A range of topics in this week’s issue of The Agency Advisory starting with some thought-provoking words on the true state of AI; interesting research on the importance of agency rituals; followed up by posts on pitch qualification, agency mindset shifts and lastly some purpose trends for 2025. Add to that a couple of shameless plugs for two excellent upcoming events and you have your reading for a Monday morning.
Thank you as always to the individuals and organisations who have shared expertise, opinions and thoughts through this past week.
Adoption or experimentation – what’s the true state of AI use in PR?
Everyone loves a survey, and we all use them as a form of click bait. There’s nothing wrong in that. But – and here’s where I am grateful for
for keeping us real - we must apply a degree of critical thinking to the headline stats and look behind the research methods before making assumptions. And that’s exactly what Stephen has done with the latest Muck Rack report into the adoption of AI in corporate comms and PR. It’s a quarterly survey which is tracking arguably the most important topic in the industry, and it returns some sensational headlines. So while the data suggests a fundamental shift in working practices, Stephen argues otherwise, basing his views on the veracity of the data. What do you think – are you an agency that has embraced AI or are you still in experimental phase?Check out the Wadds Inc. SubStack post here, and get involved in the debate
The importance of agency rituals
In days gone by, agency life was defined by the rituals we practiced on a consistent basis. The Monday morning check-in, the Wednesday morning sales call, the Friday afternoon celebration, the annual Boot Camp etc. They all gave me, and I think my co-workers, a sense of purpose, belonging and stability. So reading Helen Bevan’s latest post on the topic of “Team Rituals” based on research by Marilyn Zakhour and Constance Noonan Hadley, brought the importance of these events back home to me. In it, she summarises the research by saying that “teams with the right rituals experience higher engagement, psychological safety, interpersonal knowledge and job satisfaction – all of which lead to higher productivity and performance.” What’s not to like about that?
So what are your rituals and what might you take from this research? Read Helen’s summary here:
To pitch or not to pitch – that is the question
I’m spending a lot of time at the moment helping agencies to discover their point of difference and to define their ideal client profile – the account they are best qualified to advise and hence win in a competitive pitch. And here’s where the all-important qualification process comes in. In challenging times, it’s no surprise that every lead is considered a good lead. But as Manish Kapur outlines in his excellent blog on the topic, selectivity wins out in the long run. The key point he makes is that “by focusing quality over quantity, your agency can make pitching a powerful strategic tool rather than an exhausting, demoralising grind.” Well said Manish – and for those who know me, I ask that you keep my catch phrase (among others!) “pitch less, win more” top of mind.
Check out why selectivity is so important in the pitching process here:
Transactional to transformational – it needs a shift in mindset
So many agencies talk about being or becoming true strategic partners to their clients but few structure their service offering in a way that supports that ambition.
writes extensively about what is involved in shifting from selling in a transactional fashion based on outputs into a business where you “own your expertise, leading your clients, and designing solutions that deliver real, measurable impact.” In his latest post, Brian shows why agencies mistake “productising” for packaging deliverables with fixed prices” and goes on to explain how to make the shift from being a transactional supplier into a transformational business partner. His post is a great thought starter. So ask yourself the question: does my agency sell transactions or transformations?Check out Brian’s views & advice here:
What next for purpose?
I’ve spent the last couple of years supporting the social purpose consulting firm, Purpose Union as their fractional commercial director and board advisor. It’s been a fascinating period for me as I have got closer to the world of social purpose consulting and witnessed first-hand the impact firms like Purpose Union have on brands and their businesses. So while this might not be the normal content shared via The Agency Advisory, I felt it important to highlight a carousel of predictions the Founders Lewis Iwu, Daniela Flores, and Barry Johnston have made regarding social issues and the trends they see impacting purpose led business in the year ahead. This is very timely given the inauguration of President Trump and the conversations (and recent criticism) of all things purpose, DEI and sustainability.
Check out Purpose Union’s 10 purpose predictions here:
Event claxon: PR Moment Masterclass on data, planning & measurement
A recent poll by Elizabeth Howlett in PR Moment asked the question whether PR was data deficient. The ensuing debate threw up a lot of contrasting views on the topic and so we can expect a lively and highly informative day of insights at the next PR Moment Masterclass which will explore the intersection of data, planning and measurement. It’s an opportunity to meet and hear from some of the brightest minds on the topic – experts who lead the way.
The speakers are: Jonny Bentwood, Marianne Morgan, Maya Koleva, Daniel Stauber, Lucy Hart, Richard Bagnall, Greg Double, Katreena Dare,
Darshna Kamani, Ella May Higgins, Anna Salter, Dr. Heather Yaxley, Eb Adeyeri and Claire Pimm – all ably chaired by Ben Smith.It’s a stellar cast of experts – the agenda and booking details are here:
And finally – The Big Quiz
Shameless events plug here for all those in London. The CIPR Greater London Group and the CIPR Corporate & Financial Group (CFG) are hosting the annual Big Quiz, hosted by the new Times Crossword Editor, Jason Crampton and kindly sponsored by @72 Point. It all takes place on Tuesday February 4th at the Soul Mama Music venue run by YolanDa Brown OBR DL. Individual tickets £5 for CIPR Members, £10 for non-members with table tickets (x6 persons per team), £25 for members, £50 for non-members.
Buy your tickets by clicking here:
If you like what you have read in this newsletter, please do repost it to your network, comment on one or other of the topics that have been covered, and if you don't do so already, follow me for more shared posts on matters relating to agency management and comms in general.
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Many thanks.
Andy