3 Strong Foundations
In order to extract maximum value from the three keys, three important
foundations need to be put in place: people, processes, and systems
People
Marketing agency management is an unusual area within
the organization, in that it
blends both left and right brain
capabilities. Skilled professionals in this area need to understand both the creative nature
of marketing (and its impact),
along with the analytical
nature of procurement/
finance. This can be an
uncomfortable area for
classically trained procurement executives.
Professionals working in this
category need to understand
that marketing is an investment, and that simply driving
down cost will often have a
negative effect on the talent
that is engaged on the
business, leading to reduced
marketing outcomes. To this
end it is vital that MAM
professionals are provided
appropriate training and
deepen their knowledge of this
unique category of spend.
For more information,
the ANA has a number
of resources to assist
with improving people,
processes, and systems.
Contact Irene Pantazis
at ipantazis@ana.net or
212.455.8072, or access
the Marketing Knowledge
Center at www.ana.net/mkc.
Processes
Because of the fluid nature of
marketing, and the personality
types it attracts, rigorous
process has sometimes been
seen as an inhibitor of creative
expression. The management
of agency spend, however,
does require formal processes
that are both efficient and
appropriate. Management of
services is very different from
management of product, and
simply adopting existing supply
chain processes may not be
appropriate in this more
qualitative environment.
It is vital for larger advertisers that these processes are
both repeatable and scalable
on a global basis, across
multiple markets and brands.
MAM professionals need to
clearly define, articulate, and
communicate these processes,
as well as assist marketers and
agencies adopting and
following them.
Richard Benyon is the chief executive officer of Decideware.
Systems
Underpinning the improvement
in enterprise effectiveness has
been an increasing utilization of
data and analytics. This is also
true in the MAM discipline,
where organizations require
access to timely and appropriate
data, along with powerful tools
to mine it and uncover insights.
Traditionally, many processes
were built and executed in
Microsoft Excel, but increasingly
larger organizations are shifting
to more advanced technology
providing sophisticated data
analytics, as the models become
more complex and decisions
need to be made with more rigor
and accountability.
Speed to market is seen as
a source of competitive
advantage, and thus another
important requirement is to
improve efficiency in communication and collaboration. With
multiple stakeholder groups
involved in these programs
(marketing, agency, procurement, finance, etc.), the Internet
provides an ideal framework to
enhance communication and
collaboration among the various
parties. New tools that leverage
the Internet provide a platform
for all parties to work faster and
more efficiently. ■
10 | June 2012 ANA Thought Leadership Series
www.ana.net
