Selecting an agency is based on detailed understanding of the pitch brief and assessing the nature and level of skills needed, and fit with the client’s culture. This assessment needs a very high level of expertise, experience, insight and understanding of the marketplace, which cannot be based only on data and dollars.

Through permanent immersion in the ever changing communications industry, we bring to clients a unique and thorough understanding of the agency market. We know the key players, their credentials and professional practices, and their culture and personality. We concentrate on client needs, and on the structural, professional and cultural dimensions of the agencies considered for the selection. We employ all this knowledge to design a tailored and precise selection process in order to help clients identify the best possible partner.

We are solely focused on the Marketing Communications and live and breathe the industry, analyzing agency mergers, acquisitions and transformations, new entrants and market trends through documentation, presentations, meetings and seminars all year long at local and global levels. No one else can bring this level of expertise and experience to ensure a fair, ethical and efficient facilitation of pitches.

The Seven Key Principles that we constantly follow during the Agency Selection Process

I. Excellence.
We are committed to provide consultants with proven experience and expertise. These consultants work with objectivity and reliable working practices. They have a solid and contemporary knowledge of the industry. On client’s request, we are happy to supply biographies of all our consultants and a full description of our methodologies.

II. Equity.
We are committed to grant fair and identical treatment to all the agencies involved in every selection process, including the incumbent agency. In particular we undertake to be transparent about information delivery, timings and meetings during the different steps of the pitch process. We undertake to respect the Intellectual Property vested in the work of competing agencies. We commit to deliver or encourage the client to deliver direct adequate feedback after the selection to all agencies who request it.

III. Responsibility.
We are committed to use all means and resources to ensure to both advertisers and agencies full respect for their legitimate interests. In the context of an agency search, we work for clients, but of course together with agencies to ensure the outcome that is in the best mutual interest of client and agency together. Advertisers and Agencies alike are always treated with respect in a responsible, professional and neutral manner.

IV. Integrity.
We are committed to ensure that we provide for our clients independent and objective recommendations, with the best possible level of service delivered. We are committed not to jeopardize the neutrality of our advice to advertisers through any particular or privileged relationship, which might lead to a bias in our recommendations.

V. Absence of conflict of interest.
We are committed to keep our clients informed of any possible conflict of interest, arising from any potentially competitive assignment. Should a conflict of interest arise, we will inform all stakeholders in full transparency, and will take - if necessary - measures to solve the problem.

VI. Transparency.
We recognize the necessity to reveal our business model and compensation principles. They should be known by the advertisers and by agencies involved in the selection process.

VII. Confidentiality.
We are committed to maintaining the strictest confidentiality about information given to us by our clients through their briefs. In this context, we are always happy, if the client requests it, to sign an appropriate mutual NDA (non-disclosure agreement). The same principle applies for all information passed on to us by agencies. We will not hand this over to any other agency.

As Agency Search Consultants, we commit through signing this Code of Conduct, to these key business principles, which we consider absolutely necessary to ensure the quality and objectivity of the service we provide to the advertisers. We also commit to respect the position of the agencies involved in these selections, because relationships between advertisers and agencies have to be fair and equitable.

We agree to promote this Code of Conduct with all professionals in the Communications industry in order to ensure that they are aware of its provisions.

Participating Consultancies:
Grupo Consultores - Argentina
The Clinic Group - Australia
TrinityP3 - Australia
Grupo Consultores - Brazil
Sales Periscinoto Guerreiro & Ass. - Brazil
Registr Reklamnich Agentur - Czech Republic
BureauConsult - Denmark
Hestbaek Consult - Denmark
Breezeway - Finland
Barema - France
Marketing Efficiency - France
Pitchville - France
VT Scan - France
Cherrypicker - Germany
Istituto Protagora - Italy
Agency Assessments - Ireland
Dream Alliance - Korea
Byravalg - Norway
Grupo Consultores - Portugal
Indp’t Agency Search & Selection - South Africa
Grupo Consultores - Spain
Byraval - Sweden
Agency Assessments International - UK
GC - UK
ISBA - UK
Oystercatchers - UK
AAR Partners - USA
Ark Advisors - USA
Avidan Strategies - USA
External View Consulting - USA
joanne davis consulting - USA
Roth Associates - USA