Ask yourself this important question: is changing your agency really necessary?
In the majority of cases, you’ll get the most out of a long-term client-agency relationship. So, whenever possible, opt for a multi-year, renewable contract, rather than breaking it up into several small, short-term mandates. Likewise, before changing agencies, determine whether this is truly required, or whether sitting down with your current agency could bring about the necessary changes to allow the business relationship to continue.
Changing agencies is a big decision. Here are a few points to consider:
- The time and resources needed to prepare the request for proposals and assess agencies;
- The loss of institutional memory and the history of collaboration with your previous agency;
- Bringing the new agency up to speed (their learning curve);
- The transition period and time required for your previous agency to transfer files to the new agency (and the associated costs);
- The time and money invested (often significant) by participating agencies.
