Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

What we know about working with agencies

Article • WARC Best Practice, December 2018

Summarises the insights from a series of key papers addressing client-agency relationships, which has seen many changes with globalisation and digital transformation.

How to work most effectively with multiple marketing partners

Article • Deb Giampoli and Karen Adams, WARC Best Practice, October 2018

Highlights characteristics of the most effective teams, barriers to integration, and “how-to’s” for marketers attempting to “orchestrate” the work of multiple agencies and other partners.

How the best marketers get their agencies to deliver the best work

Article • Deb Giampoli and Karen Adams, WARC Best Practice, August 2018

Outlines the skills marketers need to enable their agency’s creative team to deliver the best work.

Apple’s secret to iconic marketing: Keep it simple

Article • Anna Hamill, Event Reports, Cannes Lions, June 2019

Apple, one of the world’s iconic brands, has applied its core principles of simplicity, humanity and creativity to produce game-changing products and advertising for more than 30 years.

The story behind Droga5’s acquisition

Article • Sam Peña-Taylor, Event Reports, Cannes Lions, June 2019

Accenture Interactive and the recently purchased agency, Droga5, have spoken publicly about what the acquisition means, and what it says about the creative business.

Asia's PR agencies could be missing opportunities

News • 13 June 2019

PR agencies score highly with clients in Asia in terms of trust and value, but that isn’t necessarily reflected in how much money those clients are prepared to spend with them in future, new research shows.

Five in-housing tips from Boeing

Article • Reed Karaim, Event Reports, ANA Advertising Financial Management Conference, April 2019

Boeing, the aerospace giant, has built an in-house creative shop which can offer invaluable tips for other brands that are interested in handling such duties internally.

Anheuser-Busch InBev finds a new blend for agency relationships

Article • Reed Karaim, Event Reports, ANA Advertising Financial Management Conference, April 2019

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the brewer, has evolved its agency relationships across a variety of dimensions in order to drive greater collaboration and creativity.

Agency collaboration can drive change

News • 29 May 2019

Agencies may benefit from pursuing greater collaboration on various issues of importance to the industry, such as pushing for data transparency, changing remuneration models, and creating more flexible workforces.

Agencies are advised to stick with Huawei

News • 24 May 2019

Huawei has endured a series of blows in recent days – the most significant being the decision by UK-based chip designer ARM to suspend business with it – but industry observers expect the beleaguered Chinese tech giant to weather the ...

Agencies must 'step up' to innovation challenge

News • 23 May 2019

Agencies have to “step up” and meet the need for innovation that has taken root due to changes in the marketing ecosystem, according to Nick Brien, CEO/Americas for Dentsu Aegis Network.

How attribution can increase agency trust and transparency

Opinion • Ben Samuel, May 2019

Ben Samuel explains how multi-touch attribution helps agencies increase transparency, differentiate their offering, and build stronger client relationships.

GSK Consumer Healthcare's evolving media strategy

News • 14 May 2019

GSK Consumer Healthcare, the pharma company, is bringing some media duties in-house, but believes that agencies still have an important role, especially if they can adapt to the evolving needs of clients.

Why moving media planning in-house made sense for GSK

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, 4A's Decisions 20/20, March 2019

GSK Consumer Healthcare, the pharma company, has shifted its media model to reflect changing marketplace realities.

Bayer marketer: Agency “inertia” leads to brands in-housing

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, 4A's Decisions 20/20, March 2019

Bayer Consumer Health, the pharma company, is seeking to introduce greater dynamism into its media strategy.

Vaynerchuk slams profiteering, bland products of legacy holding companies

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, ANA Media Conference, April 2019

A major shift is required in how agencies, and the brands they serve, approach various aspects of the marketing process.

Agencies need to 'grow some teeth'

News • 07 May 2019

Agencies should take a more “proactive” role in fighting their corner at a time of increased disruption in the industry, while also seeking to rebuild trust with clients.

The role of media at Mars

News • 06 May 2019

Mars is seeking to connect its media activity more tightly to creative and ensure this discipline has a much deeper role than simply delivering on an individual campaign.

How P&G is responding to the in-housing trend

Opinion • Stephen Whiteside, May 2019

As the world’s biggest advertiser, Procter & Gamble is often a bellwether for the industry’s future. Its approach to in-housing, outlined here by Stephen Whiteside from WARC, should thus be of interest to brands and agencies alike.

Agencies should move from 'marketing' to 'mattering'

News • 25 April 2019

Agencies need to shift their strategic approach from “marketing” to “mattering”, a transformation based on meaningful relationships, compelling experiences, and other ways of building deep connections to individuals.

GroupM North America chief encourages agencies to fight back and rebuild consumer trust

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, 4A's Decisions 20/20, March 2019

Agencies need to make a more collective effort as they seek to rebuild trust and tackle criticisms that are often unfairly leveled at the sector.

Agencies need to “grow some teeth” to rebuild trust with clients

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, 4A's Decisions 20/20, March 2019

Agencies need to regain the trust of clients, but must also push back against the unreasonable demands they often face in order to foster long-term success.

Mars media chief: Realignment breeds internal trust, external growth

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, 4A's Decisions 20/20, March 2019

Mars, the confectionery and food group, has sought to maximize the impact of its media activity in various ways.

Dentsu Aegis chief demands transformation for agency business

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, 4A's Decisions 20/20, March 2019

Agencies face the challenge of responding to a fundamental shift in the balance of power between consumers and brands.

Understanding the next wave of agency innovation

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, 4A's Decisions 20/20, March 2019

Agencies need to drive innovation in their own working practices, and on behalf of their clients, to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Client-agency relationships