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Pitch or pass? While it might seem tempting to say yes to every opportunity, discerning agencies know that not all clients are created equal.

And just as marketers carefully evaluate agencies based on their expertise, creativity, and cultural fit, agencies need to be as picky about the clients they pitch, as marketers are about choosing them. And in our view why chemistry, canvas, chaos and cash are the keys to decide whether to pitch or pass. More on those in a moment, but first, consider what it actually takes to pitch a piece of business:

Effort

If you’re in it to win it, you’re asking your pitch team to put in a tremendous amount of effort to put your agency’s best foot forward in an effort to win the business at hand. Almost always this involves double-duty for those working on existing businesses and a lot of late nights and working weekends to come up with a winning pitch.

Disruption

Pitch team aside, the rest of the agency has to keep existing business moving seamlessly through the agency, while the pitch team needs to take priority across valuable project management, strategy, creative and studio resources.  Both sets of business have to be squeezed through without sacrificing quality or sanity.

Missed opportunities

While focused on the potential new client and their pitch, what other opportunities might the agency miss along the way?  In addition to other new business opportunities that may be a better match or potentially easier to win, consider what incremental opportunities might be at stake from incumbent clients.

Employee burn-out

Time, effort, rehearsals, late nights and long weekends can all take their toll on those involved in a pitch, so being selective in how hard you work your pitch teams is key to avoiding burn-out.  Just as important is the impact on morale – because win or lose, pitch teams will want time to take stock of what worked / what didn’t and to recharge between pitches.

Money

Whether you’re doing spec work and getting paid for it, or not doing spec work at all, there are likely costs you’ll be incurring to get the pitch the way you want it.  Freelancers, overtime, rush studio charges and perhaps that ‘over-and-above’ idea your team wants to render, all take money away from the bottom-line at the end of the year. So… While pitching new business can offer potential growth, it also carries significant risks. Therefore, agencies should be as selective as clients when considering new opportunities. One agency CEO shared that he was lamenting a morale problem because his agency was pitching a ‘massive piece of business’ which he knew wasn’t a good fit and was turning them inside out.  “So why pitch?” I asked.  “Because there would be hell to pay from our [upstairs] if we didn’t…” was his reply. That’s tough for anyone, but even agencies without holding company parents are challenged when it comes to being choosy about who they pitch, and many don’t consider the ramifications of well-intentioned efforts. So back to chemistry, canvas, chaos and cash and an easy to remember way to size up whether a new business opportunity is right for your agency:

Chemistry

I’ve never seen a pitch that hasn’t ultimately been decided on the chemistry between the client and the resources who’ve pitched the business.  Yes, strategy, creative and cost all came into it – but for the most part chemistry was the thing that clinched it.  So figure out quickly whether there’s real chemistry between you and your prospective client.  And if there isn’t, let it go.

Canvas

Establish the canvas that the potential client offers and how it’s potentially going to add value to the agency.  Sure, profit is important, but will else is going to help raise your profile – as well as that of the client?  Is it strategic thinking, digital execution, a fresh creative platform, branding or perhaps design? Defining the non-monetary aspects of value will not only help you decide whether the business is right for you, but it will likely help you create a stronger value proposition for the client you’re pitching.

Chaos

Yes, that’s right – chaos!  Agencies (and clients) need to consider how much chaos a piece of business is going to bring to an agency during a pitch process – and after it’s won.  Sizeable, highly demanding or complex pieces of business can not only turn an agency inside-out, it can fundamentally change its dynamic causing resource and financial turmoil.  So before pitching, sketch out your own chaos theory on what your new client could bring and how you plan to mitigate it before you start.

Cash

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, while considering the implications for the agency in the event budgets get cut or things don’t go the way you’d planned. So, pitch or pass?  Or just buyer beware?  In fact it’s neither.  It’s a reality check on the adrenaline of pitching new business and why agencies should be choosier in their new business efforts to create a win-win for everyone.  
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As marketing management consultants, we’ve observed numerous agency relationships that excel in functional skills but fall short in soft skills, ultimately overshadowing their technical capabilities. It’s crucial to recognize the significant impact of soft skills on agency evaluations.

Soft skills, as defined by Wikipedia, complement hard skills and are essential for effective job performance. They encompass emotional intelligence, intuition, and interpersonal abilities, providing a vital balance to cognitive skills. When selecting an agency, consider the importance of soft skills in fostering successful partnerships.

When defining agency requirements, it’s relatively straightforward to establish a framework of requirements – whether that’s around business expertise, specific capabilities or perhaps technical knowledge. But soft skills aren’t so easy to define and quantify because they require marketers to really understand themselves, and what attributes enhance their own unique business environments.

While soft skills are different for all marketers, here are eight of the most common attributes that we’ve seen make the difference – even when agencies seem to have the functional capabilities but the chemistry doesn’t seem quite right:

Innovation

As the marketing ecosystem has become more complex, innovation has steadily risen in importance for marketers when they’re choosing or evaluating agencies. The caution here is that “innovation” isn’t just another word for “creativity”. Innovation can take any number of forms – but it’s most often quantified around the strategic thought process and how insights are extracted.

Collaboration

Again, the complexity of the marketing ecosystem has spurned a growing requirement for multiple agencies to perform specialized roles. Agencies that can’t demonstrate an ability to collaborate and play nice in the marketing sandbox are typically ruled out faster because marketers want to focus on their own business, not their agencies.

Neutrality

Yup. It’s that complexity issue again. Now more than ever, marketers are looking for objectivity in their marketing mix modeling as ecosystems expand. Agencies that default to broadcast positions, or aren’t open to other agency partners leading a campaign launch, are often less appealing than those that demonstrate real neutrality in their approaches.

Accepting of criticism

We’ve seen marketers test criticism in agency pitch situations because they want to understand how easy agencies are to work with. This absolutely does not mean marketers are looking for agencies to roll over and agree with whatever’s being said – but it does require a balance between confidence in a point of view and taking input and criticism constructively.

Flexibility

Because plans change on a dime all the time, any agency that can demonstrate the flexibility and ability to adapt is appealing because it means the agency isn’t weighed down by rigid or layers of process that can’t flex when marketers have earthquakes. (And they do).

Curiosity

Curiosity is a hallmark of an ability to problem solve, provide insight and provides an important edge over competitive agencies. Any agency that is naturally curious about a marketer’s business is typically more appealing than one that’s just functionally proficient.

Ability to work under pressure

Whether it’s a last minute change of plans, high table stakes or virtually no time, working under pressure is a normal occurrence in marketing. So how the agency team can handle and deliver under pressure is a reassuring attribute that sets agencies apart.

Embrace change

Agencies that demonstrate adaptability and a willingness to embrace change are more likely to be long-term partners for marketers. While short-term fixes may be tempting, investing in a mid- to long-term agency relationship often yields greater rewards.

Soft skills play a crucial role in agency evaluations. We’ve observed that these skills can significantly impact an agency’s success. By understanding your organization’s specific needs and prioritizing the soft skills that align with your business, you can make more informed decisions when selecting an agency partner.

What other factors should you consider in your upcoming agency search?

 
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Every agency that’s ever participated in a pitch knows RFPs and pitch processes can be far from perfect.  We’ve all heard the horror stories and whether the pitch is run directly by a client or a search consultant, win or lose, we all sense there’s probably room for improvement.

While we know there were more than 150 pitches undertaken in Canada last year, what we don’t know is the range of pitch practices agencies are faced with and where specifically we should be calling for change.

Last year, our partners at TrinityP3 in Australia pioneered a survey to capture much needed data on the state of the pitch landscape to help the industry understand the good, the bad and the ugly of pitching across Australia.  The information gathered is now a starting point for an industry discussion around pitching based on actual data rather than hearsay.

We have joined forces with Campaign, to launch the State of the Pitch survey here in Canada.  The 2024 survey is hosted by Campaign Canada and you can find the link to the survey here. Campaign have also published an article to explain what we hope to achieve and why we feel it is so important, as well as some industry commentary.

We are asking every agency that participates in any pitch – irrespective of winning or losing – complete the survey. The link can be used as many times as needed – one for each pitch.

Because pitches are typically confidential, we’re not mandating any information that can be linked back to a particular advertiser, agency or pitch, and is therefore within the confines of any reasonable confidentiality agreement. Likewise, details of any single survey response will never be revealed.

This is not about who won or lost. It is about how well those pitches were managed.

The survey will enable us (hopefully on an annual basis) to report on the trends in pitch behaviour and to start a meaningful dialogue with brands about improving the process for agencies in Canada.

Sampling commences today but any pitch you have participated in since January 2024 can be included.

Campaign’s global team of data analysts will then work to process the findings, working with the editorial team here in Canada to produce a full, anonymized report in Spring 2025.

In short, every pitch agencies participate in moving forward can now be included – no matter how big or small. Each and every contribution made will add to and inform a rich view of the state of pitching with which we hope to effect a positive change.

Our goal is to hold up a mirror to the industry that will inform – and hopefully transform – pitch processes based on agency input. It will start conversations between clients, agencies and consultants on what constitutes good pitching and what doesn’t.  This is an opportunity to help our industry get it right, eliminate the practices that drive us all crazy, and a chance to have your say on the state of the pitch here in Canada.

Thank you in anticipation.

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While there’s obviously work to be done in developing a fair evaluation grid and evaluation system during an agency search, preparation needs to begin even before you pull the trigger on an agency search.

Considering that the purpose of your agency review, how you propose to brief agencies and who you select to participate in your evaluation process, all play a role in a fair and transparent evaluation.  And the more diligent you are about structuring your proposed evaluation, the better the result you’ll likely achieve.

So with that as the context, here are some essential steps to help set any agency search evaluation up for success:

Be clear about your search and what you want to evaluate

This essentially sets the groundwork for everything – defining why you’re initiating your search and the questions and challenges you’ll then want addressed.  Any shortcuts in the planning at this stage will short-change you and your team’s ability to evaluate effectively.  And if you haven’t already done so – consider hiring an agency search consultant to help you.

Align stakeholders

Once you’ve defined your evaluation criteria, your stakeholders have to meet and agree this is how agencies will be evaluated. Aligning stakeholders before you get started is pivotal in your ability to evaluate as an organization rather than as individuals with separate agendas.

Dump preconceptions

As you align stakeholders on your approach, criteria and the challenges you want addressed, your evaluation team has to dump any baggage and preconceptions.

Easier said than done sometimes

But you need to be explicit in having this happen. This is particularly important if team members are expecting a creative presentation and the ask is focused on chemistry and approach.

Be transparent about what you’re evaluating

Openly sharing your evaluation criteria with agencies improves the entire search process. It will help your team make a more informed decision about the best agency for your business and gives agencies the opportunity to tailor their pitches to your specific needs.  Why hide it?

Develop a meaningful evaluation grid

Any evaluation grid needs to be a meaningful reflection of the key attributes of your search. But just as important, evaluation grids should be straightforward while allowing for an analysis that’s more than just a score.  A random score is meaningless unless you have some context on how your team arrived at their score.  Find out more on developing a meaningful scorecard here.

Everyone participates against the same framework

To maintain objectivity, the search team should base their assessments exclusively on the pre-determined search criteria.  And if you have stakeholders who can’t attend all presentations, they don’t get to vote – it’s unfair to allow participation on some agency presentations and not on others.

The search consultant doesn’t vote

The job of your search consultant – if you have one – is to provide objective, neutral input – not to weigh-in on agency performance.  Ask your search consultant for guidance, help to weigh the pros and cons – but don’t ask your consultant to vote – they need to be neutral at all times.

How will you find your proverbial needle in the haystack?

Yes, the sixth annual Canadian Agency Pitch Report is ready – and let’s just say it’s an eye-opener with a stratospheric 195% increase in pitches over 2021!

With the help of a fantastic network of marketers, clients, agencies, industry friends and colleagues,  we tracked 124 Canadian agency pitches during 2022. And while our efforts may never be entirely complete, the report provides an exclusive window into Canadian new business across AOR, Media, Digital, PR and Multicultural agency pitches.

This year we’ve ranked agencies by number of wins, provided some additional perspective on big six holding company wins versus independent agencies, as well as providing our regular summary of pitches by name and vertical, together with the agencies that won.

While there are various US and global reports out there, there’s nothing that offers this level of detail specifically for the Canadian market. So we hope the report again provides the industry – and Canadian agencies in particular – with an overview of the buoyancy of the Canadian agency pitch market, while providing insight on the most and least active sectors year over year.  

One point I wanted to address this year were the number of requests for the dollar value of pitches to be included in the report. We heard you and like all those who asked, we’d love to have included this, but getting that information without it being the widest of ranges has been an all but impossible task without sources risking their respective confidentiality or other non-disclosure agreements.

My thanks to everyone who helped keep us up-to-date over the past year and a special thank you to my friends and industry colleagues who provided input into the construct of the document, together with your suggestions for additional content in years to come. 

To order your copy or discuss the report, please contact me directly, or click here to order online.

Photo: Adobe stock image
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With both clients and agencies asking if we’re beginning to manage pitches in-person rather than online again, it’s probably time for an update… And while I have my own views, it’s not exactly an easy yes or no answer.

Yes, businesses are opening up and most are implementing some sort of back-to-work routine which is encouraging. And one of Campaign’s lead stories this past week was about one agency group pushing or a ‘four and flex‘ back to work program with a £1,500 ($2,410) travel subsidy for its staff.

But even if we are seeing agencies and client teams heading back to their offices some of the time, perhaps the question to ask is ‘do we need to pitch in-person?’

And I’m not sure that we do. In fact, I think pitching online has inadvertently generated a number of efficiencies we may not want to part with. For example:

  1. Pitch processes can be faster – with less spacing between agency visits
  2. Client schedules – challenging at the best of times – are easier to manage
  3. Even if people are out-of-town – they can still participate

OK, so not everyone’s going to agree with that, but the reality is time is precious and I don’t see clients switching back to in-person meetings any time soon.

But hold on, what about chemistry? That only really works in-person, doesn’t it?

Actually, no.

We’ve seen some exceptional pitches over the past couple of years in which agencies have excelled at setting the stage with their prospective clients from the get-go with innovative introductions, underpinned with expert time management that immediately created empathy between teams. Energy, gravitas, enthusiasm, preparedness and team composition can’t be faked especially in an online environment, so in some cases we’d argue that chemistry is actually better evaluated online than in-person.

But there are those who will argue differently. And if you are contemplating seeing your prospective agency(s) in-person, here are some things you should consider while the current climate prevails:

  1. If you’d like to see a chemistry session (or pitch) in person, make it a request – not a requirement
  2. Keep your numbers small
  3. Be clear you respect the agency’s policy around in-person meetings and it’s their choice
  4. If you’re seeing more than one agency for your chemistry session and one says ‘no‘, change the other(s) to online sessions to ensure fairness for all.
  5. Recognize that even if agencies do pitch in-person, some staff may choose not to participate and be comfortable if some members choose to join online
  6. Be clear that if they choose not pitch in-person this will not negatively impact your decision (i.e. it’s not a decision criteria)
  7. Confirm everyone on your search team will follow safety protocols around social distancing and wearing masks and whatever additional protocols the agency may request
  8. Overkill perhaps… but check with your legal counsel to ensure you’re aligned with your company’s own policies around in-person meetings

Funny thing is, that even with all these protocols it’s still not that simple: We had a pitch the other day in which three client team members were in one place. And if you thought making sure you had the camera set-up properly for yourself was a challenge – let me assure you that squeezing three people into the same Teams frame on the same laptop is no easy feat! Fortunately, it became an unplanned moment of hilarity – but as we slowly drift back into the office, we have a whole new set of conundrums we’ll need to manage.

And as we all continue to stumble our way through these uncertain times, this will likely remain a hot and sensitive topic for many months to come. So let’s call it a work in progress and your additional thoughts and comments are welcome.

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New business is a game. There are winners and losers. And the most competitive manifestation of this game is the agency pitch. Like all good games it has a set of rules for both sides in the game – the agencies and the advertisers. But the increasing industry call to ‘ditch the pitch’ is not because the game is wrong, but because people are not playing by the rules. Rather than tossing out the pitch process, what we should be doing is making sure the players stick to the rules of the game.

The rules of pitching are there to ensure that the process is fair, robust, efficient and effective for all players. If you stick by the rules of pitching it should deliver these results for all players. We know this because we have been managing pitch processes for almost two decades across multiple regions and marketers with positive results and feedback from all concerned – even those who did not win.

On the other side, we have also been called in either during a pitch or soon after to fix the problems that happen when a pitch has not been played by the rules. And, like the industry, the really badly played pitches are those we usually end up reading about in the trade media.

So what are these rules and how do they work? Well there are rules for advertisers and rules for agencies. The good thing is there are a small number of rules for pitching (just three for each side). But while they are easy to understand, they can take years to master.

Rules for advertisers

1. Have a clearly articulated reason for pitching and an agreed vision of what success will look like at the end of the process

Before committing to a time consuming pitch you need to be very clear on why you are pitching and what you want to achieve. More importantly you need to ensure all of those responsible on your side are in agreement as well. Nothing messes up a pitch process more than disagreements and misalignment on the advertiser side, and it invariably leads to a compromise choice that satisfies no-one.

Besides, if you just want a cheaper solution or to see what else in available in the market, then there are faster, lower-cost and more effective ways to do this than running a pitch.

2. Make sure you have the time and the resources to manage this process as if it is the most important project on your agenda

Pitching your advertising account is time consuming and potentially costly if you get it wrong. Whether it’s media, creative or one of the other disciplines, it is a major decision to engage a new agency and therefore needs time and care to get it right. If you are already time-poor then a pitch will stress you out. And the more stakeholders involved, the more stressed you will be.

Changing agencies will always attract industry interest and therefore, beyond making the right operational choice, you want to ensure you reflect a high level of professionalism. Therefore, it is worth considering hiring a professional, either from your procurement team or outside from one of the many pitch management consultants available.

3. Be in constant communication with all of the agencies involved to make sure they know and are aware of the requirements and process

This goes against the recommendations of many corporate affairs professionals and some procurement professionals, but the fact is a high performing agency relationship is based on clear and honest communication. Therefore, what better time to start than at the pitch?

Make sure you communicate the process and expectations to all parties on a level playing field – but also make sure you update all agencies on any changes to the game plan or the process. Likewise be willing to answer any questions (within reason) that the agencies may have. Just make sure all are informed equally.

Rules for agencies

1. You only have to accept an invitation to pitch if it is the right decision for your agency

Remember the only scores that count are adding additional agency revenue and attracting advertisers that allow you to do great work. The best way to do this is have them walk through the door without a pitch or have an existing client give you more work, additional brands or greater responsibilities.

So when an advertiser invites you to pitch for their business remember – it is an invitation, and you have the right to turn it down if it is not right for you. Therefore, when you are invited to pitch make sure you know what you need to make that decision and do not jump in with your eyes wide shut.

2. Remember this is about building trusted and valued relationships

When considering whether to pitch or not, do some research and ask questions. Look for the opportunities to build a trusted and valued relationship with this advertiser and not just simply win their business.

If either their reputation or their proposed process suggests they do not value the agencies they are inviting to pitch, or they want a master-servant relationship by treating you as one up front, then seriously consider if winning this pitch is worth it.

3. Make sure you abide by the rules of the pitch process and play to win, not play to make your competitors lose

If you agree to play then you also agree to the rules so make sure you know the rules of the pitch (beyond the basics here). This will often include confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements and rules regarding governance and due diligence.

Breaking these rules comes with consequences, even if you are not caught. Advertisers quickly learn to not trust the agencies that insist on behaving this way. Besides, your effort should be focused on proving why your agency is the best for the client and not on why everyone else is not.

 

This article first ran in Mumbrella Asia and is by Darren Woolley, Founder of  TrinityP3, our partners in Asia. Darren is considered a global thought leader on agency remuneration, search and selection and relationship optimization.

 

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There have been a lot of doom and gloom headlines recently about agency RFPs and pitches and how marketers might be better abandoning their RFP processes altogether.

Indeed, the ICA has also brought a version of the British pitch watchdog to our shores, and since its launch two years ago, the watchdog has singled out processes from a number of companies including, Canada Post, TD Bank, the TTC, and YMCA.

When it bites, the watchdog threatens to ‘name and shame’ those marketers it deems to be out of step,  and may send ‘one of five anonymous, hand-written cards directly to the contacts’ to an offending marketer.

But marketers know the potential impact of an agency search on their business can perhaps be best measured by multiplying the annual agency budget by 10 years – an estimation of the potential length of the agency relationship. So a $10 million budget for example, could be a $100+ million decision.  So, with that kind of pressure, what are marketers supposed to do?

Well, even if you don’t suffer from cynophobia, there are some steps you can take to avoid the wrath of the wily watchdog. 

Be clear about why you’re doing a search

Yes, it’s a pretty basic question but you’d be surprised by how many marketers we meet who struggle with a definitive answer.

We’ve heard 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!) 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, or choose not to participate – they’ll either ask for changes or politely decline.

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, which may include anything from proposed key resources, proposed staffing seniority to quality of work, case studies or previous experience.

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. While scores can provide quantitative data, they cannot fully convey the intangible aspects of chemistry and whether an agency is a good match for your specific requirements.

While functional aspects of submissions or presentations are important, they do not tell the whole story. Defining true value and determining if an agency aligns with your organization’s goals and culture requires a more nuanced evaluation – 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

And finally… 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:

If any of the steps defined above seem onerous or complex, chances are you’re not fully prepared and you run the risk of being bitten. Advice contained in the Association of Canadian Advertisers step-by-step best practice guide on Searching for a Marketing Communications Partner can help.  And of course, we can always guide you through your process – so you’re not bitten by the wily watchdog – or at the very least, you’re equipped to muzzle it.