This cheat sheet is designed to help you identify your company’s specific requirements for a marketing agency. By examining past agency behaviors in particularly effective or ineffective situations, you can derive the most valuable criteria for future partnerships. It complements my blog post on preparing tenders for marketing agencies by creating company-specific requirements.
A thoroughly conducted requirements analysis forms the foundation for a successful tender process and helps you identify the best agencies for your company’s unique challenges. A well-crafted requirements profile is essential for selecting and designing the appropriate processes during the pitch phase.
This cheat sheet offers pitch managers inspiration through examples of particularly effective or ineffective behaviors, supporting the development of a precise requirements profile. Below, I outline potential critical events, both positive and negative. These examples are intended to help pitch managers recall past critical events, enabling them to better assess the importance of agencies to their business success.
Critical Event |
Significance |
Requirement |
Proactive Identification of Growth Opportunities: The media agency identifies market opportunities or trends early and proposes them. |
Promotes innovation and ensures a competitive advantage. |
Market knowledge, innovative capabilities, and forward-thinking. |
Excellent Crisis Management: The agency quickly and creatively adjusts campaigns to external circumstances. |
Supports the client through proactivity. |
Agility, creativity, and problem-solving skills. |
Above-Average ROI Improvement: Optimized approaches deliver exceptional returns on advertising budgets. |
Contributes to client value creation. |
Data-driven decision-making, efficiency, and performance orientation. |
Introduction of Innovative Technologies: New technologies, like AI-based targeting, improve precision and reduce costs. |
Helps the client save costs. |
Technological expertise and willingness to invest. |
Excellent Target Audience Engagement: The campaign reaches the precise target audience, boosting conversions or brand awareness. |
Maximizes campaign success. |
Accurate audience analysis and excellent media buying. |
Outstanding Creative Campaign Development: Award-winning campaigns generate excitement and convey brand messages effectively. |
Enhances the client’s brand value and generates positive PR. |
Creativity, brand understanding, and trend awareness. |
Proactive Reporting and Clear Communication: Detailed reports and actionable recommendations are provided proactively. |
Creates transparency and demonstrates proactive action. |
Customer focus and communication skills. |
Strengthening the Brand through Sustainable Solutions: Environmentally friendly campaigns enhance the client’s brand image. |
Positions the brand as forward-thinking and responsible. |
Sustainability awareness and strategic brand understanding. |
Long-Term Cost Savings through Optimizations: Inefficient channels are identified and media allocation optimized. |
Demonstrates efficiency and economic thinking. |
Analytical thinking and optimization skills. |
Exceptional Customer Service: The agency provides additional advice or support beyond contractual obligations. |
Promotes loyalty and positive collaboration. |
Commitment and customer orientation. |
Strategy Development and Targeting: Campaign proposals are not aligned with brand strategies or business goals. |
Does not act in a goal-oriented manner. |
Careful analysis of the company’s business goals and target audiences. |
Budget Overruns or Inefficient Budget Use: Campaigns exceed allocated budgets or use ineffective channels. |
Indicates a lack of efficiency and cost awareness. |
Proactive communication on budget use and ROI analyses. |
Lack of Flexibility in Short-Term Changes: The agency is inflexible or delayed in responding to spontaneous campaign adjustments. |
Shows an inability to adapt to dynamic conditions. |
Agility and quick responsiveness to changes. |
Inaccurate Target Audience Engagement: Advertising is placed on platforms that fail to reach the relevant audience. |
Reduces campaign success and efficiency. |
Accurate audience analysis and segmentation. |
Lack of Transparency in KPIs and Reporting: Incomplete reports make it difficult to assess campaign success. |
Creates mistrust and uncertainty for the client. |
Clear and transparent communication, along with regular performance monitoring. |
Implementation Issues with Advertising Measures: Technical errors damage campaign effectiveness and the client’s brand image. |
Impairs brand reputation and campaign effectiveness. |
Technical expertise and quality control. |
Communication Problems Between Agency and Client: Delayed responses or inadequate advice lead to misunderstandings. |
Disrupts collaboration and campaign success. |
Open and proactive communication, regular updates, and accessibility. |
Lack of Innovation in Campaign Ideas: Conventional campaigns fail to offer fresh ideas or stand out from the competition. |
Jeopardizes the company’s market position. |
Creativity and innovative capabilities. |
I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences regarding this cheat sheet. Feel free to share them with us if you’d like!