Potential clients like this new attention to detail. For example, Ralston Purina's agency, Chicago-based Giant Step, has rigorous methods for measuring the impact of a campaign, keeping an eye on ROI, Tochterman says. Most agencies don't talk about that. It's comforting when they do. Measurements beforehand can't take the place of steady communication during the advertising process.
Experts advise formal reviews at least every six months.
But informal contact during a hot campaign could happen every six hours, if not more frequently. Marketers should look for agencies that are able to react deftly to changes in the marketplace and execute quickly. That's just what AltaVista's Joy did. Her company had daily talks with media placement firm Mass Transit and online ad agency Digital Pulp on optimizing placement and creative decisions, she says. Sometimes, the need for speed gets out of hand.