Your School's Advertising Partner
What specific criteria do you use to evaluate a potential advertising partner? What qualities and competencies would you look for in an advertising agency?
Our University has a marketing department that is responsible for securing the the ad agencies for the company. However in the selection process they are very careful in selecting the right ad agency. The reputation, market mix and resources available to the ad agency is very important in the selecting process.
At The Private Investigator Training Institute we evaulate advertising partners by meeting with them and listening to their ideas and approach to validate if it will work for us.
We make sure that the partners we deal with are professional and have a proven track record accompanied by the right approach.
We are a small school and have tried different outlets for advertisement; some of which have worked and others which have not. As a small school one of the things that limits us is our budget. Sometimes dealing with a limited advertising budget is the hardest hurdle to overcome.
I agree, make sure that services provided by the Advertising Agency is consistent with School's values and objectives. Budget considerations as well.
Our school is small and very specialized in its program (professional investigation). I would look at the following criteria in my selction process:
1. History of the Agency: This is important - but - not altogether that important to me. Here's why - we have a new school (2 years) but we are very competent in what we do primarily because the owners/manager and instructors have many years of experience in the field. Consequently, it would be the experience of the ad agency's leadership that is most important to me.
2. Size of the Agency: Not important at all. A few good people with lots of savy and experience can "dance on their feet" and get the job done for me. Many times, agencies that are very big, can't get out of their own way.
3. Media placement Services: This is very important to me. It reflects the agency's "connections." Without connections, we go nowhere.
4. Reporting Capabilities: I want to be able to speak to my ad rep when I need to speak to him/her. Communication is more important to me than formal reports.
5. List of main clients: More important are their main clients that may be similar to me and what my school does.
I want my agency to me friendly, communicative and responsive, and be able to come up with fresh and creative ideas to make my school successful.
Our school has been in business for two years and we are still quite small. we have used the internet extensively and worked with several government agencies to get our message out.
our advertising partner is also a new company with very good ideas on how to effectively use the internet. They also use a secondary vendor for print material such as t-shirts, pens and flyers. Our first challange with chooseing an agency was to first educate them on exactly what an investigator does and the many job prospects available after training is complete. I think our agency understands our goals and has achieved them.
Our school is small,We have a advertising partner that help Us with very good ideas
I look for an agency that has a track record of success and a team of people who can address the specific advertising needs that we have. Also, it is very important that the agency is able to identify with our mission and be able to help us articulate that message through our advertising.
Given my extensive background in film and advertising I am very picky. I generally do our commercials and they are generating a ton of leads. My problem with agencies these days is I feel there's a state of desperation and that the first thing anybody wants to talk about is budget - instead of creative. I want people to buy-in to what we're doing. I never set out to be an educator - and now I do it and still maintain my career as a filmmaker - because i love it and these kids are keeping me fresh and relevant. But I digress. I was talking about passion - I want to find it and I'll know if I'm being conned. First and foremost I'd try to figure out who's doing creative I liked and then seek them out. Honestly, given our school's limited resources compared to the big boys, our options are limited. Plus we've been so successful in-house it will be difficult to change the culture.
My media partner was already established/chosen prior to me taking this position. Moreover, the term "partner" was an anointing of sorts that was an initial reluctance of mine. My concerns and expectations for partners are:
1. Ability to teach me the strategy previously implemented without a lot of confusing jargons.
2. Monitoring trends and recommending to us to change course quickly.
3. Avoiding lead sources that were junk in nature.
4. Proactive strategist rather than crisis managers.
5. Eliminating fluff in our AD source call charges (i.e. calls over 2 minutes regardless if it is a lead or a current student trying to make a tuition payment).
6. Ultimately, How in tuned were they to our Vision, Mission, and Values.
Extension of existing business, may add additional business if partnership is good. May lead to additional lead volume if in the School Industry. Service offerings.
Could be an extension of your specific business, One that caters to the school industry, various practices that would help the school to grow, reporting effectiveness, creativity and a possible look alike partnership between, client and company.
Hello David,
I have been a proponent of telling real stories. Adopting a philosophy- FACTS TELL and STORIES SELL, has made me think differently than what I have in the past. Connectivity and relevance are what I hear you touting in your post. Sometimes youth- not necessarily the literal age factor- may bring out the best ideas. Fresh thinking from fresh people might do the trick. What say you?
In a small school setting with a limited budget I would be looking for an agency with young and current employees familiar with making something from nothing. Focusing on the creative and the cost effective would be most important. Large agencies with media connections would most likely be way out of our budget range. How can we take all of the different low cost marketing medium we use and enhance it to reach potential student in a more effective or meaningful way.
1). Creative referral programs for "word of mouth" marketing.
2). How to utilize google, the internet, and mobile apps more effectively in marketing.
3). Creating content and substance. Reasons to be interested in our service and to spend money on it.
Any ad agency that can bring cheap creative solutions to those subjects would be perfect.
To evaluate a potential advertising partner, I would evaluate the information that they present to me and confirm that it is relevant and useful to my business. I would also evaluate them on their professionalism and customer service. I would want to make sure that this is someone that I can communicate with on a regular basis and can easily voice my opinions and concerns to.
For our specific school, we utilize a marketing department...therefore, I have very little oversight in to the choices/criteria. That said, we will be moving in a direction where I will have more input.
Specifically, I would be looking for a vendor who can provide research to back up the claims the agency is promoting. Leads come in various capacities. I would want them to present the various platforms and their recommendations (with justification for each) based upon the budgeted numbers I supply to them. I would want to see a cost/benefit analysis which shows how targets would be met. I would also want to see what they propose if any area is unmet? Meaning, if they state they can deliver 150 Web or TV leads, but only produce 25, how will they make up the difference. If they respond by replacing those with 125 CPL leads, our conversation would be finished as they convert at a significantly lower level. If the plan would be to compensate with an equal amount (if CPL...which convert at less than 2% typically then I would expect their plan to be enough CPL leads to have the equal ability to convert what we would have had it been a TV/Web lead)
I would also request a plan as far as how often they change lead vendors? What their criteria is in choosing a vendor? How long it takes to update vendor lists/programs etc? I would also request a presentation on the 30, 60 and 90 day plan.
There are definitely agencies with experience with faith-based schools that will work with your budget. The cost/benefit analysis is a great place to start. The results need to be there to justify using the external partner.
We are a new school and have not enlisted the services of an advertising partner. Up until now, all of our advertising has been handled in house and through our website. One of the issues we are dealing with is that we are a Christian School and will need to identify an agency that has some experience working with a faith based school. Secondly, our small size and budget will no doubt limit the expansiveness of our marketing plan. My search for an advertising agency will have to begin with a cost/benefit analysis to see if we will be able to afford the expected benefits.
The things I am seeking in an advertising partner are very similar to ones outlined in the module. Industry knowledge, communication and reporting, customer service, do they have the resources and staffing to deal with my organization?
All of these components are key in the decision making process.
I am not responsible for this. We have an in house marketing media manager-not sure what process she uses to select advertising partners--I am going to aak her!
