Managing Key Clients in Marketing Services 2004

With the current competitive pressures, marketing services firms are trying to communicate the value they bring to clients.

The PACE Partnership has conducted a Managing Key Clients Healthcheck for the marketing services industry with Willott Kingston Smith. Willott Kingston Smith, the firm of accountants specialising in media and communications businesses, are responsible for the annual Financial Performance of Marketing Services Companies study. This report is highly regarded by the industry.

The Managing Key Clients in Marketing Services study examined key client relationship practices in marketing services and how the sector adds value to clients.

In particular it found the following strengths and weaknesses for the Industry:

Strengths

Key client management is taken very seriously by agencies and at all levels
Media neutral solutions are common-practice across all marketing services disciplines
Agencies believe they should be the driving force in managing media neutral solutions
Agencies are good at building relationships in the short-term
Different sectors are stronger at different areas of key client management - overall Media Buying and Advertising put in the best performances in key client management
Agencies appear to gain client feedback on their work and relationship handling

Weaknesses

Agencies are stretching themselves too thin by trying to be all things to all clients
Marketing Services agencies are wasting resources on pitching for every invitation that comes their way - irrespective of whether they have a strong chance or not
Agencies do not plan for future opportunities/threats that could affect client relationships
Client relationships are largely based on the personal relationship and chemistry between two individuals. The relationship is at risk if one of those individuals moves on
There is some effort by agencies to measure what they do, but few have measurement systems in place or offer payment by results
There is a poor take up of technology to support and add value to client relationships

The results of the research are printed in a report which measures and compares the key client management capabilities of:

the marketing services industry as a whole and
eight sectors - advertising, branding/marketing consultants, design, direct marketing/sales promotion, interactive/digital media, market research, media buying, public relations/media relations.

If you would like to purchase a copy of this benchmark report (price Ł150 plus VAT) please contact us on the numbers below or click here:

t +44 (0) 192 260 062
f +44 (0) 192 260 011
e tpp@pacepartnership.com

If you would like to test your own agency's performance in key client management, why not download a copy of our questionnaire.

Click here to view: PDF Questionnaire [88k pdf]

and return it to:

The PACE Partnership, PACE House, Churchfield Road, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 2TZ