. (BPI), a Virginia corporation founded in February of 1997. The service is unique in its match-making process for pairing advertising, public relations and marketing agencies with clients and is intended for use by companies seeking agency support for projects, campaigns or long-term relationships. Searching is free to marketers and supported with complimentary search consulting advice (telephone and on-site consultations) provided by BPI’s executive staff. Advertising agencies and public relations firms (right-sized for budgets less than $100,000 to more than $100 million) pay an annual registration fee to be in the on line database and to be eligible to participate in reviews.

Contact: Mike Bawden

Principal – Bawden & Lareau Public Relations

563-359-8654 – phone

563-343-0411 – mobile