Finding an agency to fit my needs
How difficult is it to find an agency that will work with a limited budget? Do you get the attention and the resources that you need?
Something to remember is that all companies, even the big public groups have a budget they need to operate within so any agency is going to be used to working with a budget. In terms of working with a smaller or more limited budget it seems like most agencies can find solutions for that or at least you can find somebody that will accomidate your needs. Sometimes with a limited budget the solution is figuring out what you can handle yourself and what you want to outsource to an agency. Maybe instead of doing everything or passing everything off, there is a middle ground that is the best balance of budget and results.
In terms of getting the resources and attention you need, that is the agency's responsibility to their clients. A great way to find that out is by getting referrences and talking with clients of theirs to find out their experiences.
It is critical to determine what you need and the resources available to meet that need. Even a small budget can achieve great results if the work meets the needs of the client. For a small budget focus efforts.
Some firms will give less for getting less. These are the firms to avoid. Be sure to be upfront with your funding and expectations.
With a limited budget, it is good to contact a couple references (provided) by the agency of schools comparable in size to your school.
Agreed--it is always good to contact a couple of references and get their opinion on the agency and get any questions answered.
Yes is not and easy task,finding an Agency that fits our needs becouse they have to know first our wants and more than that, how our university works.
Very good point Eldin. We had not hit on that before. It isn't always even about making sure that the agency understands what your goals are, but also understands how you operate to get there. Some clients have more internal review or less than average or different decision makers along the road and if the agency doesn't understand that it can lead to friction in the relationship. The more both parties disclose about each other's processes the better things seem to go.
Have you found any best practices for sharing this information and making sure everything is out on the table?
Mike
Having worked in the film industry - and spent a great deal of time dealing with agencies - I must confess to being a little leary these days about the bigger traditional agencies. I'm finding that utilizing a variety of vendors - which you do suggest at one point - is in some instances a better fit. There are a lot of hungry, talented people out there who work reasonably and aren't supporting a ton of overhead that gets passed on to the client in the form of higher fees. That being said I do agree that effort required to manage media in-house can often be back-breaking and unproductive. In the instance of the school I am affiliated with, there's a culture of keeping it in-house, however - hence my interest in taking this course - to see if perhaps I can glean some methods that will better serve our mission.
