From Best Practices to Next Practices: What Makes Great Agencies Great

Despite differences in corporate culture and style, the truly successful agencies share some important things in common. These are the agencies that do the best work, attract the most new business, and have the best financial track records.

This full-day seminar examines what the best agencies have learned about serving their clients in new and better ways. At the heart of what makes these agencies stand apart are characteristics like these:

• They don’t just produce ads, they produce brand-building ideas
• They clarify client expectations every step of the way
• They do what they do best and find resources for the rest
• They have methods and approaches that add value to their agency brand
• They have an extremely interactive way of working together
• They don’t consider every company to be a prospect
• They cast people in roles that make the most of their strengths

The best agencies are thought leaders, and have unique approaches that help them stand apart from the crowd. Drawing on extensive research and agency interviews, we’ll explore:

• Why clients want leadership, not partnership
• Why brand strategy and brand management are different skill sets
• How to keep coming back with better work
• Improving results at the back end by improving the process at the front end
• Breaking down the walls between agency functions
• Organizing for where our business is going instead of where its been
• Institutionalizing the art of proactive service

Using examples from around the world, this thought-provoking seminar show how and why the best agencies aren’t out to please everyone. They are intentionally different. They have a distinctive point of view, distinctive operating systems, distinctive philosophies about client service, and a distinctive product. Their reputation for insightful thinking and brilliant work isn’t just a result of better talent, but better ways of approaching everything from creative development to client compensation.

Agency professionals from all functions can benefit from the content of this seminar. Managers of agency functions and departments will find the featured principles and practices particularly useful.

The instructor is Tim Williams, founder of Ignition, a leading consultancy devoted to helping marketing communications firms create and capture more value.

In his role as author, teacher, and consultant, Tim works with marketing organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad. He is a speaker and workshop leader for organizations such as the American Association of Advertising Agencies, American Advertising Federation, Association of National Advertisers, American Marketing Association, CBS Television, National Public Radio, The One Club, numerous agency networks, and individual agencies ranging from large multinationals to small independents.

Tim is the former president of R&R Partners (creators of the “What happens here stays here” campaign for Las Vegas), and has was founder of his own firm, now known as Richter 7. During his experience at agencies like Ogilvy & Mather in New York and elsewhere, Tim was responsible for such brands as COMPAQ, CBS Television, Jeep, IBM, and American Express.

As a recognized thought leader in the advertising and marketing business, Tim contributes to leading trade and business magazines including Advertising Age, Adweek, Communication Arts, Admap, Marketing News, and The Advertiser.

He is author of the book “Take a Stand for Your Brand: Building a Great Agency Brand from the Inside Out”, recognized as the standard for agency brand development.