Most professional service firms depend on the strength of their client relationships to thrive, and creative and marketing firms are no different. Hudson Fusion LLC grows by consistently demonstrating our ability to understand and satisfy our clients’ needs on a daily basis. But is a good relationship enough? How do you know if your creative or marketing firm is a “total fit” or if it’s time to hire a new one? Now is a good time to take a second look and make sure your resources are everything you need and want them to be, and more.
Key Performance Indicators
Key Performance Indicators (KPI) help define and measure progress toward company goals, and their effectiveness determines the success or failure of an organization. Although they differ for every organization, here are a few KPIs that relate to the marketing and creative industries:
- Strategy: Does your marketing and creative firm take into consideration your company’s overall marketing strategy, as well as any strategic approaches to specific markets?
- Timing: Does your marketing and creative firm always seek detailed information about timing, budget and deliverables? Do they adhere to them? How do they deal with it when they don’t?
- Budget: Does your creative firm consistently offer you solutions that fit within your budget?
- Client Expectations: Has your marketing and creative firm consistently delivered to your expectations? How do you review with them when they don’t?
- Overall Satisfaction: Does your marketing and creative firm have efficient processes in place that ensure your work gets done to your satisfaction? Do you consider them a “good value” for what they offer? Do you consider them to be a partner that helps attain your corporate goals and marketing objectives?
Service Quality
- Does your marketing and creative firm respond to your requests in a timely manner?
- Can you speak freely about what you want or need?
- Is your work consistently completed in alignment with the quality level of your organization?
Task Competencies
- Does your firm provide all the types of services that your company needs?
- If your firm outsources any services, are you happy with the level of quality?
- At every stage in the process, are tasks performed with skill and expertise?
- Do you find consistent weaknesses in any one specific area of your marketing and creative firm’s service offering?
Relationship Management
- Do you enjoy working with your main contact at the firm?
- Are you offered an alternate contact when your main contact is unavailable?
- Do you feel a “connection” with your firm; are they looking out for your best interests?
Summary
Assessing the effectiveness of your marketing and creative firm, and sharing that feedback enables them to address those matters of most concern to you, thus improving your working relationship. Even if you choose to part ways with your marketing and creative firm, your feedback will provide valuable insight to them as to how they can improve their processes.