IPA and ISBA Publish Best-Practice Guide on Agency Search and Selection

The IPA and ISBA have published a new best-practice guide, Finding an Agency, to help clients navigate all aspects of the review and pitch process.

The jointly produced guide was commissioned to help clients develop fair and transparent process that provides them with a breadth of knowledge to engage with agencies without asking them to incur excessive costs. This would also allow agencies to make informed decision on which pitches to take part in based on a clear understanding of the client’s requirements and invest their efforts accordingly.

Finding an Agency provides best-practice guidance on:

o Key things for clients to consider before undertaking a review, including:

  -Whether a review is the correct action to take

  -When to involve procurement

  -The timing and type of pitch you hold

o Key guidelines for clients during agency search and selection, including:

  -How to choose which agencies to invite to pitch

  -Developing your pitch brief

  -Evaluating the pitch

  -Relationship management

o Key principles for running your pitch, including:

  -How to ensure an open and transparent process

  -How to select a pitch process that reflects the way that you work

  -An outline of different pitch models

Says Joyce Kelso, associate director of marketing, IPA: “Selecting a new agency is an exciting and challenging time. It can bring fantastic new ideas and opportunities, but can also be overly bureaucratic, lengthy and costly for both sides. This best-practice guide will enable the industry to develop pitch processes that work for everyone and result in long-term sustainable relationships, ultimately producing outstanding creative work and results that drive growth for the client and its chosen agency.”

Andrew Lowdon, director of agency services at ISBA, said: “Finding an agency isn't difficult, finding the right agency can be. This best practice guide provides clear information throughout, commencing with what to consider before undertaking a review all the way through to the decision and beyond.  Getting the review right can only lead to a better relationship and a shared vision that when combined provides the greatest opportunity of unlocking great innovative ideas.”

Finding an Agency is available to download for free from the IPA website.