The 2023 Marketing Relationship Survey revealed that Delivery and Business Development remained a key challenge for Agency-side marketing leaders in the last year. 

Agency leaders and marketers in general are dealing with worldwide challenges like adapting to and adopting advanced technology and social platforms, budget constraints and showcasing marketing’s ROI, and navigating data privacy changes. 

The problems above came up in the Marketing Relationship Survey as well as some others (in order of ranking from the survey):

1. Scaling for Projects

2. Talent Acquisition

3. Consistency in Work Output

4. Project Scoping 

5. Adapting to New Technology

6. Agency Politics

7. Client Retention

8. Agency Culture

9. Team Retention 

Delivery + Client Retention

There was a 12% increase in issues scaling for projects and a 26% increase in issues around work output consistency over 2022, making Delivery a struggle point for Agencies in the last year. 

Since Clients rated dissatisfaction with Delivery as a reason to end a relationship with an Agency, this should be an area of focus in the next year. 

Scoping and consistency issues come from a lack of a standardized process within the Agency. Do you have the proper resources and team to meet the Client’s requirements? Is there a QA process in place? Develop Quality Control Mechanisms like checklists and check points for every project to make sure nothing is missed. Be sure to train new hires on the procedure and Agency standards.

Misaligned expectations can also lead to miscoping and inconsistencies. From the very beginning of the relationship, setting expectations and getting and staying on the same page throughout the relationship is important. Sometimes Agencies overpromise and cannot deliver, or the Client misunderstands and the Agency has to pick up the slack without the proper support leading to a dissatisfied customer. Agencies need to know the expectations from the beginning by fully understanding and researching the Client at the RFP stage, and having regular reporting and dialogue throughout the process.

Talent Acquisition

The job market and economy are ever-changing. Finding the best of the best talent is a challenge for every industry. The following solutions could help you find the next great hire. However, top talent does not come easy, so you will need to get creative with what you offer. 

1. Competitive compensation packages that ensure a competitive salary and perks such as flexibility, vacation days, company positioning and growth opportunities.

2. Flexibility and Work-Life Balance is a huge priority for employees, especially in a virtual and hybrid world. Leaders who have a healthy Work-Life Balance showcase more trust in their employees. People who feel trusted want to do a good job in return. 

3. PVTV, or having a strong purpose, vision, tenets, and values, humanizes your company and will attract people who align with your Agency’s mission. 

4. Professional Development opportunities will attract growth seekers who are always willing to advance their skills and careers. Not only will the candidate grow more from the professional opportunities, but their growth will end up benefiting your company. 

5. A supportive and encouraging environment will allow people to feel safe to bring their unique and diverse ideas and talents to the table. Investing in DEI and mental health resources will give your Agency a leg up and help your team to feel seen and acknowledged. Rewards, shout outs, and praise will also help team members feel celebrated and like they belong at your company. 

6. Intentional Onboarding sets everyone up for success. Whether that’s giving the new hire an onboarding buddy, a standardized process, or regular check-ins, an Onboarding process will make them feel ready to jump in, and will also assure your Clients that your team knows what they are doing.

Agency Culture, Agency Politics + Team Retention 

We’ve looked into the inner workings of over 50 Agencies, interviewing Staff members of Agencies of different disciplines to find out what works for their teams and what doesn’t. Consistent themes across the board that would improve the overall team experience at a marketing Agency are: recognition, transparency and communication from leadership, proper onboarding and setting of expectations, and cross-departmental communication. 

Setup often states in our Agency Assessment report that analyzes external (Clients) and internal (Staff) sources that a team member’s satisfaction with their work can often be traced back to their manager. Do your managers have their employees' best interests at heart?

A happy team is one that feels respected, like they have a say in the room and an impact on the work and Agency. Satisfied team members will bleed into creating a positive culture. 

A transparent and communicative leadership about company goals, org structure, growth opportunities, and decisions through regular staff meetings and checkpoints can build trust and lead to an empowered team. 

If you are struggling with building a solid culture, communicating to and hearing your team, check out our Team Building service! We use elements from improv to break barriers down and connect your team like never before so that brilliant ideas shine through and everyone feels seen. 

Adapting to New Technology

New technology is always on the rise. How can you implement a strategy to get your team on board?

1. Invest the time and resources in new technologies so that you don’t get left behind. Whatever and whoever you invest in, the energy will be poured back into your company. 

2. Keep a pulse on the latest industry trends and decipher what is best for your Agency. Encourage learning and innovation across your organization. This could also mean an educational stipend to explore tools, attend webinars or events, or paying for tools. You never know what tool or platform could resonate with your company and audience. Although Threads has been bashed by some as a social media platform, some brands have optimized it to their advantage.  

3. Pilot programs with a select few employees who will then judge if the initiatives will be beneficial  for your larger team. Regularly review your entire technology stack to see if you are paying for and utilizing the right tools to optimize your efforts and scale growth. Use data to inform any commitment. 

If you are a marketing Agency who is struggling with the above and doesn’t know where to go, Setup offers some helpful resources to stretch, grow, and improve your marketing Agency:

THESE MARKETING SERVICES INCLUDE:

• Agency Assessment - Provides agencies with an in-depth SWOT analysis and action items from data collected from internal and external stakeholder interviews.

• Agency Mastermind - A curated, peer-to-peer mentoring group of marketing Agency (10-50 FTEs) owners who meet monthly to discuss, brainstorm, support, and advise each other to solve problems and develop personally or professionally. 

• Team Building - Harnesses team bonding and development organically through improv exercises.

• Business Development Training - Arranges a customized workshop for your team to refine your BD strategy.

• Marketing Diagnostic - Evaluates Client-facing messaging and recommends methods to differentiate. 

Keeping a pulse on the marketing industry and Agency-Client relationship allows us to see what gaps there are in the marketplace so that we can best help marketers on each side. If you would like to contribute to the 2024 Marketing Relationship Survey, it is now open. Please share your thoughts so that we can better assist our community and you!