Executive Summary
In the advertising industry, the agency-client relationship recognises the association between an advertising agency and their client. The nature of this service is a high risk and high involvement purchase which makes the information search a crucial element of the buying process. Understanding the drivers of this buying behaviour will enable the agency to become more responsive to their clients needs and tailor their services to positively influence the relationship. The foundations for a successful agency-client relationship rely on understanding:
1. What are the key drivers of successful client retention?
2. Are these in line with the key success factors for new client attraction?
In response to answering these questions, our report aims to investigate segmentation and buyer behavior within the advertising industry.
The selection and retention criteria of advertising agencies can be described by three distinct elements:
1. Relationship Management: the chemistry between the client and agency and quality of account management.
2. Service Delivery: Technical and creative experience and the quality of the output.
3. Cost Management: Ability to manage client budget and justify spend through added value.
Using these key elements, an analysis of the frameworks discussed by Waller (2004) and Triki, Redjeb & Kamoun (2007) three viable segments have been identified and the concepts of these articles have been applied to gain a greater insight into their buying behaviour processes:
1. New Client, New Task: Agency Selection ? Relationship Development ? Agency Review/ Termination
2. Existing Client, New Task: Agency Evaluation ? Relationship Development & Maintenance ? Agency Review/ Termination
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