Economic ambiguity and political shocks appear to be issues we’ll be dealing with for some time to come. In this environment, a lot of executive teams will be considering costs, and marketers should do the same. Since I’ve been working in the advertising industry for a few decades with some incredible clients, there hasn’t been a single year where the advertising and marketing budget hasn’t been criticized for not being used more effectively. Thankfully, I also discovered that there are some simple approaches that can help you get more with less effort.
Brilliant briefs and brilliant agency briefings are my favorites for increasing effectiveness. It’s true what they say: strong briefs produce strong results. They also play a significant role in promoting more effective operations. Understanding how you or your teams are working with your agencies is crucial to cost-cutting without compromising effectiveness. One brief, one briefing, one agency response to the brief, one feedback session, one rework, and one sign-off should be your goal to ensure maximum efficiency.
Marketing teams in some cases waste enormous amounts of their budgets on briefing the wrong agencies with poor briefs, not bringing the right decision makers in early enough, using the creative work to refine the strategy, and providing poor feedback. Standardizing the brief, the creative development process, and how you work with your agencies could save you a fortune in fees. In one review my team led at a big MNC, we trimmed 15% off fees, with no effect on quality. Don’t believe me? Ask your agencies how good you are to work with and how you could be more efficient by working with them better. It will be an awakening conversation.