Some years back, EDS developed an ad showing cowboys herding cats through the prairie.   The promise was that the company could “Bring together information, ideas, and technologies and make them go where you want.”   The task facing those imaginary cowboys is reminiscent of the challenge facing companies that try to manage multiple communication agencies - each with their own vision of how the brand should best be managed to achieve growth.  The outcome is often more of a turf battle than a productive exercise.  

Everything today seems to be getting more specialized and the communications market is no different.  The past decade has seen companies exchange the historical Agency of Record relationship for a set of niche firms that specialize in areas such as consumer, B2B, media, Hispanic, PR, internet, event, and a database marketing.   It is not unheard of to have seven or eight companies involved in communicating the brand to the marketplace.

While each situation differs, we have found that seven elements are always common in successful management of multiple agencies:  

1.      Set  a Tone of Mutual Respect

The phrases “you just don’t understand” or “I know more than you” are substantial threats to any relationship, and it is no different with agencies.  The incentive for any form of cooperation erodes if the participants do not feel valued. 

As soon as the agencies (or clients) begin to develop an attitude of superiority over the other partners, the incentive to help create a mutually beneficial solution begins to erode.   Clients must set the tone about what is expected and how the organizations should interact with one another.  

2.      Define Roles of Everyone Involved

Defining roles is a simple concept, but one whose importance is often overlooked. Within the world of sports, each team has different positions that must be filled and executed - the same is true when multiple agencies work with a particular company.  

The confusion of roles combined with the desire for agencies to increase their business with a client creates the tendency to overlap activities and enter into battles over turf.  Clients must articulate the primary task for each agency and how they fit into the overall scheme. 

We have been in situations where three different agencies are conducting research and, upon further examination, we find the same questions are being asked.  The end target for each of the firms is typically the same, so why not spend time working together on the effort that is underway.  If competitive intelligence is available, share it.  If research is getting ready to be done, talk about it.  In the end, it is the client’s resources (either directly or in agency fees) that are being expended, so efforts should be incremental, not duplicated.  This works best if a single client contact is responsible for managing the agencies and defining the roles of each entity. 

If each agency does not have a distinct and unduplicated purpose, then it may be time to eliminate some of the agencies.

3.      Enforce  a “No Poaching” Rule

A very quick way to undermine cooperation is to substantiate the fear that sharing among the agencies will result in the loss of business to one of the “partners.” It is a natural fear and one that can only be overcome if the client sets forth a clear expectation that they will not award business to one of the other firms.  The client has to set the vision and the agencies need to have the confidence that it won’t be violated.  If that is not the case, self-interests will begin to overwhelm any desire for cooperation.

Let the business for agencies grow by overall business improvement, not due to shifting billings between partners.

4.      Encourage Active Communication

Poor communication creates mistrust and misunderstanding.  Proactive efforts must be put in place to ensure ongoing communication from the client, as well as between agency partners.  During major initiatives, conversations between agencies may need to happen weekly.  Other times, monthly or quarterly interactions may be sufficient.  Conversations should focus on sharing current productivity, learnings, research, timelines, etc.  

Work to transform the agencies with independent goals into a team that in essence becomes the “Brand Stewardship Council” - each with responsibilities for a different part.

5.      Take the Point of Leadership & Ultimate Accountability

In the end, it is the client who has to set the objectives, approve the strategy, and be accountable for the results.   Clients should seek input from the agencies, but should always require that the recommendations from their partners fit with their own understanding of the marketplace.   A simple point that is often overlooked is that the client has the accountability and it is the client who should lead the strategic choices.

The presence of multiple agencies is complicated when those agencies work across multiple divisions.  Even if there are multiple divisions or regions using agencies, it is beneficial to appoint a single individual to oversee the agencies. This person is not responsible for all of the execution, but is responsible for encouraging cooperation and ensuring that the relationships are maximized.  If the clients can’t work together, why should the agencies?

While there may be multiple firms involved, communication with the target must be seamless, integrated, and consistent.  That requires setting the tone from a single point. 

One firm should have the responsibility for setting the tone and identity for the brand.  Once agreed upon, the client needs to insist that each agency take their queue from the tone and approach set by that creative.  This is not always easy since each agency has their own creative team and wants to put their fingerprint on what is implemented.  Agencies can be creative in their implementation, but they should maintain a consistent identity across the different vehicles.  

The ability to increase control over consistency improves if a single person within the client is accountable for the agency relationships.  Take ownership of that responsibility.

One would expect that those in the realm of marketing and communication would not have a problem in developing and managing relationships.  Unfortunately, the tendency is to sometimes create more tension versus proactively resolving it.  Specialty agencies offer substantial advantages if they can be managed.  In the end, this entire effort can be addressed in the same way we were taught to deal with one another in grade school — respect each other, play fair, and remember that the teacher is always in charge.

© Copyright 2007.  All Rights Reserved.
Confidential Property of Group Newhouse, Inc.

This article available in pdf format: Managing Multiple Communication Agencies