Our approach

Our agency reviews are customized to fit our clients' needs. We facilitate a focused collaborative process, designed to yield ready-to-market implementation.

We start with a deep immersion into the clients needs, business strategies, and goals. 

We then develop a search brief that includes search objectives, strategies, and selection protocol.

A selection committee is formed and a search brief is approved.

Next, following due diligence and securing a signed NDA from prospect agencies, a "long list" of 8-12 candidate agencies, vetted by us for relevant credentials, experience, and cultural compatibility, and pre-approved by the selection committee, are issued RFPs.

Our RFPs are elaborate and intended to solicit knowledge, not soley information, as is often the case with most RFPs. We consider the agency's view of its future, its vision and plans, not only its past. 

The selection committee reviews RFP responses, creative materials, biographies and preliminary references, and only then selects 5-6 semi-finalists using our proprietary methodology and scorecard for on-site visits. The agencies are given specific areas to address in line with the search brief, and will have an opportunity to bring their capabilities to life. We insist on meeting the real team, not a "pitch team", and to enable the agency to provide initial thoughts on the client's business, if they have any.

The semi-finalists, too, are evaluated based on our proprietary scorecard. Those agencies which did not proceed in the first two phases (and later those who are runner-up in the finals), are briefed by us. We then help facilitate the selection of the finalists, usually no more than 3 or 4.

We believe strongly that the finalists should be given an assignment, so their ability to deliver market-ready results can be assessed. To that end, we participate in the preparation of a challenge to be shared with the finalist. It is up to the finalists to develop a creative brief and all relevant communication.

Next, we arrange for at least one Q&A session, sometimes multiple Q&A sessions and R&D briefings, between the client and agencies. We then facilitate a joint work session between each agency team and the client team, in order to allow the client early input, and for an opportunity to assess the agency team's approach.

Concurrent with work activity we begin a compensation dialog with the finalists, which involves requesting proposals.

Following final presentations, we facilitate voting and decisions primarily through our proprietary scorecard. 

We then help finalize a compensation agreement and a contract with the winning agency.

We also help implement the on-boarding process, establishing best practices, areas of responsibility and deliverable.

WE DON'T MERELY FACILITATE THE PROCESS. WE PROVIDE ADVICE AND INSIGHT INTO THE AGENCIES.  WE DON'T VOTE. THE FINAL DECISION IS UP TO THE SELECTION COMMITTEE.

REVIEWS TAKE TIME, AND CAN BE COSTLY. OUR PROCESS IS STREAMLINED, EFFICIENT, AND RESPECTFUL OF AGENCY TIME AND RESOURCES. 

OUR FIRM DOES NOT SOLICIT AGENCIES, DOES NOT "DOUBLE-DIP" OR ENGAGE IN "PAY TO PLAY" PRACTICES. WE ARE A SIGNATORY TO THE ANA AND 4A's "RULES OF THE ROAD" GUIDELINES.