Selecting an Advertising Agency

As the advertising director for the California tourism development office, I need to select an advertising agency to promote tourism. The first thing that I will do is to determine the kind of services that the advertising agency should provide. Secondly, I will create a rating system for the agency. This rating system will have a five-point scale for each of the services that we need from the agency. The third step will involve identifying potential agencies that will carry out the work from different sources. It is crucial to identify agencies that have created similar successful campaigns in the market. The next step involves identifying any conflicts in accounts that are already at the agency. This step is essential since it aids in the identification of potential billing problems.

After coming up with a list of potential agencies, I will then begin initial discussions. Contacts can be through phone or by a letter. It is better to start with the people at the helm of the selected agencies than working with the assigned personnel for the assignment. Through the request for proposal questions, eliminate the agencies that are not fit for the task. The ideal number of agencies after this stage is more than three but not exceeding five. Then, from ongoing discussions, I will conduct a new detailed evaluation of the remaining agencies which will involve the assessment of the personnel who will be dealing with our account. It includes the team leader, the creatives, the agency’s record of accomplishment, and its relationship with vendors and the media. Discussions on financial arrangements will follow. Such financial provisions include the amounts to be paid and their mode of payment, whether through a fixed fee, performance-based commission, or an assortment of the two.