How to conduct the ideal agency search An RFI and RFP tip sheet

Shikatani Lacroix is a leading branding and design firm

located in Toronto, Canada. The company wins

commissions from around the world, across CPG, retail and

service industries, helping clients achieve success within

their operating markets. It does this by enabling its clients’

brands to better connect with consumers through a variety

of core services including corporate identity, naming and

communication, brand experience, packaging, retail,

wayfinding and product design.

About the author

Ann Meredith Brown, Director of Social Media, Public Relations and Corporate Communications at Shikatani Lacroix

An accomplished wordsmith, Ann has garnered a decade’s

worth of experience in copyediting, copywriting,

researching and reporting. She is responsible for developing

and executing Shikatani Lacroix’s social media and

communications strategies.

Ann possesses in-depth knowledge of the design and

advertising industries. She is the founding editor of Design

Edge Canada, a news and trends magazine and website for

the Canadian graphic design industry.

Tip sheet | September 2013 | Agency Search | 1

Searching for the perfect agency partner

An agency search is a lot like dating. You’re looking for the ideal partner, someone who is compatible, shares your

values, is supportive and enthusiastic, and will have your

back when times are tough.

So you play the field looking for that perfect match. You meet potential partners who try to woo you by promising

the world. But once you scratch the surface you realize it’s

all just talk.

So how do you find that perfect fit? The following is a list of tips from client-agency

relationship experts RSW/AgencySearch on

how to conduct an effective agency search through the use of well-written and well-

executed Requests for Information (RFIs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs).

Tip sheet | September 2013 | Agency Search | 2

Top tips for conducting an agency search

• Decide who the decision makers are in your company before you begin the search process

• Do your due diligence up front before the search begins

• Limit the number of firms you search for in the RFI phase to 6-8 at most

• Give agencies at least 1-2 weeks to respond to an RFI

• Keep your final list of agencies to 3-4

• Issue an RFP or give agencies a specific challenge to

respond to (not spec work)

• Keep your RFPs focused and straightforward – don’t ask extraneous questions

• Zero-in on issue oriented questions

• Hold one-on-one Q&As with the agencies to gauge your chemistry

• Give agencies at least three weeks to prepare for the pitch

• Be open to questions from agencies as the process

unfolds

• Allow 1.5 hours for the final presentations at your

headquarters

• Visit the final agency or agencies prior to making your

decision

Tip sheet | September 2013 | Agency Search | 3

For more information, contact:

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, President

Shikatani Lacroix

387 Richmond Street East

Toronto, Ontario

M5A 1P6

Telephone: 416-367-1999

Email: jplacroix@sld.com

Tip sheet | September 2013 | Agency Search | 4