I got a little spikey this week in an article I wrote for HealthcareScene.com‘s Marketing site HTMC. You can read the full article here. My basic premise is that you should fire your marketing agency every 90 days. Given what I do for a living, this might seem a little like I have lost my marbles.
But there is a method to my madness.
What I am advocating is that you and your agency treat every 90-days like a trial period, where your agency earns the right to continue in that role for the subsequent 90-days based on performance.
From what I can see, the client-agency model has lost its way and I believe both client and agency are better served by a model that focuses on making an impact as quickly as possible.
You can read more in the link below in the comments. The basic gist is that the increasingly predominant agency model is geared toward a scope-based retainer that does not align with the right incentives. It pays for deliverables, not results.
Secondly, in this increasingly volatile environment, marketers need to adapt fast. However, the long-term retainer-based model does not easily allow for this.
What I am advocating is a model based on 90-day goals with a performance component attached to the fee.
And I am putting my money where my mouth is as this is the model we employ at healthlaunchpad.
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