The Agency Council Winter Executive Briefing January, 2008- Tucson, AZ

The New Challenges of Running a Successful Agency

The old agency model is dead. With the explosion of new technology, the 'digital space' represents new opportunities for content, and new opportunities for agencies. From the Internet, kiosks, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and Lifestyle Devices (iPod, PSP, and Mobile), new media outlets demand that agencies keep pace with their creative and media offerings. While some interactive agencies grew very rapidly, some have downsized just as rapidly due to changing market conditions. Today, the most successful agencies have redefined themselves as companies that provide a combination of marketing services and specialized advertising for all channels.

How does your agency keep pace? And as the government continues to regulate, how does your team ensure compliance? How do you stay abreast of the latest challenges as they relate to privacy, data security, interactive tools, design challenges, and business solutions that will not only keep you competitive and relevant, but continue to fuel your growth?

Attendees learned:

Different options an agency can use to work in the digital space
How to ensure government compliance with data privacy issues
New ways to grow an agency new business pipeline
Insights into agency metrics and how to optimize operations with the latest tools available

Sessions information: Session I: Digital Privacy in the age of Transparency Speaker: Aaron Kahlow, Managing Partner Business Online Ph: 619.699-0767 Email: Aaron.Kahlow@businessOL.com Links: www.BusinessOL.com www.OnlineMarketingSUmmit.com

Sessions information:

Session I: Digital Privacy in the age of Transparency
Speaker: Aaron Kahlow, Managing Partner Business Online
Ph: 619.699-0767
Email: Aaron.Kahlow@businessOL.com
Links: www.BusinessOL.com
www.OnlineMarketingSUmmit.com
Power Point Presentation

Session Description:
Consumer concerns over privacy and recent legislation on the handling and use of data make our jobs as direct marketers increasingly difficult. Agencies in particular, are often in a unique position of trust to safeguard our client�s data, while being asked to be �creative and aggressive� with new online and social media initiatives. In this session Attendees learned how to both protect their agency from undue risk & and pervading best practices on how to be proactive with your clients Online & Social Media initiatives

Session II: Adopt, Adapt, Adept, or Die
Speaker: Albert Iannantuono, President and CEO Tri-Media Integrated Marketing Technologies
Ph:905.732-6431 ext.223
Email: albert@tri-media.com
Link: www.tri-media.com

Session Description:
SMS, RSS, CMS, social networking, kairos, podcasting, Blog�s, Vlogs - sound somewhat foreign to you, you are not alone. It�s difficult enough to keep up with new concepts in the interactive channel, much less find the right people with interactive expertise to develop them or maintain them. What�s an agency to do to stay competitive and relevant? Hire a development team? Buy a development firm? Outsource? This session focused on new challenges facing agency survival and the various options/business models deployed by some with lessons learned. The session inspired an action plan for plotting a new course for your agency � with straight-from-the-hip talk, facts and ROI models.

Session III: Creating a Quality Pipeline with High-Level Corporate Executives
Speaker: Timothy Askew, Founder and CEO Corporate Rain, Inc. (CRI)
Ph: 914.637-9309
Email: tim@corporaterain.com
Link: www.corporaterain.com

Session Description:
Every agency leader must balance the need to execute on existing client work with the imperative to continually find new work. This session focused on the principles� of building a new business pipeline:

Assembling a new business team
Compensating new business people
The agency principle�s role in new business
Getting new business from current accounts
The 5 best ways to get new business

Session IV: Tools, Tools, Tools
Speaker: Ron Ause, Partner and Marketing Director CreativeManager Pro, Inc.
Ph: 800.203-7684 x3051
Email: rona@CreativeManagerPro.com
Link: www.Creativemanagerpro.com

Mike McGee, Regional Sales Manager
Advantage Software Company
Ph: 662.513-3374
Email: mmcgee@gotoadvantage.com
Link: www.gotoadvantage.com

Mary Peczali, Vice President of Sales Clients & Profits Worldwide
Ph: 760.945-4334
Email: mary@clientsandprofits.com

Session Description:
Keeping a handle on hours chargeability, employee productivity, revenue by employee and percentage of overall business by client are just a few of the metrics every agency leader must monitor to maintain profitability. Luckily, there are several software tools currently on the market that provide comprehensive software to put key metrics at your fingertips. This session provided an overview of the three of the most popular solutions.