If you’re getting ready to search for a new agency, you may quickly find out agencies are likely being as choosy about the clients they pitch, as you want to be about choosing them. And if they’re not feeling the love early on in your process, you may find yourself being turned down.

Don’t get me wrong. Most agencies still want to grow by winning new business and would welcome the opportunity to share their credentials and talk about your business. But when clients get demanding about how much and what they want to see, or unreasonable about timelines, then things become more complicated.

Since the pandemic began agencies have had to make some tough calls. Delayed payments, canceled projects, remote working, increased workload, and unprecedented resource retention challenges have all combined to make agencies far more wary about putting more pressure on their teams and their own financial resources.

So, what should you do if you’re about to search for a new agency? Well, here are a few things to bear in mind:

Be clear about why you’re doing a search

You’d be surprised by how many marketers we meet who struggle with clear reasons as to why they’re looking for a new agency.

We hear everything from “we don’t like our (insert function here) on our business…” to “too expensive” to “we just want a change” – or (worse) – “we just want to see what’s out there”. The question about why you want a new agency is crucial because you have to establish if your issue may actually be fixable – thereby saving you the trouble of a search in the first place. Equally, a clear definition of why you want to start an agency search inevitably leads to a more focused and concise set of criteria when you meet prospective agencies.

Get the set-up right

In addition to doing your homework on yourself and preparing for the process, it’s important to help agencies know what the process looks like ahead of time.  This means:

Avoid the cattle call

With so many agencies providing individual or combined services, it can be difficult to identify and narrow down the best agencies to add to your search list – compounded if there’s internal or political pressure to include agencies that you feel shouldn’t be on your list in the first place.

Thorough preparation, a robust stakeholder interview process, and a little homework can help define not only which agencies might be a great fit – but which agencies wouldn’t be – either because of conflict or some other incompatibility with your business.  As a general rule of thumb, if you’re starting with more than eight agencies on your long-list, you need to do more homework and save yourself – and the agencies you’re talking to – wasted time and effort.

Be reasonable about your ask

Nobody should be a fan of asking questions just to tick boxes – so it’s always a puzzle when marketing or procurement teams ask dozens (sometimes hundreds – yes – hundreds!) of questions that are superfluous to the task at hand.  The faster you can get to a dialogue about your business, with smart, well considered questions, the more likely you are to determine how well-equipped agencies are to help manage your business.

Deal with spec work properly

Contrary to what might be shouted from the proverbial peanut gallery, spec work isn’t a complete no-no and the decision to request or not is up to you – not those throwing peanuts. If you ultimately decide spec work is critical for you, the key is to deal with your request properly and in our view, this means:

Agencies are pretty good at being their own watchdogs and if they have an issue with your ask, be prepared to be turned down.

Get clear about price versus value

With some procurement teams being less familiar with service-based sourcing and/or not being synced with marketing team counterparts, some procurement driven RFPs have an over-reliance on financial metrics. Evaluation then focuses on price rather than value and otherwise perfectly suited agencies become eliminated for the wrong reasons.

Whether you’re working with procurement or going it alone, define what constitutes best value for your business beyond price. If you’re looking for a ‘lowest price wins…‘ solution, you may find yourself with a choice of none.

Define your evaluation criteria

How you ensure your team evaluates agencies consistently and correctly is critical to an effective search. I’ve written before on the development of agency scorecards, but whatever approach you choose – make sure it’s not just about adding up a score. No score can give you a perspective on chemistry and whether the agency is a real fit for your needs.

Evaluating agencies on the functional aspects of their submissions or presentations can only take you so far, but defining what constitutes real value and assessing fit with your organization can be far more complex – so take time to ensure everyone on your team understands how agencies need to be evaluated and that evaluation criteria are shared with agencies.

Be respectful

Most of all… agencies who participate in a pitch process typically put their collective hearts and souls into creating the best possible submissions they can. They’ll likely be working late evenings and giving up weekends to make sure they get the best possible shot at winning your business. So, try to:

High profile brands or clients with big budgets can be an overwhelmingly tempting reason to pitch.  But at the end of the day, everyone needs to make a fair profit to make all the effort worthwhile. If you’re not prepared to be prepared to be reasonable in your asks, you should be prepared to be disappointed.









The marketing world seems to have spent the last two years obsessed with “the Prompt.” We’ve treated prompt engineering like a secret language – a sort of digital open sesame that would finally unlock the magic of AI.





But as we settle into 2026, the truth has come out: Prompts are exhausting. Constantly babysitting a chatbot to get a usable headline is just manual labour with a keyboard. If you’re still spending your morning iterating with a LLM, you haven’t found a solution – you’ve just found a very fast, slightly confused freelance writer who needs a lot of hand-holding.





The real shift? We’re firing the prompt and hiring the Agent.





The New Org Chart: Interns vs. Agents





In the old hierarchy (circa 2024), AI was the Intern. You had to tell it exactly what to do, check its work for hallucinations (the AI version of the dog ate my homework…) and then manually move its output into your workflow.





In the new hierarchy, the AI is the Agent. This isn’t just a semantic tweak – it’s a career jump.









Moving from Content Generation to Business Logic





For agencies and clients alike, the Prompt Era was a trap. It focused on assets (more blogs, more images, more noise..). The Agent Era”focuses on Outcomes.





Agents don’t just generate – they orchestrate. They have tool-use capabilities – the ability to log into your CRM, browse your competitor’s pricing in real-time, and adjust your bidding strategy based on the weather in Vancouver. They don’t need a 500-word prompt because they already have the context. They know your brand voice, your Q3 goals and the fact that the CEO hates the teal.





Why Clients are Done with Prompting





Marketing clients are tired of paying for AI-assisted work that still feels like a struggle. They’re done with the hype and they now want the efficiency (and savings) that were promised.





    

  1. Autonomous Operations: Clients don’t want an agency that prompts an AI to write a report – they want an agency that has built an Agent to be the reporting system.
    2. 




  2. The End of the Middle-Person Tax: If an agency is just using AI to do the same old manual tasks slightly faster, the client will eventually just do it themselves. The value now lies in building the Agentic Infrastructure that runs the client’s business while everyone is sleeping.
    3. 




  3. Speed of Thought: In the time it takes to write a perfect prompt, an Agent has already run a thousand simulations of a media spend and picked the winner.
    4. 






Stop Chatting, Start Delegating





The Prompt Era was a fun novelty act but now, “Account Director” Agents are the ones who will actually move the needle on your P&L.





For agencies, the choice is stark: you can either be the person desperately trying to find the perfect sequence of words to make a chatbot behave, or you can be the architect who builds the autonomous systems that make your competitors look like they’re still using a fax machine.





The transition from prompting to delegating is the difference between working for your technology and having your technology work for you.





So, by all means, keep polishing those 200-word prompts if you enjoy the busywork. But just know that while you’re busy typing, your competitor’s Agents have already analyzed the market, optimized the spend, and are currently wondering why you’re still so fond of the submit button.





The future isn’t coming – it’s already logged in. Are you managing it, or are you still just chatting with it?








If your agency meetings have started to feel like a recurring subscription you forgot to cancel, it’s time for a reality check. There is a massive difference between a partner who drives your growth and a passenger who just enjoys the ride (and the retainer). Before you commit to the soul-crushing paperwork of a full-blown pitch, you owe it to your budget – and your sanity – to ask these ten questions:





1. When was the last time you surprised and delighted us ?





And no, a box of lukewarm cupcakes with the agency logo on them doesn’t count. We mean a strategic pivot or a creative “aha!” moment that didn’t make you wince. If the last time you were delighted was during the pitch, you’re officially in a “ghosting” phase.





2. If we didn’t speak for a week, would we actually notice?





This is the ultimate test of your retainer. If the agency disappeared into a silent void for seven days and your business kept humming along perfectly, you aren’t paying for strategic partnership – you’re paying for a very expensive security blanket.





3. What’s the last  really smart thing you shared with us?





Agencies should be your external brain, not just your extra hands. If the last “insight” they gave you was “video is big on TikTok right now,” you’re paying for a news feed, not a consultant. You want the kind of smarts that make you feel like you’ve just had a double espresso.





4. Who actually works here anymore?





Is the senior lead who sold you the dream still on the business, or have you been quietly handed off to a more junior team? If the turnover is higher than a pancake house, your brand soul is leaking out the door.





5. What’s the AI plan (besides “we’re looking into it“)?





If your agency doesn’t have a clear AI roadmap, they’re basically bringing a horse and carriage to a Formula 1 race. You need to know:









6. Are you caught up in Holding Company Hunger Games?





With all the mergers and synergy talk you need to know: Is your account lead focused on your ROI, or are they busy updating their org charts because their department was ‘consolidated’ into a different business unit.





7. Are you growing our business or just keeping the lights on?





Is the agency a thermostat (changing the environment) or a thermometer (just telling you it’s cold)? If they’re just executing the SOW like a robot, they aren’t a partner; they’re a utility bill.





8. Is there a turf war happening on my dime?





If your creative agency and your media agency are fighting over who owns the brand’s soul like divorced parents at a birthday party, you’re the one losing out. Performance should be the only goal, not who gets to claim the most line items in a budget.





9. Does our contract belong in a museum?





If your Scope of Work hasn’t changed since 2021, you’re likely paying for ‘print ad coordination’ while your competitors are winning the Metaverse (or at least the current version of it). A stale SOW is just a slow way to overpay.





10. Would I recommend you to a friend, or would that be a mean prank?





Be honest. If a peer asked for a recommendation, would you enthusiastically hand over the agency’s number, or would you change the subject and ask about the weather? Your gut usually knows the ROI before the spreadsheet does.





The  Request for Transformation (RFT)





If these questions left you feeling a bit awkward, don’t panic. 





You don’t have to fire everyone and start a grueling six-month pitch process. You can issue a Request for Transformation. It’s the marriage counseling of the marketing world – a chance to reset the rules, fix the fees, and get the A-team  back in the room without the drama of a breakup.








Agency pitches are essentially high-stakes first dates: A choreographed dance of tailored suits, polite laughter and a collective effort to keep the ‘quirks’ under wraps until the second meeting.





Whether you’re looking for a media, digital, or PR partner, a pitch is a rare chance to peer into the industry looking glass – and hopefully find a partner, not just a vendor who’s really good at PowerPoint.





When you invite smart people into a room to tell you how great your business could be, it’s bound to spark some soul-searching.





That’s the dream.





But sometimes, the dream starts to feel more like a fever dream.





And while most pitches go smoothly, keep an eye out for these six red flags that suggest you might be getting ‘pitched’ in more ways than one.





1. The Guru





The agency brings in a ‘Guru’- a person with a brain the size of a planet and insights that make you feel like you’ve reached enlightenment.





The catch? The Guru lives in a different time zone, possibly on a different tectonic plate, and is about as likely to work on your daily account as a unicorn is to lead your Tuesday status call. Once the contract is signed, they vanish into the mists of ‘Strategic Oversight’.





Reality check:  What is the actual, physical access to this person? Will they be in the trenches with us, or are they just here for the opening act?





2. The Shiny Object





We’ve all seen it: a flashy VR experience, a viral stunt involving a high-altitude balloon, or an app that does something cool but totally useless. It’s easy to get distracted by the glitter, but remember: A one-off stunt is a sprint; your brand needs a marathon runner. Don’t let a clever ad distract you from the fact that they haven’t mentioned your actual business goals once.





Reality check:  How does this cool toy actually integrate with our boring-but-necessary long-term requirements?





3. Theatre Overload





We love enthusiasm as much as anyone else, but there is a fine line between passionate partner and three-ring circus. If the agency spends more time on the choreography of their entrance than on their data strategy, be careful. You’re hiring a team, not a troupe of interpretive dancers.





Reality check:  When the smoke machine stops and the confetti is swept away, what is the core offering that actually differentiates them?





4. It’s All About Me





This is the ‘Lead Role Casting’ trap. Either one charismatic ego-tripper dominates the entire 60 minutes, or less senior staff (the people who will actually be doing the work) are sitting in the corner like Victorian children – seen but not heard.





If your team are like ghosts in the room and don’t don’t hear from the people you’ll be talking to every day, you aren’t seeing the agency; you’re seeing a monologue.





Reality check: Can we meet the rest of the team for a coffee – without the Lead Actor present?





5. The Missing Connection





Chemistry is the secret sauce. You can have the smartest strategy in the world, but if your team leaves the room feeling like they just sat through a particularly cold dental cleaning, it’s not going to work. If there’s no spark, no amount of ROI will make those 9:00 AM meetings bearable.





Reality check:  Why does this feel like a bad blind date, and what is specifically missing from the emotional connection here?





6. The Budget Magician





This agency promises the moon, the stars, and a Super Bowl spot on a shoestring budget. They’ve looked at your modest ;ocal radio budget and somehow produced a plan that includes a world tour and an A-list celebrity endorsement. It feels like magic … because that’s what it is – illusion. You’ll sign the deal, and three months later, the ‘unexpected costs’ will start appearing like rabbits out of a hat.





Reality check:  This looks incredible, but can you walk us through the math? Which parts of this plan are based on best-case scenarios and which parts are actually guaranteed?





The Bottom Line





All these warning signs are your ‘check engine’ lights of the marketing world. And course any successful search depends on a solid process – not just your gut instinct.





For a comprehensive guide on how to prepare for your agency search process as well as things to look for (and avoid), call your friendly agency search consultant or check out the guide we wrote for the Association of Canadian Advertisers on Searching For A Marketing Communications Agency Partner: – A Guidebook for Marketers on Agency Searches.










 





 



Let’s be honest: the relationship between a brand and its agency is a lot like a long-term marriage. In the beginning, there were fancy dinners, blue-sky thinking, and a boat load of enthusiasm. But what about lately? Are things unfolding like you imagined, or are you acting like you’re roommates arguing over who left the AI-generated trash in the hallway?





If you’re wondering whether your agency is still “the one” or if you’re just paying a very expensive monthly subscription for mediocrity, it’s time for a serious vibe check.  Here are a few questions to think about:





1. The “Surprise and Delight” Barometer





When was the last time your agency actually surprised you?





The Dream: They bring you a brilliant consumer insight that makes you say, “Damn, they’re smart.”





The Reality: They bring you a “trending” TikTok idea that was cool three weeks ago and features a dancing cat.





The Test: If you didn’t hear from them for a full week, would you notice? Or would you just enjoy the blissful silence and the extra room in your calendar? If the answer is “I’d finally get some work done,” your retainer might just be an expensive keep the lights on fee.





2. Holding Company Musical Chairs





The ad world is currently one giant game of ‘Hungry Hungry Hippos’ and with all the reshuffling, you could be forgiven for thinking your agency has been more focused on their new office floor plan than your 2026 goals.





So check the room. Is your senior leadership still there, or has the holding company shake-up replaced your seasoned veteran with an enthusiastic but more junior team?





3. The Robot in the Room (AI)





Sure, we’re all using AI, but is your agency using it to help you or just to invoice you faster?





Have they guided you through their AI workflow, or are they hoping you don’t notice the sixth finger on the hand of the model in your latest social ad? (Trust me – it’s happened…)





And… if you don’t have contractual language around AI guardrails and ownership, you’re basically living in the Wild West. Without a sheriff.





4. The “Play Nice” Factor





Are your agencies working together in a beautiful symphony, or is it more of a turf war where the PR team is currently staging a coup against your media agency?





If you’re spending more time mediating playground fights than reviewing creative, your integrated solution is actually a fragmented headache.





5. Recommendation or Restraining Order?





Here is the ultimate litmus test: If a fellow marketer asked for a recommendation, would you give them your agency’s number, or would you pull them aside and whisper, “Run for your life”?





The “It’s Not Me, It’s You” Solution





If these questions made you sweat, you don’t necessarily need a full-blown agency search which – if not done properly – is the corporate equivalent of moving houses during a hurricane.





Instead, try a “Request for Transformation.” It’s a formal way of saying: “I love you, but you need to start trying again.”It’s a chance to update your Scope of Work, set new AI boundaries, and remind them that you’re paying for a growth engine, not a night light.





Is it time to redefine the relationship? If so, we can help you draft a Request for Transformation framework to get your current agency back on track (or help you figure out if it’s truly time to swipe left).








Our 2025 Canadian Agency Pitch Report is officially live, and the data tells a fascinating story. While the total volume of pitches dipped slightly by 7.4% compared to the previous year, the real takeaway isn’t the quantity- it’s the vibe shift in how brands are choosing their partners.





With 163 pitches tracked last year, we saw some massive industry pivots:









We Have the Data—Now We Want Your Truth





The report gives us the what, but we need you to help us understand the how. Statistics show us who won, but they don’t capture the actual “State of the Pitch”—the late nights, the chemistry sessions, or the process itself.





Last year’s inaugural “State of the Pitch” survey confirmed a painful reality: 31% of pitches in Canada were rated as “bad or very bad.” We saw avoidable issues like agencies being given less than two weeks to respond, cattle call pitches with over a dozen agencies, and demands for free strategy and creative upfront.





If you were one of the agencies involved in those 163 pitches last year, we need your voice. Whether the process was a gold standard of respect or a grueling marathon that should have been an email, your feedback is the only way we can move that 31% dissatisfaction rate downward. We want to move beyond anecdotes to quantify the boots on the ground experience of the 2025 cycle.







This isn’t about who won or lost. It’s about how the pitch was managed. Your insights help us advocate for a healthier, more transparent pitching ecosystem in Canada.







Join the Conversation





Your feedback is entirely confidential—we aren’t looking for data that links back to specific advertisers. We just want the truth.












The traditional agency-client relationship is being pulled in two directions: On one side, the “holding company shakeups” are forcing consolidation and headcount reductions; on the other, the rise of “agentic AI” is redefining what value even looks like.





For marketers, this isn’t just about whether your agency is doing a “good job” – it’s about whether they are still the right shape for your business. But perhaps before you default to a gruelling RFP, you should ask if your relationship needs a Transformation rather than a Replacement.





Huh?  





Well, hear us out.  Because there are some questions you could ask that may reveal exactly where you want to take your agency relationship (or not):





The “State of the Union” Questions





Start by looking at the foundation and ask some questions that might help determine if the cracks you’ve noticed are surface-level or structural.









The AI & Tech Litmus Test





AI is no longer a “roadmap item”. It’s the operating system of 2026.









Transformation vs. Search: Which Path to Take?





Once you’ve answered the questions above, you’ll likely find yourself at a fork in the road. Here’s a decision map:





The Case for TransformationThe Case for an Agency Search
Shared Ambition: The agency is eager to co-create a new SOW that reflects modern tech and pricing.Cultural Stagnation: The agency is defensive about their legacy models and “the way we’ve always done it.”
High Strategic Value: They still provide “high-touch” human insights and “white-glove” strategy that AI can’t replicate.Talent Brain Drain: The key leaders you trusted have departed, and the replacements lack category expertise.
Agile Willingness: They are willing to move from a rigid MSA to a “Product Roadmap” approach with flexible sprints.Redundancy: You are paying for a massive overhead/bureaucracy that no longer serves your specialized needs.










A Better Alternative: The “Request for Transformation” (RFT)





Before jumping into a full-blown RFP which – frankly – might take 3-6 months – consider the Request for Transformation (RFT) option.  Instead of asking new agencies to pitch, ask your current partner to pitch why they should still be your valued, trusted and perhaps most sought after agency, by presenting a vividly different operating model. If they can’t envision a version of themselves that is faster, leaner, and more tech-integrated, then you have you’ll have your answer.





Either way.  If you’re looking for an RFT – call us and we’ll show you how to get the wheels in motion.  And if it turns out you need an RFP, we’ll make it is as painless as possible.













Our 2025 Canadian Agency Pitch Report is now available! And while the total number of pitches dipped slightly (down 7.4%), the real story isn’t about the volume – it’s about the vibe. The way brands choose their partners is fundamentally changing. And if you’re navigating the market right now, here are the three big shifts you need to know:





1. The Rise of the Independents





Perhaps the most exciting revelation in this year’s report: Homegrown talent is officially having a moment. Independent agencies secured a staggering 79% of all Agency of Record (AOR) wins this past year.  This is perhaps a message that Canadian marketers are moving away toward agency partners who offer agility when markets get well, weird, and a perhaps(?) a cry for direct access to senior leadership.





2. A Tale of Two Sectors





Not all industries are moving at the same speed and we’re seeing an interesting rotationof where the budgets are flowing:










Who’s hot? Travel & Tourism (which jumped from 6 to 14 pitches) and Pharma/Healthcare. People are out exploring again, and health remains a top priority. Who’s not? The pandemic darlings of Tech and Automotive have both experienced a significant cooling period as those markets mature.





3. Media Remains the “Big Six” Stronghold





While independent agencies are winning the hearts of creative directors, the global “Big Six” holding companies still hold the keys to the Media kingdom, accounting for nearly 63% of media wins.





Looking Ahead: Making AI Work (For Real)





As we settle into 2026, the conversation has shifted. Agencies and their clients are done talking about AI as a shiny new toy; now, it’s an operational must-have. But the winners won’t necessarily be the agencies with deepest AI solutions. It’ll be the those who can deliver high-level strategic value in what promises to be a continuing market of unpredictability. 





Curious about the full breakdown? 





If you want to see the exact data points and more granular insights, reach-out to me for the full 2025 Canadian Agency Pitch Report.













Remember 2023? Simpler times. Before “AI integration” became every agency’s favourite buzzword and org charts started resembling abstract art. Well, here we are, staring down 2026, and if you’re a marketer, you’re probably feeling a bit like you’re in a perpetual game of agency musical chairs, but with higher stakes and fewer comfortable seats.





And if you’ve had an email with a subject line along the lines of “synergistic ecosystem re-alignment” land in your in-box as a result of “unified brand experience mandate” (translation: “you’ll be seeing another new org chart very, very soon…” ) you could be forgiven for wondering if your creative team is going to be replaced by an AI savvy plugin as early as Thursday.





It’s enough to make you long for the good old days when “digital transformation” meant getting a website that didn’t look like it was designed in 1998. Now, it’s about navigating a landscape where AI promises to revolutionize everything (and yes, maybe take your job in the process), economic uncertainty is the new norm, and your agency partners are seemingly more focused on their internal restructuring than your actual, pressing marketing challenges.





Let’s be honest, you’re probably a little irritated already. Irritated by the jargon, irritated with the constant change, and daunted by the thought of launching another full-blown agency search as your only alternative.





But what if there was another way?





What if you could transform your existing agency relationships without having to divorce them and start completely from scratch? What if you could inject new life, fresh thinking, and a healthy dose of strategic alignment into your current partnerships, all while avoiding a potentially disruptive RFI, RFP?





Enter the Request for Transformation (RFT)





Issuing an RFT has a huge advantage over an RFP in that you’re only sending it to your incumbent agency(s) as a formal way of bringing them to the table to talk about transformation for your business – not theirs. Consider that an RFT can help with: 









And yes, understanding how the agency will leverage AI to deliver better results for you, not just talk about how it’ll transform business for everyone else.





In short, a transformation package designed to reinvigorate your business, address issues that have been impeding progress and reset the whole relationship for success.





Diagnostic: Fix or Finish?





Is your partnership a candidate for a “renovation,” or is it time to move to an RFP? Let’s look at the 2026 reality check:





PillarThe Case for TransformationThe Case for Search
Trust & ChemistryYou still like them, you’re just annoyed by the process.You’ve started “ghosting” their check-ins because they’re too painful.
AI & EfficiencyThey have the tools but are waiting for your “permission” to stop billing for manual tasks.They still think AI is a “fad” or something they can charge a 30% premium for.
KnowledgeThey know where the “brand bodies” are buried and why the 2025 campaign tanked.They’ve had so much turnover that you’re the one onboarding them.
The “Vibe”They feel like a partner who is stuck in a rut.They feel like a vendor who is stuck in 2015.





Listen, you’re a marketer, not a holding company M&A specialist. You’ve got campaigns to launch, customers to engage, and ROI to prove. You shouldn’t have to decipher agency family trees to get the support you need. So if you’ve reached the point where you’re convinced your agency is more interested in playing corporate musical chairs than delivering actual marketing results, and you’ve decided enough is enough, then yes of course –  we’re happy to help you explore other options.





But before you embark on that journey, consider this: What if a little strategic transformation is all you need? What if you could achieve the results of a new partnership without the headache of finding one? Because this year, with all the shifting sands and technological marvels, the last thing you’re probably looking for is another agency pitch deck.





Ready to transform your agency relationship? Your sanity, your teams, your CEO, your budget, your business – potentially even your agency – will thank you.








In the same way marketers check-out potential agencies before they think about working with them, make no mistake – agencies do the same thing. And corporate reputations go a long way to help agencies understand whether clients will be a good fit within their walls and their respective roster of clients.





Why?  Aren’t agencies just lucky to have clients and lucky to have clients who pay their bills…? 





Sure, revenue is important – but it’s only one aspect of new business for agencies. 





While agencies will typically be looking for a cultural fit, they’ll also be looking at the opportunity the client represents.  Is this a creative opportunity?  An opportunity to help shape or launch a new brand or products?  Or is it a strategic opportunity to improve process and drive sales? 





Revenue, profitability, cultural fit, size, location, opportunity and availability all play a role in an agency’s decision to participate in a new business pitch process, and whether you’re the right client for them if they’re chosen. 





While most marketers and agencies understand that both sides have their own idiosyncrasies, your corporate reputation around how you treat agencies will precede you, and can weigh heavily depending on whether you’ve been naughty or nice (year round). 





So if you think all agencies would kill to work on your business, take a moment to think about whether your ears have been burning recently, and what your agency might really say about you if asked? 





Spoiler alert: Agencies have already been talking. And here are the signs that might have them running for the hills:





One-way dialogue





If you’re a client that doesn’t like feedback look out.  Feedback is not only important to the health of an agency relationship, it also sets the stage for how agencies present, provide insight and rationalize recommendations. Good agencies don’t say “yes” all the time or always agree with your points of view, and good agencies will likely shy away from clients who have a reputation for not wanting dialogue.





No manners





Marketing has never been tougher. The demand for results, the demand for proof points to ROI, complex media ecosystems and the rapid advances in information technology make life stressful for all marketers. So if you can’t manage to gasp out a simple “thank you for that 48-hour all-nighter” or a genuine “oops, sorry I was 45 minutes late to the meeting I called“—well, think about it this way: Imagine working for a boss who treats you like that. A boss who makes you cry into your keyboard by 10 AM. 





Not a fun place to be, right?





Your agency feels the same way. They’re already fighting algorithms, trying to hit impossible targets, and trying to look cheerful on Teams. They probably don’t need to feel like they’re being managed by a disgruntled medieval warlord into the bargain.





High staff turnover





High staff turnover is another red flag. If you can’t keep your staff at your organization, agencies will want to make sure that whatever’s eating your team won’t eat theirs. If you’re losing team members, make sure you understand what’s really causing it before you look to a new agency to help you out. Because they won’t just see a marketing challenge; they’ll likely wonder if they’re about to sign up for a toxic environment that will drain their own talent and crush their team’s morale.





Frequent agency reviews





Agency reviews are hard work, stressful and disruptive for both marketers and agencies. From an agency point of view, winning or losing a piece of business has implications on resources, team structures, office space and any number of investments that can make or break agency P&Ls.  Agencies don’t want to staff up or find extra space, only to see a newly won client walk out the door a year later.  If you’re undertaking frequent agency reviews – be prepared to defend and justify your reasons.





The work sucks





Most agencies will try and convince you they can do a better job than your incumbent agency.  But if the work really sucks and you’ve been running it for some time, agencies will ask why you’ve allowed the work to appear for so long and indeed how you allowed it to run in the first place. 





So here’s the thing:  When agencies look at the work you’ve been running – the stuff that makes junior creatives choke on their lattes – they won’t blame the other guys – they’ll blame you. 





Payment terms





This one needs shouting from the rooftop:





We’re constantly perplexed by marketers who set payment terms at 120 days and higher. Some now run to 365 days! (I’m not kidding…) So let us clarify one crucial point: 





Agencies are not banks. 





Agencies don’t issue loans; They try to deliver killer creative. They have payroll and their people need to eat this month, not next quarter. If you’re demanding terms that require a financial commitment usually reserved for buying a small yacht, don’t be surprised if they turn you down.





The industry says so





Let’s be honest: the global marketing community is basically a terrifyingly small, highly caffeinated village. Especially here in Canada, or really, any city where everyone knows the best places for overpriced cocktails. And thanks to social media, most agencies are just a single, gossipy text chain away from knowing everything.





If you are anything less than pleasant – trust us on this – word will circulate faster than a free sample at Costco. Because your new agency has likely already checked-in with the current one under the guise of ‘due diligence’.  And they’ll know whether you’re naughty or nice (even if it isn’t Christmas).