Introduction
Strong relationships between clients and their agencies are essential for successful marketing outcomes. Evaluations with concrete action plans are key components for improving these partnerships, allowing for optimization of performance, satisfaction, and problem-solving on both sides.
The Essence of Agency Evaluations
Agency evaluations aim to enhance performance and satisfaction by addressing both strengths and weaknesses. In best-practice evaluation programs, the assessment phase isn’t an end but a starting point. It’s a means of gathering valuable data to pave the way for action planning. After assessment, detailed analysis is carried out, followed by action meetings between the client and their agencies, often in the form of a Quarterly Business Review (QBR).
The Focus of Action Meetings
The primary purpose of these meetings is to review the evaluation findings and create action plans to build on strengths and tackle weaknesses. They aim to:
- Understand the current state of the relationship using factual, reliable data
- Facilitate a two-way exchange of information to uncover issues and recognize excellent work
- Improve the performance of the agency and seek ways to optimize costs
- Ensure that the client is helping the agency to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible
The Importance of Concrete Action Plans
The best evaluation tools and reports aren’t of much use without a solid action plan. Both the agency and the client should have input in these plans. This dual participation ensures that the plans aren’t overly focused on what the agency should change but also include how the client can adjust their own processes for a more productive relationship — for example, improving briefing quality, speeding up approvals, or providing clearer creative direction.
Formulating Clear and Achievable Actions
Action steps need to be clear and doable. If a task seems too big, break it into smaller, more manageable sub-tasks. For instance, instead of making a vague statement like “improve briefing quality,” a better approach would be to create a specific action item such as introducing a standardized brief template and scheduling a kick-off meeting for every new project.
Setting Timelines
Plans should be time-bound, with due dates for action items, to prevent good ideas from being forgotten. The responsible person or group for each action item should be clearly identified and informed.
Managing Resources and Risks
While creating an action plan, it’s necessary to identify the resources needed for each action item and confirm their availability. These could include people, time, budget, and knowledge. The planning process also provides a chance to highlight any potential risks that could hinder successful completion of the action plan.
Celebrating Successes
Make sure to celebrate the completion of action items. Acknowledging each success keeps motivation levels high and encourages further efforts. Make sure that these are communicated internally, especially to program champions.
Implementing action plans following agency evaluations is a vital process. This method promotes mutual growth and leads to more efficient, collaborative, and innovative client-agency partnerships.
Read our 10 ways to get better feedback from your agency evaluation program