3 Key Industry Shifts Redefining the Future of Client–Agency Partnerships
The rules of engagement are being rewritten, and transforming what partnership truly means. Advertising is evolving at an unprecedented pace, perhaps faster than any other industry today. As the industry transforms, the very fabric of client–agency relationships—the foundation on which marketing is built—is being rewoven. At Agency Mania Solutions’ recent Client Consortium in Kirkland, WA, […]
Benchmarking, Reinvented
From cost control to clarity, alignment to stronger partnerships In recent years, brand advertisers have doubled down on building strong benchmarking capabilities, often in close partnership with their marketing procurement teams. Scope-of-work and cost benchmarks provide a critical lens—comparing what agencies propose to deliver, at what price, against either internal historical data or broader industry […]
Volume 83 | July-August 2025
Executive Summary More than 15,000 attended the five-day Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June. The expectation of many is that AI will be the enabler of human creativity. Havas, for example, is referring to itself as an “AI-driven organization fueled by human ingenuity.” On the first day of Cannes Lions, Apple marketing leader […]
Volume 82 | May-June 2025
Executive Summary Surprise. AI continues to dominate conversation at the intersection of technology, consumer trends, and business transformation. From headline-grabbing controversies to escalating legal battles over copyrighted content used for training models, the boundaries of responsible and practical AI are being tested in real time. Yet AI’s role in marketing is expanding rapidly, requiring us […]
“If My Agency Uses AI, Am I Overpaying?”
As artificial intelligence reshapes agency operations and increases productivity, advertisers must rethink compensation models and ensure they’re paying for true value—not just output. Every CMO, whether aloud or behind closed doors, has posed the same question to their marketing procurement team: Are we overpaying our agency now that AI is in play? Amid economic […]
From Turmoil to Triumph in the Trump Era
Harnessing Agency Partnerships to Drive Growth in Turbulent Times: How Brand Advertisers Can Flip Uncertainty into Opportunity “Forward-Looking Statements and Economic Risk Disclaimer: This report contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to macroeconomic conditions, fluctuations in consumer demand, supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressure, interest rate volatility, […]
Volume 81 | March-April 2025
Executive Summary Like everyone else in the advertising industry who was watching the Super Bowl, you were probably wondering: Who will win the USA Today Ad Meter? We all did. February is always about the Super Bowl and its remarkable display of advertising brilliance. Per Fox, Super Bowl LIX set a viewership record with an […]
Beyond Innovation: Transforming Partnerships for Lasting Value
Innovation is the lifeblood of the modern knowledge economy, fueling growth and shaping industries… The World Economic Forum highlights that innovation-driven productivity accounts for a staggering 50% of long-term GDP growth in both developed and emerging markets. Nowhere is this impact more pronounced than in the advertising industry, where the ability to stand out, […]
The Marketing Procurement Renaissance: Redefining Value and Innovation in a New Era of Relationship Capital
Industry leaders prepare for a transformative year of client and agency partnerships Leaders in marketing procurement gather every year at events to anticipate, explore, dissect, and debate the trends that are shaping the industry today and for years to come. The advertising industry has entered a transformative phase, its most profound in decades, as […]
Breaking Silos: The Key to Effective Cross-Agency Teamwork
How Brand Advertisers Can Foster Collaboration, Enhance Communication, and Drive Collective Success! The largest brands in the world rely on a web of agencies across several advertising and marketing disciplines. Some brands have dozens, even hundreds, of agency partners working on their behalf. The ability of their agencies to seamlessly collaborate and work together […]
Discovering Pearls: How To Find The Perfect Agency Partner
A natural pearl in an oyster is one of nature’s most remarkable and rare achievements. In the turbulent waters of the brand world, an ideal agency partnership can be similarly hard to find—but very rewarding. The chances of finding a natural pearl in an oyster are very low. It is estimated that one in […]
Unlocking Efficiency: 4 Steps to Powerful Agency Management and How to Handle Roadblocks
Advertiser relationships are under greater scrutiny to do more with less. Brands must implement a step-by-step approach to a more automated, streamlined, and smarter way to engage with agencies and deliver organizational value. “Do more with less” has become a corporate mantra for most brand advertisers and the agency ecosystem that brands rely on […]