www.trinityp3.com 1. Advertising Agency Shortlists  (The TrinityP3 approach to selecting suitable pitch agencies) Prepared by TrinityP3 © 2013 2. Defining your Requirement •  With the increased complexity, diversity and convergence of agency offerings it is essential to define a clear set of requirements. •  TrinityP3 has developed a comprehensive checklist of requirements in our four page TrinityP3 Market Search Brief. •  The completion of this brief with the marketer and procurement allows us to cast the net as wide a possible and filter down to the most suitable agencies against the requirements. 3. Filtering the Market 4. Eliminating the non-compliant •  Based on the broadest requirements TrinityP3 will consider all agencies. In some cases this can amount to hundreds depending on how broad the requirements. •  The filter may also require subsets such as ‘creative with digital’ or creative and digital specialists, media planning and buying or media planning and media buying separately. •  Against each criteria TrinityP3 documents those suitable and those not suitable to make a recommended list and the “John West” list* * It is the fish John West rejects that makes John West the BEST. 5. Special Considerations 6. For assistance selecting your shortlist contact… TrinityP3 Pty Ltd Sydney +612 8399 0922 Melbourne +613 9682 6800 Hong Kong +852 3589 3095 Singapore +65 6884 9149 people@trinityp3.com www.trinityp3.com

1. marketing management consultants
Advertising Agency Shortlists
(The TrinityP3 approach to selecting suitable pitch agencies)
Prepared by TrinityP3
© 2013

2. marketing management consultants
Defining your Requirements
• With the increased complexity,
diversity and convergence of
agency offerings it is essential
to define a clear set of
requirements.
• TrinityP3 has developed a
comprehensive checklist of
requirements in our four page
TrinityP3 Market Search Brief.
• The completion of this brief
with the marketer and
procurement allows us to cast
the net as wide a possible and
filter down to the most suitable
agencies against the
requirements.

3. marketing management consultants
Filtering the Market
Does not handle conflicting business
Geographical location
Agency size, creative reputation, depth of resource
Experience with similar brands/scope
Preferred core skills, ie B2B, digital, shopper
Category market knowledge/experience
Capacity and desire to pitch
Incumbents
Preferred attributes, ie strategic, collaborative
All Agencies
Keycriteriafromclientsearchbrief
Shortlist

4. marketing management consultants
Eliminating the non-compliant
• Based on the broadest
requirements TrinityP3 will consider
all agencies. In some cases this
can amount to hundreds depending
on how broad the requirements.
• The filter may also require subsets
such as ‘creative with digital’ or
creative and digital specialists,
media planning and buying or
media planning and media buying
separately.
• Against each criteria TrinityP3
documents those suitable and
those not suitable to make a
recommended list and the “John
West” list*
Does not handle conflicting business
Geographical location
Agency size, creative reputation, depth of resource
Experience with similar brands/scope
Preferred core skills, ie B2B, digital, shopper
Category market knowledge/experience
Capacity and desire to pitch
Incumbents
Preferred attributes, ie strategic, collaborative
* It is the fish John West rejects that makes John West the BEST.

5. marketing management consultants
Special Considerations
Does not handle conflicting business
Geographical location
Agency size, creative reputation,
depth of resource
Experience with similar brands/
scope
Preferred core skills, ie B2B, digital
shopper
Category market knowledge/
experience
Capacity and desire to pitch
Incumbents
Preferred attributes, ie strategic,
collaborative
We report all conflicting business in
case a marketer still wants to approach
an agency to test their interest
For service, marketers are inclined to
want an agency with an office in the
same city but increasingly marketers
are more interested in best in market
no matter what the location.
Big marketing budgets often want to
minimise risk by selecting big
agencies. But in some cases a big
advertiser may have the need for a
smaller, more nimble operation.
Beyond capabilities there are attributes,
culture and characteristics that must to
be considered to assist in getting the
chemistry right.
Often within the agency personnel
there are resources with recent category
experience, although the agency as a
whole does not have this experience.
While agencies generally desire new
business, some of the more successful
agencies will manage the new business
process and not pitch because of lack of
capacity or because they do not desire
the particular brand or business.
With many agencies diversifying their
skills and capabilities to increase their
share of budget, it is important to be
very specific to get it right.
While category experience is always
preferred, it is worthwhile thinking
broader in regards to the attributes
required as often category experience
means they are working with your
competitor.
You should not just consider the
incumbent you are going to pitch, but
look at all your incumbents, because it
could be the capabilities you need are
already in your roster.

6. marketing management consultants
For assistance selecting your shortlist
contact…
TrinityP3 Pty Ltd
Sydney
+612 8399 0922
Melbourne
+613 9682 6800
Hong Kong
+852 3589 3095
Singapore
+65 6884 9149
people@trinityp3.com
www.trinityp3.com
TrinityP3 s liability is limited as per our standard terms and condition as approved by the client prior to the project commencing
@trinityp3
www.trinityp3.com/blog/
TrinityP3
Darren Woolley