Look Before You Leap: The Top 10 Questions You Should Ask A Marketing/Communications Agency

You want to hire a company to help promote your business. But how do you choose from among the myriad of solutions providers out there? LeapFrog Solutions, Inc.(LFS), provides not only the Top 10 questions you should ask before signing on the dotted line, but also the answers you should expect. LFS sets the performance bar high, explaining how our approach benefits your business’ marketing and communications goals. As you search for the ideal marketing and communications agency, accept nothing less.

TOP TEN

1. Experience/community ties
2. In-house strategy and creative
3. Outsourcing and project management
4. Knowledge resources
5. Final ownership rights
6. Strategic/marketing audits
7. Pricing
8. Estimates accuracy/revisions
9. Recommendations and loyalty
10. Problem solving

1. How long has your agency been in business? In what organizations do you and your firm participate?
LFS has been solving the marketing and communications challenges of a wide variety of businesses for nearly 13 years. LFS demonstrates its commitment to the community, both the public and private sectors, with its numerous involvements, contributing its resources to Northern Virginia Technology Council, Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, Volunteer Fairfax, and Leadership Fairfax, among others. For more, click here.

Benefit
Look for an agency that has put down roots in its community and can help you grow via these rich connections.

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2. Is your strategy AND creative done in-house?
At LFS, all of our strategy and creative is done in-house. With a strong core team we are able to complete numerous projects internally. On the rare occasion that LFS is tasked with a project that needs a niche expertise we maintain relationships with an array of skilled contacts who are brought in only when necessary to strengthen a project – this approach enhances the project customization and minimizes overhead costs. For instance, we might use a technical writer with the specialized skill for drafting white papers to promote products and services.

Benefit
Working with an agency that manages these core competencies internally is best. You want to insure that the main staff is available to assist with your daily needs, and that they are savvy enough to know when to incorporate customized support to enhance the quality of the final product. In doing so they are decreasing the overhead costs of projects and saving you money.

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3. What types of work do you outsource? How do you manage this process?
Radio record, video shoots and editing are types of work that LFS outsources. LFS manages this process through our project managers and our L.E.A.P. Methodology™ to enhance communication, reinforce the approval process, ensure back-ups are in place, and meet deadlines. A tool to further enhance our process and increase efficiency is the LFS client extranet where we post revisions to projects for the convenience of your review.

Benefit
Search for an agency with clear project management protocols in place to guarantee quality, delivery, and results. A documented process is a good sign that a company has found a system that has worked in the past and has proven results.

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4. How familiar are you with our type of challenges?
LFS offers deep knowledge resources for marketing both B2G and B2B products and services. Our expertise runs the gamut, from developing strategic marketing communications, advertising, and public relations campaigns to Web site design and interactive marketing.

Benefit
Look for a talented agency with demonstrated understanding of your marketplace and experience in developing timely, creative solutions.

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5. Do we own the rights to any creative work produced?
At LFS, we explain exactly what you will own at the end of the project (e.g., final pieces, digital files, stock photos, etc.) With final payment, LFS ensures you receive your final deliverables. If an agency won’t put this in writing, don’t hire!

Benefit
Be sure to research any agency to insure that they won’t make you pay again and again for the use of the same design or royalty-free photos. When working with an agency you should always gain ownership of a project and all of its assets (art files, music tracks, photography, copy, etc.) once the project is complete. It is best to get this in writing at the start of a project to ensure you will own all rights to these assets after the project comes to a close.

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6. Do we own the right to any strategy/marketing audit?
Working with LFS, you own the rights to all strategic marketing and Web audits in both electronic and hardcopy form upon final payment.

Benefit
Again, we must stress you are not only paying for the final product but the collective pieces that make up the final product as well. This includes all strategy and marketing materials that lead to the final product. Look for an agency that understands your need to benchmark a marketing project and to document the strategic process for institutional historical purposes.

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7. How do you price your work? (i.e., per project, fixed fee, hourly plus time and materials, retainer, etc.)
At the request of most organizations LFS normally works on a per-project, fixed-fee basis. To increase cost-effectiveness for organizations who require a marketing campaign with multiple components, LFS will price the campaign as a single unit, called a monthly retainer. Retainers help businesses forecast for work on a monthly basis and can be used for many different projects that have multiple variable deadlines such as Public Relations.

Benefit
Look for an agency that is flexible in its pricing structure and is able to work with you. It is important that your agency understands that every organization has unique needs.

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8. How accurate are your estimates? How many rounds of revisions do you include when you work on a fixed-price basis?
LFS stands behind its estimates, so what is quoted is what you will see on your invoice. If a project goes outside the scope of work, a new estimate is presented to you for review and approval before we proceed. LFS includes up to two rounds of revisions, enabling the tweaking needed to perfect your final product. In addition, LFS provides a project-proofing checklist to assist you with your internal approval process.

Benefit
Look for an agency that respects your budget and keeps you informed to eliminate miscommunications that can lead to billing issues.

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9. Give us an example of a long-term client and why they and you are successful as a team.
LFS customer Altron is a provider of logistics management, business process reengineering and secured administrative support services at government-owned, contractor-supported facilities. Altron was positioned to provide comprehensive onsite or remote support for a wide variety of mission-critical customer programs; however, there was little awareness in the marketplace of the company’s services and mission. They needed clear communication of their corporate capabilities, including updated collateral, as Altron’s current materials did not represent all of their services, strategic alliances, leadership and activities. To increase awareness of its services, Altron also needed a new Web site to help position company growth and create awareness around the new name and leadership while also showing the public its stability and proven track record of success.

LFS developed strategic, new communication pieces which served to effectively communicate and identify Altron. Other services provided included tagline creation to brand Altron, the design of a logo, pocket folder, stationery suite, and a new Web site. The Web site now serves as the platform to advance the public relations efforts at Altron. Check it out at: www.altroninc.com

Benefit
Agencies who have long-term customer relationships that show loyalty speaks volumes about the agency itself. Building a trusted relationship is imperative for a successful ongoing marketing campaign.

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10. Give us an example of a client where there may have been an issue. How was it resolved?
LFS was engaged to help a federal Government agency expand its shrinking workforce. The challenge was to turn marketing materials around extremely quickly while maintaining the high-level brand and reputation of this high-profile agency. The agency identified two human capital priorities to ensure that the agency would stay competitive and attract the best and the brightest individuals to fill current and projected skills gaps in support and critical occupations: 1) Hire and Retain a Talented and Diverse Workforce, and 2) Be a Model of Human Capital Service Excellence.

LFS started work quickly and produced a project plan and materials including recruitment print ads, a pocket folder, brochures, trade show materials and various other items. All of the materials highlighted the benefits of working at the agency and reinforced their commitment to workplace diversity. LFS was able to work quickly to produce concepts and final pieces within the agency’s designated timeframes and requirements. All materials were completed within four months with the first deliverable reaching completion just one week after the inception of the project. The project was successful and the client was pleased with the materials produced and the level of customer service that LFS provided. Special note was made by officials regarding our ability to produce high quality work on a tight schedule.

Benefit
In a rapidly changing, fast-paced environment all companies are capable of making mistakes, but first-class agencies know that it’s how you respond and apply creative solutions that make the difference. Creative and effective solutions to problem solving is a key attribute that you should be searching for when reviewing agencies. LFS believes that a successful client-agency relationship is conducted as a partnership. We understand the time restrictions and budget constraints you may be facing. Through our integrated approach and commitment to strict project management, we are able to deliver a clear road map based on sound strategy and provide deliverables quickly and effectively. Your time sensitive priorities become ours!

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