[Quiz] Is Your Marketing  Remarkable? | Agency Scorecard

What makes a marketing agency remarkable?

Marketing guru, Seth Godin, says that brands don't decide if they're remarkable; their customers do. As a B2B client hiring a marketing firm, you decide if your agency is delivering extraordinary service that makes your team smarter and more strategic. The marketing agency scorecard created by the Marketing Help highlights 6 ways marketing firms can create remarkable value for their clients: 

1. Deliver Results 

2. Prioritize Account

3. Share Expertise

4. Think Ahead

5. Improve Workflows

6. Proactively Communicate

Ask yourself and your team if your agency checks off these 6 areas on a monthly or quarterly basis. If the firm does, then you have a partnership that will challenge your business and propel your growth.

Questions to Evaluate Your Marketing Agency's Performance

1. Is the agency delivering as promised? When the unexpected occurs, do they communicate and make their best effort to meet performance goals.
2. Does the service from the agency show interest and understanding of your business goals and challenges?
3. Is the agency making your marketing team smarter and more strategic? Do they show their expertise on a weekly basis? Does the firm inform you of relevant marketing platforms or beta testing opportunities?
4. Does the agency share its vision for the next 6 to 12 months, relevant business trends, and recommendations on how to best proceed with different strategies?
5. Does the agency push your team outside of your comfort zone with testing, process improvements, strategies, and tactics? Do they just take orders or do they also listen and advise you on the next steps?
6. Does the agency proactively communicate both good and bad news? Do they consistently reply within a reasonable amount of time or let you know the context when they can't get back to you?

Questions to Evaluate Your Internal Marketing Team

When you review your marketing agency's performance, take a moment to access your internal communication and workflows. A fruitful partnership is like a good marriage that requires time and commitment from both parties involved. Here are questions to assess your internal team's performance while working with a marketing agency:

1. Transparency. Is your team providing access to prior performance data and insights that will help your marketing agency execute processes and maximize their expertise? Do you treat your agency as an extension of your marketing team?
2. Autonomy. Is your team trusting your agency to execute their expertise? Does your team trust the agency's process and resists micro-managing their efforts.
3. Communication. Does your team embrace a 'no surprises' mindset? Are you proactively communicating any known issues, concerns, and wins in a timely manner.
4. Internal Cross-Functional Support. Does your marketing team champion the agency with other internal departments such as sales or customer success at the company? Are you educating other teams on the importance of their alignment with the agency's campaigns, goals, and cross-functional support?
5. Accountability. Does your team follow through on your commitments for payment, scope, tasks needed, and any items that are dependent on both your brand and agency to succeed?
6. Feedback. Are you providing your agency's team with consistent and honest feedback? This includes the performance of the agency's campaigns, team, tools, and process. Does your team provide open and honest feedback when at appropriate times such as weekly or monthly calls?  When it is needed, do you email or call whenever you have feedback to share?

If you need a framework to provide feedback to your marketing agency, then start with the 6 questions to evaluate your marketing agency listed in the quiz. Learn how to better invest in your company's growth by developing a profitable marketing partnership.

Watch the full recording of the Pick a Profitable Marketing Partner Webinar.