Businesses come to the conclusion of hiring an external ad agency, only when they are certified of the fact that the agency will help them execute their advertising and promotional campaigns more effectively. This is because the individuals working in an agency are not just passionate about advertising, but are also knowledgeable experts in their own field and thrive on the values of unity and dedication for the project at hand. You may promote your goods or services yourself using 1 Day Banners as banners sold here on the cheap. Most advertisers work in collaboration with the hired agency, in order to ensure that the work is carried out smoothly and also adheres to industry standards. With their immense experience and technical know-how of the industry, ad agencies can work wonders for the promotional activities of any business. But before you decide to hire the services of an ad agency for your advertising efforts, you must conduct thorough research on the background of the agency. Here are a few pointers you MUST include in your research:
1. Total extent of the Agency:
In most cases, the larger the agency, the better quality of services offered by the same. When an agency operates on a larger scale, it is pretty obvious that it has the financial prowess to hire a good amount of ad professionals. Also, smaller agencies do not have the skill to provide a wide range of services. With the advent of large agencies, it is always preferable to consult a huge ad agency.
2. Number of clients under the Agencies’ belt:
Most agencies have their own website or brochure. You must log on to their website and view the existing clients being handled by the agency, before hiring them to carry out your own work. An expert from crbdirect.org.uk advises that if the agency has a client on board that deals in the same line of products as yours, it is recommended to avoid the agency in order to avoid the occurrence of repetitive work and exchange of crucial business information with the competitor.
3. Types of services on offer:
It is essential to view the types of ad and non-ad based services offered by the agency. Depending on your promotional needs and size or extent, you can hire a small or a large ad agency accordingly. Moreover, certain types of agencies specialise in a particular field such as FMCG advertising while other agencies may specialise in industrial marketing.
4. Creative talent possessed by the Agency:
You must always calculate the number and amount of creative personnel owned by the ad agency, as it forms the basic criteria for selection. Creativity can be calculated on the basis of factors such as quality of personnel, experience, diversity, specialisation and so on.
5. Media Contacts possessed by the Agency:
With the help of adequate media contacts, the agency will be able to accommodate the desired place, date and time required for the promotion of your business. Agencies that closely work with most communication channels such as radio channels, TV channels, publishers, printers and so on are the ones to consider.
6. Agency location and Proximity:
It is important to calculate the location of the agency for better communication and contact with the agency. The closer the proximity to the agency, the better convenience, control and involvement with its activities.
7. Methods of payment and compensation:
It is good to compare the ad rates demanded by different agencies before zeroing in on the perfect one. This is because different agencies charge different amounts and promotional activities are always bound by tight budgets.
8. Total amount of involvement:
An agency must show complete respect for the client and allow it to take part in the activities, give its feedback and work with the same form time-to-time. Moreover, monthly reports and expenses should be shown by the advertiser on an alternate basis.
9. Endorsement of the Agency:
Agencies that are endorsed by television, radio and newspapers are the ones that are the most recognisable and this credit is eventually passed on to the clients. These agencies have a specific code of conduct to follow and an image to portray, which makes them the most reliable in the industry.
10. Agency Ranking:
An agency that works hard to provide results and easy to approach, is the one to consult. Which is why, it is important to research the current market standing held by the agency. Agencies with a higher ranking are more reliable and provide better returns on investment.
