One of the other issues that often comes up is a question from a client who says “Listen, how do I really know that an agency is working on my behalf in my best interest versus looking out for their own bottom line?” And I think we believe that you know, the best agencies out there certainly are doing that, that they're putting the client's interest first and then secondarily looking out, obviously for their own business interests.
Gartner for Marketers has an agency scorecard that our clients can use, and we think it's critically important for marketers to evaluate their agencies, at least on a quarterly basis. I think just as important is giving the agency the opportunity to evaluate the marketer as a client, So it should be a two way dialogue back and forth evaluation. It's really focused on the relationship itself. Is the agency responsive? Are they flexible? Are they able to kind of turn on a dime? Is business conditions change or are they proactive and bringing new ideas to the table? Are they challenging your assumptions as an organization as a marketing leader? Those are the types of things that in the long term, really will indicate the strength of the relationship and the opportunity for the relationship to grow going forward.
