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Agency Profitwatch 2010
ReseaRch RepoRt
Contents

View from the Top  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
Executive Summary  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 6
Systems and Profitability  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 8
The Agency Holding Pattern  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 9
Agency Systems and Processes  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 11
Areas of Weakness  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 12
Systems and Profitability  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 13
The Agency Holding Pattern  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 16
Agency Systems and Processes  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 18
Areas of Weakness  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 22
In Summary  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 25
View from the Top


     After massive investments in          “Five years is a long time in the dynamic world of marketing and communications. In fact, the
                                           past five years have arguably been the most transformative of the past 30. Whilst the arrival
     digital in the recent past ... our    of the dot com era signalled a change in technology before the new millennium, it is only in
     aim is eventually to derive a total   recent years that internet technology has become ubiquitous – all ages, anytime, anywhere.
                                           Coupled with the boom in social media, the marketing industry has been, and is still largely, in
     of 60% of our revenue from the
                                           the process of reinventing itself.
     two sectors of digital activities
     and emerging economies.               However, what makes this technological transition unique is the economic backdrop that
                                           accompanies the new wave of commercial and consumer behaviour. The enduring recession
     (Publicis 2010)
                                           experienced across the majority of western economies since early 2008 has given a new
                                           meaning to the term ‘more for less’. Budgets have been cut, growth has been elusive and
                                           agencies have been tested to the limit.


                                           Maconomy conducted a ‘Profit Watch’ piece of research in 2005 that has been repeated in
                                           2010. We are pleased to share the findings with you and to encourage debate about how
                                           agencies have been and should be responding to today’s unique set of commercial pressures.




3 V ie w from the top
WPP Digital exists to accelerate   In 2005 many large marketing and communications businesses were struggling to implement
                                        systems that captured billing and resource information. The ability to link these systems
     WPP’s development of world-        and integrate them with finance was even further from the ‘norm’. Whilst these issues still
     class capabilities in digital      endure in 2010, they are beginning to improve. Generally speaking, agencies in 2010 are more
                                        accountable and rely upon a more sophisticated ‘backbone’ than was the case previously.
     marketing and media.
     (WPP 2010)
                                        The challenges for 2010, as agencies endeavour to ‘digitise’ service offerings, are still
                                        grounded in the hunt for profitability. However, the need for business intelligence to ensure
     In order to grow with our          an effective response to dramatic operational changes is central to future financial success.

     clients, we have therefore         Marketers like to speak of ‘tipping points’ for client organisations. It appears that the industry
     accelerated our investment         now has a tipping point of its own. Responding appropriately to the period of transition that
                                        2010 represents will pay dividends. Most innovators in the sector have a view of future
     in digital talent, professional
                                        [digital] strategy, but turning this into workable services requires internal transparency, re-
     training and technology            organisation and insight. ‘Vision’ may describe the future, but only operational aptitude will
     throughout the organization        make this vision a reality.”

     in recent years.
                                        Hugo Dorph
     (Interpublic 2010)                 EVP & General Manager, Deltek | Maconomy




4 V ie w from the top
During the next few
years, we expect to see
an accelerating focus
on digital media to
communicate brand
messages
(Omnicom 2010)
Executive Summary

Key stats                            The marketing and media industries are in a period of rapid transformation in the wake of
                                     a recession which has accelerated the movement of digital media into the centre of the
                                     communications landscape. The 2010 Agency Profitwatch report seeks to examine whether
                                     agency systems and processes are agile enough to help agencies thrive amidst this change.


                                     The following report examines how agency decision-makers across a range of marketing

              60% agree              disciplines collect and use agency time and resources. In particular, it seeks to understand
                                     how the systems they use contribute to agency profitability and whether agencies are able to
               that improving
                                     use data about costs and assets to their best advantage.
            corporate accounting
          processes would increase
                                     The findings indicate that many agencies are collecting enough information for successful
              company profits
                                     day-to-day operations, but only a dynamic minority have truly integrated record-keeping.
                                     Most agencies have per-project budgeting and cost control processes in place, but many still
                                     have resource blind spots, such as new business generation and over-servicing time. The most
                                     expensive and valuable resource agencies use – their people’s time – is not always caught by
                                     systems or connected to data about margins and profits.




6 execu tiV e Summ a ry
Key stats                                                In general, agency processes have evolved in the last five years, but most recognise that
                                                         they still have systems and processes that could be improved. The pressures of the recent
                                                         recession appear to have locked some agencies in something of a ‘holding pattern’, keeping
                                                         them from making further improvements to processes and structures.

                                    only 11%
                                    report that they     Without a good way to monitor and evaluate their current situations, some agencies may not

                                   have re-distributed   be as agile as they need to be in order to react quickly to the seismic shifts in the marketing
                                    permanent staff      landscape which are now under way.
                                    through hiring or
                                      redundancies



               only 12%
              report that they
             have re-distributed
              temporary staff
              through hiring or
                redundancies                   Massive changes to
                                             the media environment
                                              aren’t being matched
                                                by organisational
                                                 change within
                                                 many agencies




7 execu tiV e Summ a ry
Systems and Profitability

                                    The systems agencies currently have in place are not always helping them realise their profit
                                    potential, or enabling companies to recognise information or efficiency gaps. Indeed, 60%
                                    agree that improving corporate accounting processes would increase company profits.


              59% agree             It appears that external-facing systems such as invoicing meet with greater satisfaction
                that lack of time   than internal-facing systems that measure non-billable hours and other difficult-to-capture
               accountability by    resources. 59% of respondents agree that lack of time accountability by creative teams has a
             creative teams has a   negative impact on company profits, but only 9% report that their invoices are often queried
              negative impact on    or rejected due to error, for example.
               company profits




8 SyStemS a nD profita bilit y
The Agency Holding Pattern

                                     Unsurprisingly, the recession has negatively affected profits at 45% of respondent
                                     companies. An additional 30% have held steady, with no change in profits – only 11% report
                                     increases in profits during the recession. The majority of respondents are focusing their
                                     efforts on cost-cutting, with only 37% agreeing that revenue generation is a higher priority
                                     than managing costs.


                                     While some agencies are maintaining an employment status quo, 43% report redundancies
                                     of permanent staff. The basic shape of agencies has not changed, however – the changes one
                                     might expect in the wake of technological and social developments have not yet occurred.

                 45% of              Most agencies are not using staffing changes to review how skills are used, with only 11%

                agencies
                                     reporting that changes in permanent staffing (positive or negative) have re-distributed
                                     responsibilities at the agency. Only 12% say the same about temporary staffing changes.
               have seen their       On the whole, agencies appear to be slimming down, but not necessarily becoming more agile.
            profits decline during
                the recession




9 the agency holDing pat ter n
This is taking place against the backdrop of major changes in the media environment with
                                                                 which agencies engage – some agencies are holding still in the face of widespread change,
                                                                 while others are rising to meet the challenge.




Research methodology                                             Fig. 1: sector breakdown of respondents
200 telephone interviews were
conducted in May and early June 2010,
with agency professionals at director
                                                                  US                  UK              Total
level or above across a range of
marketing disciplines, based in the UK
                                                                                                                                              29%
(100) and the US (100) .
                                          Advertising                                                                                                              38%
                                                                                                                                                             34%
Respondents were screened for strategic
                                                                                                                              23%
and budget responsibilities, and those
                                          PR                                                                                22%
working for companies with fewer                                                                                             23%
than 50 were excluded . The survey was
                                                                                                                              23%
conducted by Loudhouse Research, an
                                          Integrated Marketing                                                16%
independent consultancy headquartered                                                                                20%
in the UK .
                                                                                                11%
                                          Web/Internet                           5%
This survey follows a similar effort in                                                    8%
2005, when a telephone survey reached
                                                                                       7%
223 respondents at agencies with over     Design                                           8%
30 employees, 100 in the UK and 123 in                                                     8%
the US .
                                                                                 5%
                                          Direct Mail                             6%
                                                                                 6%

                                                                       2%
                                          Market research                        5%
                                                                            4%




                                                                 Which of the f ollowing industries does your company work in? Base: 200 100 (UK) 100 (US)


10 the agency holDing pat ter n
Agency Systems and Processes

   Fig. 2: sample breakdown for Us and UK                                             Almost three quarters of respondents (72%) say their agencies budget in advance for each job
                                                                                      they undertake, and 77% say they have ongoing cost control in place for each job. Information
           Company size: UK                    Company turnover: UK                   is often going to waste, however. Only 53% of agencies have a cost accounting system that
                Fewer than 50                            Refused/DK                   can link job codes to the general ledger, and only 47% have a system that can perform time
                    0%                                       1%
                                                                                      and expense analysis prior to project completion. Only 39% have an automated system to
More than 250                         £10 million                     £0 - £999,999
    31%                               and above                            17%        manage employee personal expenses, suggesting that basic and easily captured information
                                        27%
                                                                                      is often being missed.


                                                                         £1 million   Timesheet systems are still not achieving enough coverage to help agencies manage resources
                                                                       - £4,999,999
                                          £5 million -                     31%        well. Only 1 in 3 respondents has over 90% coverage of employees’ time, and 1 in 6 (16%)
                   50-250                 £9,999,999
                    69%                      24%                                      of respondents say their agency has no automated timesheet system at all. Encouragingly,
                                                                                      respondents are aware that their systems need improvement - asked to estimate what
                                                                                      capacities they will need three years into the future, respondents generally voice a need for
           Company size: US                    Company turnover: US                   much more sophisticated systems.
                Fewer than 50                     Refused/DK
                    0%                                5%     £0 - £999,999
                                      £10 million                  8%
More than 250
                                      and above
    20%
                                        21%




                                                                         £1 million
                                                                       - £4,999,999
                                          £5 million -                     45%
                   50-250                 £9,999,999
                    80%                      21%



   Could you please tell me how many employees are there within your company?
   What is your company turnover? Base: 100 (US) 100 (



   11 agency SyStemS a nD proceSSeS
Areas of Weakness

                                        The systems agencies employ have several areas of weakness. The new business process
                                        takes a tremendous amount of agency time – respondents estimate a rough average of 18%
                                        of their time, with 36% spending one day per business week (20% of time) or more. Despite
                                        this, reporting of new business time is patchy. Only 45% of respondents report that their
                                        timesheet systems can capture non billable hours, and only 55% agree that their new business
                                        processes are well managed and organised. 29% of those who have an automated timesheet
                                        system report that these do not capture time spent on new business at all.


                                        Budgeting and cost control responsibilities are very widely distributed at respondents’
                                        agencies, with the creative teams on jobs actively involved in budgeting at 42% of respondents’
                  13%                   agencies, and in ongoing cost control at 36%. Over-servicing also remains an issue for most
              over-servicing            agencies (although less pronounced than five years ago), with agencies reporting an estimated
           on average was reported by   average of 13% over-servicing and only 19% claiming to have eliminated over-servicing
             the surveyed agencies      completely. This figure – 19% – is likely to be high, as agencies in the current economic climate
                                        have fewer active clients making the urgent demands that drive over-servicing. Improvement
                                        is clearly needed, with agencies aspiring to 3% over-servicing on average.




12 a r e a S of w e a kneSS
Systems and Profitability

                                                                                    Although general satisfaction with accounting systems has increased since the 2005 study, it
                                                                                    has not risen at the same pace as technological processes have improved.


                                                                                    A truly agile system would allow for a comprehensive real-time view of resource use. Many

                         60% agree                                                  agencies report that their current systems are not able to provide this view in one or more
                                                                                    aspects of their businesses. 60% of respondents agree that improving corporate accounting
                 that improving accounting
                                                                                    processes would increase company profits, as opposed to 63% agreeing with this statement
                 processes would increase
                                                                                    in 2005 (Figure 3).
                      company profits


                                                                                    Fig. 3: accountancy system satisfaction


                                                                                                                  Strongly agree        Agree   Neutral   Disagree    Strongly Disagree         Refused



                                                                                                                      13%                       50%                        26%                 7% 2% 2%

                                                                                    2005: Improving corporate
                                                                                    accounting processes would
                                                                                    increase company profits


                                                                                                                            24%                   36%                  26%                9%     5% 2%

                                                                                    2010: Improving corporate
                                                                                    accounting processes would
2010: I am now going to read out a list of statements. Could you please tell me     increase company profits
if you strongly agree, agree, are neutral, disagree or strongly disagree with the
following? Base: 200
2005: To what extent do you agree with the statement “Improving corporate
accounting processes would increase company profits”? Base:223                                                   0%               20%            40%            60%              80%               100%



13 SyStemS a nD profita bilit y
Fig. 4: Us and UK systems and processes                                                            The external-facing systems agencies run seem to function extremely well, while some areas
                                                                                                   of internal monitoring remain challenging for many agencies. Only 9% of respondents agree
                                                                                                   that their invoices are often queried because information is confusing or erroneous, and just
Percentage that agree or strongly agree                                                            12% agree that they spend excessive time correcting invoicing errors.

                                       250+ employees       50-250 employees         Total
                                                                                                   Company size seems to play a role in how companies’ systems work toward profitability
                                                                            49%
Revenue generation is a higher                                 32%                                 – larger firms are considerably more likely to see accounting systems as an area for
priority than managing costs                                     37%
                                                                                                   improvement (72% of firms with more than 250 employees agree that improving accounting
Our new businesses process is
                                                                                    55%            systems would boost profits, as opposed to 55% of smaller firms.) Larger firms are, however,
                                                                                     57%
well managed and organised                                                           57%           more likely than their smaller counterparts to focus on revenues over profits.
Improving corporate accoun-                                                                  72%
ting processes would increase                                                       55%
                                                                                                   In general, respondents acknowledge that their agencies’ systems have blind spots. 59%
company profits                                                                         60%
                                                                                                   agree that lack of accountability by creative teams impacts company profitability. Just over
Lack of time accountability                                                           59%
by creative teams impacts                                                              60%         half (55%) agree that their new business process is well managed and organised (Figure 4).
company profitability                                                                  59%
                                                                                                   New business takes up a considerable amount of agency time, and there is clearly room for
                                                                                                   improvement in accounting for this time.


                                                                                                   New business and creative work often involve non-billable hours. In many agencies, it seems
                                                                                                   that the internal systems that manage companies’ most valuable resource – employee time
                                                                                                   – are not equipped to record key activities or to link the information they store to data on
                                                                                                   profit and loss.




I am now going to read out a list of statements. Could you please tell me
if you strongly agree, agree, are neutral, disagree or strongly disagree with the
following? Base: 200 149 (50-250 employees), 51 (250+)



14 SyStemS a nD profita bilit y
The Agency Holding Pattern

Fig. 5: profits in the downturn                                                       While 30% of respondents report no change in their profits at all during the downturn, 45%
                                                                                      report a decline (Figure 5). Regional differences emerge in the recession’s effects on profits,
              How has the recent                   Do you currently have a            with 57% of UK respondents reporting a decline in profits, as opposed to 32% in the US.
              economic recession              project or task force established
                 affected your                    to improve profitability             14% of UK agencies have increased their profits, while only 7% in the US report they have
               agency’s profits?                     within your agency?               done so. Most strikingly, US agencies are much more likely to report a steady state, with 42%
        Don’t Know                                                                    reporting no change in profits, as opposed to 17% in the UK.
          16%                   No change                                      Yes
                                  30%                                          48%
Profits have                                                                           In 2005, at the height of the boom, 41% of respondents claimed that generating revenue was
  gone up
   11%                                                                                more important than managing costs. In 2010, this figure stands at 37%, higher than might
                                                                                      be expected, as green shoots begin to emerge. Profitability is very much front of mind in the
  Profits have                                                                         agency psyche, but only about half (48%) of respondents report that their agencies have a
   gone down                                            No
     45%                                               52%                            task force or project examining profitability.




How has the recent economic recession affected your agency’s profits? Do you
currently have a project or task force established to improve prof itability within
your agency? Base: 200



15 the agency holDing pat ter n
Fig. 6: changes in permanent staffing                                                              The general sense that agencies are somewhat ‘hunkered down’ is reinforced by hiring patterns
                                                                                                   during the recession (Figure 6). As would be expected from the profitability patterns, only
How has the recent economic recession affected your agency’s                                       a minority of agencies report having hired new permanent staff or retained new temporary
number of permanent staff?
                                                                                                   staff during the recession (a total of 10% and 8%, respectively). There are also substantial
             8%                             No change                                              numbers reporting declines. 28% of respondents report a decline in temporary/contract
                             42%            We have hired more people, but the general             workers, while 43% have let permanent staff go.
  8%                                        composition of the agency has stayed the same
                                            (even hiring of permanent staff across teams)

                                            We have hired more people, and changed the             Whilst staffing changes represent a useful and timely opportunity for agencies to update
                                            composition of the agency (adding to or creating
                                            permanent roles on some teams, reducing or             their processes in light of major changes in the market, only a minority of agencies have done
                                            eliminating permanent roles in others)
                                                                                                   so. Only 11% report using permanent staffing changes (hiring or redundancies) as a part of a
                                            We have let staff go, but the general composition
                                            of the agency has stayed the same (even reductions     change in agency structure, and only 12% doing the same with changes to contract staffing.
                                            in permanent staff across teams)
                                                                                                   The situation in the US is more stagnant than in the UK, with only 3% using permanent staff
  35%                                       We have let staff go, and changed the composition
                        7%                  of the agency (adding to or creating permanent roles   changes to affect a restructure and only 9% doing the same with temporary staff changes.
                  3%
                                            on some teams,reducing or eliminating permanent
                                            roles in others)                                       In the UK, the corresponding numbers are 17% and 15%, respectively, suggesting somewhat
                                            Don’t Know                                             greater dynamism in UK agency structures.




How has the recent economic recession affected your agency’s number of
permanent staff? Base: 200



16 the agency holDing pat ter n
Agency Systems and Processes

                                     Some of agencies’ reluctance to change may be explained by their systems – not all agencies
                                     have enough resource visibility to reallocate resources quickly. While most respondents
                                     report that their agencies have functioning systems for budgeting and cost control, many
                                     either lack some core capacities or don’t have all the processes in place to link the information
                                     they collect in useful ways.
          2/3 of agencies
              can improve the        Good advance-budgeting and real-time cost control processes are in place at a majority of
         percentage of agency time   agencies. 72% of respondents report budgeting in advance for each job, and 77% say they
           with a comprehensive      perform ongoing cost control while each job is in progress.
             timesheet system
                                     The majority of respondents have an automated timesheet system (only 16% lack one),
                                     although only a third has truly comprehensive coverage (91-100% of time covered on the
                                     system). This means that two thirds of agencies could improve the percentage of agency time
                                     captured in their systems, and potentially see real benefits in agility and control.




17 agency SyStemS a nD proceSSeS
When asked what basic functions their systems can perform, a surprising number of
                                                               respondents lack core capacities (Figure 7). Only 39% report that their systems can send
                                                               reminders to those who fail to complete timesheets, and only 48% of systems can automatically
                                                               inform them when timesheets are due or late. Less than half (45%) of respondents report
                                                               that their timesheet systems can capture non-billable hours (new business activities, pitch
                                                               preparation, meetings and administrative time) at all. A significant number of agencies are
                                                               losing data at the entry point, because they don’t have reliable information about what has
                                                               and has not been recorded and by whom.



                                                               Fig. 7: current capacities and future needs

                                                                                                           Future needs     Current abilities


                                                               Run time analysis reports                                                                                   66%
                                                                                                                                                               55%
                                                               Automatically inform you when
                                                                                                                                                                           65%
                                                               timesheets are due or late
                                                                                                                                                        48%

                                                               Capture non billable hours                                                                            60%
                                                                                                                                                      45%

                                                               Send reminders to individuals to                                                             52%
                                                               complete timesheets                                                              39%

                                                               Block out timesheet entries until                                                            52%
                                                               budget approval has been given                                                   38%

                                                               None of these capacities                            9%
                                                                                                                          15%

                                                               Integrate resource plan with revenue                                               42%
                                                               forecast (future only)

                                                               Provide overview of resource availability                                                      53%
                                                               and skills (future only)

Regarding your timesheet system, does it have the capability
to do the following? Base: 168
What capacities do you imagine your timesheet / project
management system will need to have to help you meet your
needs three years from now? Base: 200



18 agency SyStemS a nD proceSSeS
In addition, linkages between systems could be further improved at many agencies (Figure 8).
                                                     Only just over half (53%) of respondents have cost accounting systems in place that link job
                                                     codes to the general ledger, and only 47% can perform time and expense analysis in real
                                                     time, prior to project completion. As such, the information collected in budgeting and cost-
                                                     management processes is not always being connected to the systems that measure profits
                                                     and losses.



                                                     Fig. 8: capacities of linked systems

                                                                                               US        UK         Total


                     only 47% of                     Cost accounting systems                                                                  48%


                      agencies
                                                     (linking job codes to general ledger)                                                                57%
                                                                                                                                                    53%

                      can perform time               Time and expenses analysis in real time                                            44%
                                                     – prior to project completion                                                           50%
                    and expense analysis                                                                                                  47%

                     in real-time prior to           An automated system to manage                                          30%
                     project completion              personal employee expenses
                                                                                                                                  39%
                                                                                                                                          47%


                                                     None of the above                                            16%
                                                                                                              11%
                                                                                                                14%

                                                     Don't Know                                               12%
                                                                                                    5%
                                                                                                         9%




Which of the following systems/processes does your
organisation employ? Base: 200 100(UK) 100(US)



19 SyStemS a nD profita bilit y
Areas of Weakness

                                        The number of agencies with pre-project budgeting and ongoing project cost-control
                                        processes is encouraging. The involvement of a very wide range of agency personnel, as shown
                                        in Figure 9, is undoubtedly a positive example of connectedness across the business. Where
                                        creative teams are actively involved in setting project budgets (42%) and managing costs
                                        on an ongoing basis during jobs (36%), however, there are potential issues given the lack of
                                        accounting for creatives’ time and resources already reported. Indeed, 59% of respondents
                                        consider that lack of time accountability by creatives impacts company profitability.


                                        Another system ‘blind spot’ is the new business process. Only 57% of respondents agree that
                                        their new business process is well managed and organised, despite spending an average of

                 59% agree              18% of their time on new business – just under one working day of agency time each week. A

                that the lack of time   core 36% of respondents spend over 20% or more of agency time on new business, making

                 accountability by      this a crucial area for systems to monitor. 29% of respondents who have timesheet systems
                 creatives impacts      report that new business time is not recorded in their systems at all. Those who do record new
               company profitability    business time do not always do so as transparently as they could - designations that specify
                                        ‘new businesses (such as ‘new business research’)’ are used only by 45-52% of agencies.




20 a r e a S of w e a kneSS
Fig. 9: Involvement in pre-project budgeting

                                                                                      US         UK   Total


                                                     Senior agency management                                                                       61%
                                                                                                                                                      64%
                                                                                                                                                        63%

                                                     The finance or accounting team                                                    49%
                                                     for the agency                                                                               59%
                                                                                                                                            53%

                                                     The most senior person on                                                    48%
                                                     the project team                                                                         56%
                                                                                                                                        51%

                                                     The planner or planning team                                                           53%
                                                     on the job                                                     34%
                                                                                                                                45%

                                                     The client service staff                                             40%
                                                     involved in the job                                                          48%
                                                                                                                            43%

                                                     The creative team working                                                          52%
                                                     on the job                                               30%
                                                                                                                            42%

                                                     Others                                 4%
                                                                                      0%
                                                                                           2%

                                                     Don't Know                         1%
                                                                                      0%
                                                                                       1%




For each new job you begin, which of the following
staff members are involved in setting the initial
budget for the job? Base: 144 , 61(UK) 83 (US)



21 a r e a S of w e a kneSS
Fig. 10: over-servicing                                          Over-servicing remains an issue, with agencies over-servicing their clients by 13% on average
                                                                 (Figure 10). Only 19% of agencies claim to be free of over-servicing challenges. There has
                       Mean: 13%                                 been progress in this area - 55% of 2010 respondents report 10% over-servicing or less,
                                                                 while only 23% had achieved this level of efficiency in 2005. In 2005, 24% of respondents
                      Don’t Know
                50% +    7%                                      reported more than 20% over-servicing (theoretically, one wasted day per week). In 2010,
                                         We do not overservice
      41-50%
                 3%                        our clients at all    this figure is 23%, essentially no change.
                                                 19%
        7%

 31-40%
   6%
                                                                 Eliminating over-servicing remains a goal for a majority of respondents, with 52% hoping to
                                                                 eliminate it completely, and 32% hoping to get to 5% over-servicing or less.
21-30%
 11%                                                >5%
                                                    18%          Clearly, agencies want to capitalise on their increasing efficiency, and reap the benefits of
                                                                 further improvements.
       11-20%
        15%
                                   6-10%
                                    19%




By what percentage, if at all, would you estimate that
you ‘over-service’ your clients? Base: 200



22 a r e a S of w e a kneSS
Conclusion

                Agencies have faced two challenges since the start of the recent economic downturn – the
                economy has had negative effects on their own profits and has accelerated developments
                elsewhere in the economy that are rapidly and fundamentally changing the way they must work.


                Marketers in this environment need the agility to re-allocate resources – from old to new
                media, from siloed to integrated organisations, from traditional schedules to flexible ones
                – quickly when they recognise a need to do so. The most dynamic agencies are equipped with
                enough real-time information to spot and change wasteful patterns before they hurt profits
                or to allocate resources to new projects. Most agencies are making progress toward this goal,
                but they still have improvements to make before they achieve it. The potentially dramatic
                changes brought about by social and broader digital media needs are a notable factor in
                creating urgency in improving management intelligence of agency resources. Agencies
                recognise this challenge and the need to improve their systems in response but vary in the
                progress already made and the readiness to mature their processes further.


                Over the next few years, we can expect that the environment around marketing agencies
                will continue to evolve, as traditional media weakens and non-traditional channels make up
                a larger part of the media landscape and agency revenues. Agencies with the information
                to distribute resources efficiently and re-allocate them quickly will be best equipped to
                innovate in this environment. Companies need to pursue an improvement to business
                information, to ensure that systems, people and processes are align to provide the agility
                needed for future agency success.




23 concluSion
About LoudHouse Research

Loudhouse is an independent marketing research consultancy based in London with particular expertise
in helping brands better engage with their audiences. Loudhouse works with companies of all shapes
and sizes to deliver insight into what makes their customers tick and helps companies use this insight to
better communicate with their markets. Loudhouse works across a range of sectors and has particular
expertise in business services, technology and people issues.

For more information on Loudhouse, please visit www.loudhouse.co.uk

Loudhouse Research
33 Glasshouse Street
London
W1B 5DG
0845 5057770




About our Sponsor


Deltek (Nasdaq: PROJ) acquired Maconomy in July 2010 to create the leading global provider of
enterprise applications software and solutions designed specifically for project-focused businesses.
The combined company has unmatched domain expertise in the professional services market with close
to 13,000 customers worldwide. The new organisation has immense geographic reach across the world
and serves all major segments within the professional services vertical market, including architecture
& engineering, advertising, public relations, accounting, management and IT consulting, and legal. The
combined organisation has a prominent market position and has an unmatched list of project-based
customers, including:

• 80% of the Engineering News Record Top 500 Design Firms
• Approximately 80% of the 2009 ZweigWhite Top 200 fastest-growing architecture, engineering and
  environmental consulting firms
• Four of the five largest Global Accounting and Consulting firms
• The world’s three largest Marketing Communications Networks
• Approximately 90% of the Top U.S. Federal Contractors

For more information, please visit www.deltek.com or www.maconomy.com

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Agency Profitwatch 2010

  • 2. Contents View from the Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Systems and Profitability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 The Agency Holding Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Agency Systems and Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Areas of Weakness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Systems and Profitability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The Agency Holding Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Agency Systems and Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Areas of Weakness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 In Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  • 3. View from the Top After massive investments in “Five years is a long time in the dynamic world of marketing and communications. In fact, the past five years have arguably been the most transformative of the past 30. Whilst the arrival digital in the recent past ... our of the dot com era signalled a change in technology before the new millennium, it is only in aim is eventually to derive a total recent years that internet technology has become ubiquitous – all ages, anytime, anywhere. Coupled with the boom in social media, the marketing industry has been, and is still largely, in of 60% of our revenue from the the process of reinventing itself. two sectors of digital activities and emerging economies. However, what makes this technological transition unique is the economic backdrop that accompanies the new wave of commercial and consumer behaviour. The enduring recession (Publicis 2010) experienced across the majority of western economies since early 2008 has given a new meaning to the term ‘more for less’. Budgets have been cut, growth has been elusive and agencies have been tested to the limit. Maconomy conducted a ‘Profit Watch’ piece of research in 2005 that has been repeated in 2010. We are pleased to share the findings with you and to encourage debate about how agencies have been and should be responding to today’s unique set of commercial pressures. 3 V ie w from the top
  • 4. WPP Digital exists to accelerate In 2005 many large marketing and communications businesses were struggling to implement systems that captured billing and resource information. The ability to link these systems WPP’s development of world- and integrate them with finance was even further from the ‘norm’. Whilst these issues still class capabilities in digital endure in 2010, they are beginning to improve. Generally speaking, agencies in 2010 are more accountable and rely upon a more sophisticated ‘backbone’ than was the case previously. marketing and media. (WPP 2010) The challenges for 2010, as agencies endeavour to ‘digitise’ service offerings, are still grounded in the hunt for profitability. However, the need for business intelligence to ensure In order to grow with our an effective response to dramatic operational changes is central to future financial success. clients, we have therefore Marketers like to speak of ‘tipping points’ for client organisations. It appears that the industry accelerated our investment now has a tipping point of its own. Responding appropriately to the period of transition that 2010 represents will pay dividends. Most innovators in the sector have a view of future in digital talent, professional [digital] strategy, but turning this into workable services requires internal transparency, re- training and technology organisation and insight. ‘Vision’ may describe the future, but only operational aptitude will throughout the organization make this vision a reality.” in recent years. Hugo Dorph (Interpublic 2010) EVP & General Manager, Deltek | Maconomy 4 V ie w from the top
  • 5. During the next few years, we expect to see an accelerating focus on digital media to communicate brand messages (Omnicom 2010)
  • 6. Executive Summary Key stats The marketing and media industries are in a period of rapid transformation in the wake of a recession which has accelerated the movement of digital media into the centre of the communications landscape. The 2010 Agency Profitwatch report seeks to examine whether agency systems and processes are agile enough to help agencies thrive amidst this change. The following report examines how agency decision-makers across a range of marketing 60% agree disciplines collect and use agency time and resources. In particular, it seeks to understand how the systems they use contribute to agency profitability and whether agencies are able to that improving use data about costs and assets to their best advantage. corporate accounting processes would increase The findings indicate that many agencies are collecting enough information for successful company profits day-to-day operations, but only a dynamic minority have truly integrated record-keeping. Most agencies have per-project budgeting and cost control processes in place, but many still have resource blind spots, such as new business generation and over-servicing time. The most expensive and valuable resource agencies use – their people’s time – is not always caught by systems or connected to data about margins and profits. 6 execu tiV e Summ a ry
  • 7. Key stats In general, agency processes have evolved in the last five years, but most recognise that they still have systems and processes that could be improved. The pressures of the recent recession appear to have locked some agencies in something of a ‘holding pattern’, keeping them from making further improvements to processes and structures. only 11% report that they Without a good way to monitor and evaluate their current situations, some agencies may not have re-distributed be as agile as they need to be in order to react quickly to the seismic shifts in the marketing permanent staff landscape which are now under way. through hiring or redundancies only 12% report that they have re-distributed temporary staff through hiring or redundancies Massive changes to the media environment aren’t being matched by organisational change within many agencies 7 execu tiV e Summ a ry
  • 8. Systems and Profitability The systems agencies currently have in place are not always helping them realise their profit potential, or enabling companies to recognise information or efficiency gaps. Indeed, 60% agree that improving corporate accounting processes would increase company profits. 59% agree It appears that external-facing systems such as invoicing meet with greater satisfaction that lack of time than internal-facing systems that measure non-billable hours and other difficult-to-capture accountability by resources. 59% of respondents agree that lack of time accountability by creative teams has a creative teams has a negative impact on company profits, but only 9% report that their invoices are often queried negative impact on or rejected due to error, for example. company profits 8 SyStemS a nD profita bilit y
  • 9. The Agency Holding Pattern Unsurprisingly, the recession has negatively affected profits at 45% of respondent companies. An additional 30% have held steady, with no change in profits – only 11% report increases in profits during the recession. The majority of respondents are focusing their efforts on cost-cutting, with only 37% agreeing that revenue generation is a higher priority than managing costs. While some agencies are maintaining an employment status quo, 43% report redundancies of permanent staff. The basic shape of agencies has not changed, however – the changes one might expect in the wake of technological and social developments have not yet occurred. 45% of Most agencies are not using staffing changes to review how skills are used, with only 11% agencies reporting that changes in permanent staffing (positive or negative) have re-distributed responsibilities at the agency. Only 12% say the same about temporary staffing changes. have seen their On the whole, agencies appear to be slimming down, but not necessarily becoming more agile. profits decline during the recession 9 the agency holDing pat ter n
  • 10. This is taking place against the backdrop of major changes in the media environment with which agencies engage – some agencies are holding still in the face of widespread change, while others are rising to meet the challenge. Research methodology Fig. 1: sector breakdown of respondents 200 telephone interviews were conducted in May and early June 2010, with agency professionals at director US UK Total level or above across a range of marketing disciplines, based in the UK 29% (100) and the US (100) . Advertising 38% 34% Respondents were screened for strategic 23% and budget responsibilities, and those PR 22% working for companies with fewer 23% than 50 were excluded . The survey was 23% conducted by Loudhouse Research, an Integrated Marketing 16% independent consultancy headquartered 20% in the UK . 11% Web/Internet 5% This survey follows a similar effort in 8% 2005, when a telephone survey reached 7% 223 respondents at agencies with over Design 8% 30 employees, 100 in the UK and 123 in 8% the US . 5% Direct Mail 6% 6% 2% Market research 5% 4% Which of the f ollowing industries does your company work in? Base: 200 100 (UK) 100 (US) 10 the agency holDing pat ter n
  • 11. Agency Systems and Processes Fig. 2: sample breakdown for Us and UK Almost three quarters of respondents (72%) say their agencies budget in advance for each job they undertake, and 77% say they have ongoing cost control in place for each job. Information Company size: UK Company turnover: UK is often going to waste, however. Only 53% of agencies have a cost accounting system that Fewer than 50 Refused/DK can link job codes to the general ledger, and only 47% have a system that can perform time 0% 1% and expense analysis prior to project completion. Only 39% have an automated system to More than 250 £10 million £0 - £999,999 31% and above 17% manage employee personal expenses, suggesting that basic and easily captured information 27% is often being missed. £1 million Timesheet systems are still not achieving enough coverage to help agencies manage resources - £4,999,999 £5 million - 31% well. Only 1 in 3 respondents has over 90% coverage of employees’ time, and 1 in 6 (16%) 50-250 £9,999,999 69% 24% of respondents say their agency has no automated timesheet system at all. Encouragingly, respondents are aware that their systems need improvement - asked to estimate what capacities they will need three years into the future, respondents generally voice a need for Company size: US Company turnover: US much more sophisticated systems. Fewer than 50 Refused/DK 0% 5% £0 - £999,999 £10 million 8% More than 250 and above 20% 21% £1 million - £4,999,999 £5 million - 45% 50-250 £9,999,999 80% 21% Could you please tell me how many employees are there within your company? What is your company turnover? Base: 100 (US) 100 ( 11 agency SyStemS a nD proceSSeS
  • 12. Areas of Weakness The systems agencies employ have several areas of weakness. The new business process takes a tremendous amount of agency time – respondents estimate a rough average of 18% of their time, with 36% spending one day per business week (20% of time) or more. Despite this, reporting of new business time is patchy. Only 45% of respondents report that their timesheet systems can capture non billable hours, and only 55% agree that their new business processes are well managed and organised. 29% of those who have an automated timesheet system report that these do not capture time spent on new business at all. Budgeting and cost control responsibilities are very widely distributed at respondents’ agencies, with the creative teams on jobs actively involved in budgeting at 42% of respondents’ 13% agencies, and in ongoing cost control at 36%. Over-servicing also remains an issue for most over-servicing agencies (although less pronounced than five years ago), with agencies reporting an estimated on average was reported by average of 13% over-servicing and only 19% claiming to have eliminated over-servicing the surveyed agencies completely. This figure – 19% – is likely to be high, as agencies in the current economic climate have fewer active clients making the urgent demands that drive over-servicing. Improvement is clearly needed, with agencies aspiring to 3% over-servicing on average. 12 a r e a S of w e a kneSS
  • 13. Systems and Profitability Although general satisfaction with accounting systems has increased since the 2005 study, it has not risen at the same pace as technological processes have improved. A truly agile system would allow for a comprehensive real-time view of resource use. Many 60% agree agencies report that their current systems are not able to provide this view in one or more aspects of their businesses. 60% of respondents agree that improving corporate accounting that improving accounting processes would increase company profits, as opposed to 63% agreeing with this statement processes would increase in 2005 (Figure 3). company profits Fig. 3: accountancy system satisfaction Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Refused 13% 50% 26% 7% 2% 2% 2005: Improving corporate accounting processes would increase company profits 24% 36% 26% 9% 5% 2% 2010: Improving corporate accounting processes would 2010: I am now going to read out a list of statements. Could you please tell me increase company profits if you strongly agree, agree, are neutral, disagree or strongly disagree with the following? Base: 200 2005: To what extent do you agree with the statement “Improving corporate accounting processes would increase company profits”? Base:223 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 13 SyStemS a nD profita bilit y
  • 14. Fig. 4: Us and UK systems and processes The external-facing systems agencies run seem to function extremely well, while some areas of internal monitoring remain challenging for many agencies. Only 9% of respondents agree that their invoices are often queried because information is confusing or erroneous, and just Percentage that agree or strongly agree 12% agree that they spend excessive time correcting invoicing errors. 250+ employees 50-250 employees Total Company size seems to play a role in how companies’ systems work toward profitability 49% Revenue generation is a higher 32% – larger firms are considerably more likely to see accounting systems as an area for priority than managing costs 37% improvement (72% of firms with more than 250 employees agree that improving accounting Our new businesses process is 55% systems would boost profits, as opposed to 55% of smaller firms.) Larger firms are, however, 57% well managed and organised 57% more likely than their smaller counterparts to focus on revenues over profits. Improving corporate accoun- 72% ting processes would increase 55% In general, respondents acknowledge that their agencies’ systems have blind spots. 59% company profits 60% agree that lack of accountability by creative teams impacts company profitability. Just over Lack of time accountability 59% by creative teams impacts 60% half (55%) agree that their new business process is well managed and organised (Figure 4). company profitability 59% New business takes up a considerable amount of agency time, and there is clearly room for improvement in accounting for this time. New business and creative work often involve non-billable hours. In many agencies, it seems that the internal systems that manage companies’ most valuable resource – employee time – are not equipped to record key activities or to link the information they store to data on profit and loss. I am now going to read out a list of statements. Could you please tell me if you strongly agree, agree, are neutral, disagree or strongly disagree with the following? Base: 200 149 (50-250 employees), 51 (250+) 14 SyStemS a nD profita bilit y
  • 15. The Agency Holding Pattern Fig. 5: profits in the downturn While 30% of respondents report no change in their profits at all during the downturn, 45% report a decline (Figure 5). Regional differences emerge in the recession’s effects on profits, How has the recent Do you currently have a with 57% of UK respondents reporting a decline in profits, as opposed to 32% in the US. economic recession project or task force established affected your to improve profitability 14% of UK agencies have increased their profits, while only 7% in the US report they have agency’s profits? within your agency? done so. Most strikingly, US agencies are much more likely to report a steady state, with 42% Don’t Know reporting no change in profits, as opposed to 17% in the UK. 16% No change Yes 30% 48% Profits have In 2005, at the height of the boom, 41% of respondents claimed that generating revenue was gone up 11% more important than managing costs. In 2010, this figure stands at 37%, higher than might be expected, as green shoots begin to emerge. Profitability is very much front of mind in the Profits have agency psyche, but only about half (48%) of respondents report that their agencies have a gone down No 45% 52% task force or project examining profitability. How has the recent economic recession affected your agency’s profits? Do you currently have a project or task force established to improve prof itability within your agency? Base: 200 15 the agency holDing pat ter n
  • 16. Fig. 6: changes in permanent staffing The general sense that agencies are somewhat ‘hunkered down’ is reinforced by hiring patterns during the recession (Figure 6). As would be expected from the profitability patterns, only How has the recent economic recession affected your agency’s a minority of agencies report having hired new permanent staff or retained new temporary number of permanent staff? staff during the recession (a total of 10% and 8%, respectively). There are also substantial 8% No change numbers reporting declines. 28% of respondents report a decline in temporary/contract 42% We have hired more people, but the general workers, while 43% have let permanent staff go. 8% composition of the agency has stayed the same (even hiring of permanent staff across teams) We have hired more people, and changed the Whilst staffing changes represent a useful and timely opportunity for agencies to update composition of the agency (adding to or creating permanent roles on some teams, reducing or their processes in light of major changes in the market, only a minority of agencies have done eliminating permanent roles in others) so. Only 11% report using permanent staffing changes (hiring or redundancies) as a part of a We have let staff go, but the general composition of the agency has stayed the same (even reductions change in agency structure, and only 12% doing the same with changes to contract staffing. in permanent staff across teams) The situation in the US is more stagnant than in the UK, with only 3% using permanent staff 35% We have let staff go, and changed the composition 7% of the agency (adding to or creating permanent roles changes to affect a restructure and only 9% doing the same with temporary staff changes. 3% on some teams,reducing or eliminating permanent roles in others) In the UK, the corresponding numbers are 17% and 15%, respectively, suggesting somewhat Don’t Know greater dynamism in UK agency structures. How has the recent economic recession affected your agency’s number of permanent staff? Base: 200 16 the agency holDing pat ter n
  • 17. Agency Systems and Processes Some of agencies’ reluctance to change may be explained by their systems – not all agencies have enough resource visibility to reallocate resources quickly. While most respondents report that their agencies have functioning systems for budgeting and cost control, many either lack some core capacities or don’t have all the processes in place to link the information they collect in useful ways. 2/3 of agencies can improve the Good advance-budgeting and real-time cost control processes are in place at a majority of percentage of agency time agencies. 72% of respondents report budgeting in advance for each job, and 77% say they with a comprehensive perform ongoing cost control while each job is in progress. timesheet system The majority of respondents have an automated timesheet system (only 16% lack one), although only a third has truly comprehensive coverage (91-100% of time covered on the system). This means that two thirds of agencies could improve the percentage of agency time captured in their systems, and potentially see real benefits in agility and control. 17 agency SyStemS a nD proceSSeS
  • 18. When asked what basic functions their systems can perform, a surprising number of respondents lack core capacities (Figure 7). Only 39% report that their systems can send reminders to those who fail to complete timesheets, and only 48% of systems can automatically inform them when timesheets are due or late. Less than half (45%) of respondents report that their timesheet systems can capture non-billable hours (new business activities, pitch preparation, meetings and administrative time) at all. A significant number of agencies are losing data at the entry point, because they don’t have reliable information about what has and has not been recorded and by whom. Fig. 7: current capacities and future needs Future needs Current abilities Run time analysis reports 66% 55% Automatically inform you when 65% timesheets are due or late 48% Capture non billable hours 60% 45% Send reminders to individuals to 52% complete timesheets 39% Block out timesheet entries until 52% budget approval has been given 38% None of these capacities 9% 15% Integrate resource plan with revenue 42% forecast (future only) Provide overview of resource availability 53% and skills (future only) Regarding your timesheet system, does it have the capability to do the following? Base: 168 What capacities do you imagine your timesheet / project management system will need to have to help you meet your needs three years from now? Base: 200 18 agency SyStemS a nD proceSSeS
  • 19. In addition, linkages between systems could be further improved at many agencies (Figure 8). Only just over half (53%) of respondents have cost accounting systems in place that link job codes to the general ledger, and only 47% can perform time and expense analysis in real time, prior to project completion. As such, the information collected in budgeting and cost- management processes is not always being connected to the systems that measure profits and losses. Fig. 8: capacities of linked systems US UK Total only 47% of Cost accounting systems 48% agencies (linking job codes to general ledger) 57% 53% can perform time Time and expenses analysis in real time 44% – prior to project completion 50% and expense analysis 47% in real-time prior to An automated system to manage 30% project completion personal employee expenses 39% 47% None of the above 16% 11% 14% Don't Know 12% 5% 9% Which of the following systems/processes does your organisation employ? Base: 200 100(UK) 100(US) 19 SyStemS a nD profita bilit y
  • 20. Areas of Weakness The number of agencies with pre-project budgeting and ongoing project cost-control processes is encouraging. The involvement of a very wide range of agency personnel, as shown in Figure 9, is undoubtedly a positive example of connectedness across the business. Where creative teams are actively involved in setting project budgets (42%) and managing costs on an ongoing basis during jobs (36%), however, there are potential issues given the lack of accounting for creatives’ time and resources already reported. Indeed, 59% of respondents consider that lack of time accountability by creatives impacts company profitability. Another system ‘blind spot’ is the new business process. Only 57% of respondents agree that their new business process is well managed and organised, despite spending an average of 59% agree 18% of their time on new business – just under one working day of agency time each week. A that the lack of time core 36% of respondents spend over 20% or more of agency time on new business, making accountability by this a crucial area for systems to monitor. 29% of respondents who have timesheet systems creatives impacts report that new business time is not recorded in their systems at all. Those who do record new company profitability business time do not always do so as transparently as they could - designations that specify ‘new businesses (such as ‘new business research’)’ are used only by 45-52% of agencies. 20 a r e a S of w e a kneSS
  • 21. Fig. 9: Involvement in pre-project budgeting US UK Total Senior agency management 61% 64% 63% The finance or accounting team 49% for the agency 59% 53% The most senior person on 48% the project team 56% 51% The planner or planning team 53% on the job 34% 45% The client service staff 40% involved in the job 48% 43% The creative team working 52% on the job 30% 42% Others 4% 0% 2% Don't Know 1% 0% 1% For each new job you begin, which of the following staff members are involved in setting the initial budget for the job? Base: 144 , 61(UK) 83 (US) 21 a r e a S of w e a kneSS
  • 22. Fig. 10: over-servicing Over-servicing remains an issue, with agencies over-servicing their clients by 13% on average (Figure 10). Only 19% of agencies claim to be free of over-servicing challenges. There has Mean: 13% been progress in this area - 55% of 2010 respondents report 10% over-servicing or less, while only 23% had achieved this level of efficiency in 2005. In 2005, 24% of respondents Don’t Know 50% + 7% reported more than 20% over-servicing (theoretically, one wasted day per week). In 2010, We do not overservice 41-50% 3% our clients at all this figure is 23%, essentially no change. 19% 7% 31-40% 6% Eliminating over-servicing remains a goal for a majority of respondents, with 52% hoping to eliminate it completely, and 32% hoping to get to 5% over-servicing or less. 21-30% 11% >5% 18% Clearly, agencies want to capitalise on their increasing efficiency, and reap the benefits of further improvements. 11-20% 15% 6-10% 19% By what percentage, if at all, would you estimate that you ‘over-service’ your clients? Base: 200 22 a r e a S of w e a kneSS
  • 23. Conclusion Agencies have faced two challenges since the start of the recent economic downturn – the economy has had negative effects on their own profits and has accelerated developments elsewhere in the economy that are rapidly and fundamentally changing the way they must work. Marketers in this environment need the agility to re-allocate resources – from old to new media, from siloed to integrated organisations, from traditional schedules to flexible ones – quickly when they recognise a need to do so. The most dynamic agencies are equipped with enough real-time information to spot and change wasteful patterns before they hurt profits or to allocate resources to new projects. Most agencies are making progress toward this goal, but they still have improvements to make before they achieve it. The potentially dramatic changes brought about by social and broader digital media needs are a notable factor in creating urgency in improving management intelligence of agency resources. Agencies recognise this challenge and the need to improve their systems in response but vary in the progress already made and the readiness to mature their processes further. Over the next few years, we can expect that the environment around marketing agencies will continue to evolve, as traditional media weakens and non-traditional channels make up a larger part of the media landscape and agency revenues. Agencies with the information to distribute resources efficiently and re-allocate them quickly will be best equipped to innovate in this environment. Companies need to pursue an improvement to business information, to ensure that systems, people and processes are align to provide the agility needed for future agency success. 23 concluSion
  • 24. About LoudHouse Research Loudhouse is an independent marketing research consultancy based in London with particular expertise in helping brands better engage with their audiences. Loudhouse works with companies of all shapes and sizes to deliver insight into what makes their customers tick and helps companies use this insight to better communicate with their markets. Loudhouse works across a range of sectors and has particular expertise in business services, technology and people issues. For more information on Loudhouse, please visit www.loudhouse.co.uk Loudhouse Research 33 Glasshouse Street London W1B 5DG 0845 5057770 About our Sponsor Deltek (Nasdaq: PROJ) acquired Maconomy in July 2010 to create the leading global provider of enterprise applications software and solutions designed specifically for project-focused businesses. The combined company has unmatched domain expertise in the professional services market with close to 13,000 customers worldwide. The new organisation has immense geographic reach across the world and serves all major segments within the professional services vertical market, including architecture & engineering, advertising, public relations, accounting, management and IT consulting, and legal. The combined organisation has a prominent market position and has an unmatched list of project-based customers, including: • 80% of the Engineering News Record Top 500 Design Firms • Approximately 80% of the 2009 ZweigWhite Top 200 fastest-growing architecture, engineering and environmental consulting firms • Four of the five largest Global Accounting and Consulting firms • The world’s three largest Marketing Communications Networks • Approximately 90% of the Top U.S. Federal Contractors For more information, please visit www.deltek.com or www.maconomy.com