This is the 2024 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report, our first ad agency new business report of the year.
We’re an outsourced ad agency business development firm that works specifically with ad agencies, marketing services firms, and PR firms to find better-qualified new business opportunities and get you closer to close.
RSW/US is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, with experts in lead generation, targeted prospect list building, and content creation driving our ad agency business development programs.
More about our advertising agency new business strategy and outsourced business development programs here.
The 2024 RSW/US New Year Outlook survey was completed by senior level Marketers and Marketing Agency executives during November 2023.
The agency sample came from the RSW/US database of over 7,000 marketing services, advertising and PR firms in the U.S. and Canada, ranging in size from under $3M in capitalized billings to over $75M.
The disciplines of each agency spanned full-service, digital, PR, and marketing consultancies, to name a few.
The marketer sample came from our RSW/AgencySearch database of 30,000 marketing decision maker contacts. Company size, location, and category varied.
https://mlx3vwodbmbw.i.optimole.com/w:auto/h:auto/q:mauto/ig:avif/f:best/https://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-RSWUS-New-Year-Outlook.png954738Lee McKnight Jrhttps://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Updated-RSW-logo-2021.pngLee McKnight Jr2024-01-17 11:38:342024-01-18 16:06:362024 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report
This is the RSW/US 2023 Ad Agency New Business Report: Perspective On The Agency New Business Environment, 2023 and Beyond.
(Download your report at the bottom of this page)
We’ve fielded it since 2010 and present comparable data that is available across all previous editions, providing insight on trends in key areas over the past ten years.
This report is typically heavily downloaded because the answers come from our survey of your agency peers.
This year’s survey and the resulting RSW/US 2023 Agency New Business Report see ad agencies, marketing services firms, and PR firms continuing to struggle with obtaining new business, however, 2023 has also brought challenges in the form of slowing referrals, decreased budgets, and longer sales cycles.
It’s been a tough 2023 for agencies-it’s never been more important to have new business plans in place, especially as you prepare for 2024 and what will ideally be a stronger Q1.
Our hope is the key findings and implications of our report provide value as you develop plans for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024.
This study was commissioned by RSW/US. RSW/US is an outsourced lead generation/ business development firm that exclusively services marketing service firms (of all sizes and types), founded in 2005.
The RSW/AgencySearch model is unique to the industry, with multiple searches managed for marketers across a range of different categories, helping them find better agencies.
The exposure to the agency and the marketer world has armed RSW/US with perspective unmatched in the industry and this perspective is woven throughout this, and every
survey report we release.
———
If this is your first time here, RSW/US is an outsourced lead generation/business development firm that exclusively services ad agencies, PR firms, and marketing service firms (of all sizes and types).
We work with over 50 agencies across the U.S., operating as their outsourced sales and marketing team.
https://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/RSWUS-2023-Ad-Agency-New-Business-Report.png1212934Lee McKnight Jrhttps://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Updated-RSW-logo-2021.pngLee McKnight Jr2023-09-27 09:19:182023-09-28 12:58:06RSW/US 2023 Ad Agency New Business Report
This is the 2023 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report, our first ad agency new business report of the year.
We’re an outsourced ad agency business development firm that works specifically with ad agencies, marketing services firms, and PR firms to find better qualified new business opportunities and get you closer to close.
RSW/US is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, with experts in lead generation, targeted prospect list building, and content creation driving our ad agency business development programs.
More about our advertising agency new business strategy and outsourced business development programs here.
(And to download this report, head down to the bottom of the page.)
About The 2023 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report
The 2023 RSW/US New Year Outlook survey was completed by senior level Marketers and Marketing Agency executives during November/December, 2022.
The purpose of the survey was to glean insights relative to marketer and agency perspective as they each headed into 2023.
Topics explored included “biggest challenges facing marketing agencies” as seen through the eyes of marketers and agencies.
Also probed were topics related to spending and investment expectations, how important an agency site really is in the eyes of marketers, in-house agencies in flux, the impact of remote work on culture, and how Marketers are finding new agencies today.
The agency sample came from the RSW/US database of over 5,000 marketing services, advertising and PR firms in the U.S. and Canada, ranging in size from under $3M in capitalized billings to over $75M.
The disciplines of each agency spanned full-service, digital, PR, and marketing consultancies, to name a few.
The marketer sample came from our RSW/AgencySearch database of 30,000 marketing decision maker contacts. Company size, location, and category varied.
https://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-RSWUS-New-Year-Outlook-Report.png898702Lee McKnight Jrhttps://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Updated-RSW-logo-2021.pngLee McKnight Jr2023-01-18 12:34:362024-01-16 11:37:272023 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report
This is the RSW/US 2022 Ad Agency New Business Report: Perspective On The Agency New Business Environment, 2022 and Beyond.
(Download your report at the bottom of this page)
We’ve fielded this survey since 2010, and in this year’s edition we present comparable data that is available across all previous editions, providing insight on trends in key areas over the past ten years.
This report is typically heavily downloaded because the answers come from our survey of your agency peers.
This year’s survey and the resulting RSW/US 2022 Ad Agency New Business Report see ad agencies, marketing services firms, and PR firms in a different place in 2022;
with organic growth slowing and “new” new business tougher to get, agencies have some work to do.
Over 3,000 Agency executives nationwide had the opportunity to participate, and in fielding the survey, we wanted to discern how the challenges and dynamics of agency new business efforts have evolved as we came out of 2021 and progressed through 2022.
Our hope is the key findings and implications of the study presented in this report provide value as you develop your plans for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023.
———
If this is your first time here, RSW/US is an outsourced lead generation/business development firm that exclusively services ad agencies, PR firms, and marketing service firms (of all sizes and types).
We work with over 50 agencies across the U.S., operating as their outsourced sales and marketing team. and were founded in 2005.
https://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/RSWUS-2022-Agency-New-Business-Report-Perspective-On-The-Agency-New-Business-Environment.png1227920Lee McKnight Jrhttps://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Updated-RSW-logo-2021.pngLee McKnight Jr2022-09-12 14:35:392023-03-29 08:54:17RSW/US 2022 Ad Agency New Business Report
In our latest RSW New Year Outlook Report (download at no cost at the bottom of this post), we once again asked marketers and agencies about the state of in-house agencies.
With one exception, signs point towards the trend we saw in last year’s report: marketers’ reliance on in-house teams seems to be on the wane.
We initially asked agencies,
What percent of YOUR current clients have in-house agencies/do agency-like work in-house
To provide some perspective, in January 2020, 28% of agencies indicated that 51%+ of their clients brought agency work in-house, and in January 2021, it was only 14%.
Bucking the trend a bit, in this year’s response, that number jumped slightly to 17% of agencies reporting 51%+ of their clients brought agency work in-house.
So while rising slightly, as mentioned previously, this is the only exception to the in-house trend actually decreasing.
For example,
77% of agencies expect either no change or a reduction in the amount of work being managed by their clients inhouse.
Last year’s report saw that number at 67%.
Overall, this is seemingly good news for agencies.
And the good news continues with marketer responses.
We asked marketers,
What percentage of your marketing/advertising activity is managed by an in-house marketing/advertising team?
Last year’s report saw 58% of marketers reporting more than 50% of their work was done by in-house agencies. This year, that number is only 39%, quite a decrease.
And when asked how marketers see the amount of work managed in-house changing over the next few years, last year the response was 36% saying it would not change or decrease somewhat to significantly.
This year it’s 63%!
In-house agencies aren’t going away of course.
(And interestingly, our findings are contrary to a report Adweek released in early December, 2021. We shall see, right?)
Part of your agency new business strategy needs to include how to co-exist and work with in-house groups, but if these numbers prove themselves out, we’re looking at yet more potential opportunities for agencies to win more new business.
Part of your plan for winning new business from existing clients is to make them aware of all the things you can do for them.
In recent surveys agencies reported the vast majority of their clients didn’t have a full view of all of the potential offerings/services their agency had to offer.
Creating a comprehensive plan to organically win new business is just as important as having a solid plan to find new business outside your clients’ four walls.
Download our entire 2022 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report here
https://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/RSWUS-New-Year-Outlook-Report-Unearths-An-Unexpected-Trend-Less-Marketer-Reliance-On-In-House-Agencies-in-2022-3.jpg490500Lee McKnight Jrhttps://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Updated-RSW-logo-2021.pngLee McKnight Jr2022-01-07 13:28:352022-04-11 11:01:25RSW/US New Year Outlook Report Unearths An Unexpected Trend: Less Marketer Reliance On In-House Agencies in 2022
This is the 2022 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report, our first ad agency new business report of the year.
We’re an outsourced ad agency business development firm that works specifically with ad agencies, marketing services firms, and PR firms to find better qualified new business opportunities and get you closer to close.
RSW/US is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, with experts in lead generation, targeted prospect list building, and content creation driving our ad agency business development programs.
More about our advertising agency new business strategy and outsourced business development programs here.
(And to download this report, head down to the bottom of the page.)
About The 2022 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report
The 2022 RSW/US New Year Outlook survey was completed by senior level Marketers and Marketing Agency executives during December, 2021.
The purpose of the survey was to glean insights relative to marketer and agency perspective as they each headed into 2022.
Topics explored included “biggest challenges facing marketing agencies” as seen through the eyes of marketers and agencies. Also probed were topics related to spending and investment expectations, where traditional platforms stand, in-house agencies in flux, data privacy preparedness, and the continued importance of data and analytics.
Our hope is that the key findings and implications from this study are of value as you kick your marketing and sales planning into gear for 2022.
The agency sample came from the RSW/US database of over 5,000 marketing services, advertising and PR firms in the U.S. and Canada, ranging in size from under $3M in capitalized billings to over $75M.
The disciplines of each agency spanned full-service, digital, PR, and marketing consultancies, to name a few.
The marketer sample came from our RSW/AgencySearch database of 50,000 marketing decision maker contacts.
https://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-RSWUS-New-Year-Outlook-Report-3.jpg994750Lee McKnight Jrhttps://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Updated-RSW-logo-2021.pngLee McKnight Jr2022-01-07 13:08:542022-03-16 15:09:462022 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report
This is the RSW/US 2021 Agency New Business Report: Perspective On The Agency New Business Environment, 2021 and Beyond.
We’ve fielded it since 2010 and present comparable data that is available across all previous editions, providing insight on trends in key areas over the past ten years.
This report is typically heavily downloaded because the answers come from our survey of your agency peers.
This year’s survey and the resulting RSW/US 2021 Agency New Business Report are once again taking place in a strange time.
Ad Agencies and PR firms expected, as we all did, for normalcy to take hold in 2021, and while in some ways it has, we’re obviously not quite out of the woods in terms of the pandemic.
Our survey questions reflected this, in a few ways directly, and others tangentially.
Over 3,000 Agency executives nationwide had the opportunity to participate, and in fielding the survey, we wanted to discern how the challenges and dynamics of agency new business efforts have evolved as we came out of 2020 and through 2021.
Our hope is the key findings and implications of the study presented in this report provide value to you as you develop your plans for the remainder of 2021 and into 2022.
———
If this is your first time here, RSW/US is an outsourced lead generation/business development firm that exclusively services marketing service firms (of all sizes and types).
We work with over 50 agencies across the U.S., operating as their outsourced sales and marketing team. and were founded in 2005.
In 2010, we started RSW/AgencySearch, and have managed searches for marketers across a range of different categories, helping them find better agencies.
The RSW/AgencySearch model is unique to the industry.
The exposure to the agency and the marketer world has armed RSW/US with perspective unmatched in the industry. This perspective is woven throughout this, and every survey report.
https://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/RSWUS-2021-Agency-New-Business-Report.png1056816Lee McKnight Jrhttps://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Updated-RSW-logo-2021.pngLee McKnight Jr2021-10-22 09:51:052022-02-22 10:51:30RSW/US 2021 Agency New Business Report: Perspective On The Agency New Business Environment
Ad agencies, we just released a brand-new report on marketing tech and agency new business tools you will want to hear more about and specifically in this episode, a recent trend you need to be aware of, what clients expect from your agency, and a few key categories you can use to help increase your client retention in the future.
Welcome to “3 Takeaways”, your agency new business video series where we focus on one new business category and give you three takeaways to help improve your new business program.
Organic growth and client retention are top of mind for ad agencies-check out episode 68, where we get into that, it’s a nice complement to this episode.
Another one is marketing technology, and we recently released a brand new report, RSW/US 2021 Marketing Technology & Agency New Business Tools.
You’ll want to download it, because we surveyed marketers on a specific, brief set of questions around Martech tools and their potential challenges in relation to the agencies they work with, and then performed a more in-depth survey of ad agencies, with a total of 19 tool categories: 12 on the tools you and your peers use to support clients, and 7 on the tools you and your peers use to help drive agency new business.
Let’s jump into a couple of the initial stats from our report-your first takeaway:
67% of marketers say their company’s spending on analytics and marketing tech tools is increasing.
And as a bonus takeaway: 88% of agencies recognize the need for these tools.
Your clients, if they don’t, will come to expect it.
At the enterprise level, they already do, and that will continue to those non-enterprise clients.
If your firm has already started investing in these tools, you’re ahead of the curve and you should consider including language to that effect in your positioning.
And along with those two stats, there’s another, recent stat, that you and your ad agency team need to be aware of and it’s your second takeaway:
CMO tenure has always been a roller coaster, but the lowest since 2009 is worth paying attention to.
And one of the quotes from the Drum piece this stat came from,
Top marketers are coming under severe pressure from ever-tightening budgets coupled with a need to improve return on investment.
And further in our report, when marketers were asked what techniques/tasks their companies would work to improve, over the next 1-2 years, they zeroed in on “experience optimization” and “general audience analytics”.
These stats certainly represent more potential opportunities for agencies to deliver value, ROI, and ultimately increase client retention.
Certainly for those agencies that take advantage.
I’ll leave you with one last stat from our report and your third takeaway:
Only 56% of agencies have specific individuals that “own” activities related to finding marketing analytics and tech tools at their agency.
This is short of the 70% of marketers who responded saying they have dedicated people exploring new ways to use tech to drive their business.
For small and mid-sized agencies, understandably you typically won’t be able to dedicate someone full time to that activity, but you can certainly have an individual who “owns it” as part of their job description.
Or, as we do here at RSW, have a revolving group of individuals who meet monthly, for example, to examine current/new tools.
Thanks for watching 3 Takeaways-lots of new business content our site at rswus.com, just hit the resources drop down. Thanks and see you next time.
The RSW/US Marketing Technology & Agency New Business Tools survey is one of the many surveys we sponsor annually and was conducted among marketers and agencies during the April/May
2021 time period.
The survey was sent to our database of 10,000+ marketing agencies and 60,000+ marketers.
We asked Marketers a short series of questions about their use of marketing technology platforms to better their marketing efforts, how their use of marketing technology tools has
changed over the years, and how they expect this to change in the years to come.
We also explored questions relative to their agencies and the degree to which they felt their agencies were staying ahead of the curve in the marketing technology space.
The survey among agencies was much more involved.
We broke the agency survey into two sections:
The first focused on tools marketing agencies are using for the benefit of their clients.
The second focused on tools marketing agencies are using to better their own new business efforts.
How Agencies Use Marketing Technology
We wanted to determine, in broad terms, how agencies use marketing technology and see that changing over time, as well as understand what tools they use and the value (or lack
thereof) they perceive in tools across a range of categories.
We asked agencies questions about usage of technology tools across 19 different marketing and agency new business categories, including Data Visualization, CRM, and Audience
Analytics.
And we asked them to share the specific tools they use in each of these 19 categories, along with satisfaction ratings for each tool.
Each category in this survey is reported separately, with all the technology tools shared by agencies included in the report.
If an agency noted that they were either “Very Satisfied” or “Dissatisfied/Very Dissatisfied”, we specifically called this out to help guide you in your evaluation of technology tools, and
every platform is hot linked to their website’s URL in order to make it easy for you to learn more about the platform.
Please note that this report is not intended to be a scientific study of technology tool performance.
The reporting of data reflects opinions of your agency peers and is delivered from a neutral stance by RSW/US, without endorsement of any specific platform.
We hope you enjoy the read and find this report to be helpful in moving your business to an even better level!
And on the second page of our report, you’ll see information on our 2021 Agency New Business Virtual Conference. It’s our first-ever new business conference, focused on small-to-mid-size agencies.
This is the first conference that brings together combined frontline perspective from senior-level marketers, leading independent agency new business directors and principals, and the new business team at RSW.
It’s February 8th through the 11th, from 1 to 3:30 PM EST each day, and if you’re an agency principal or new business director, you won’t want to miss this.
About The 2021 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report
The 2021 RSW/US New Year Outlook survey was completed by senior level Marketers and Marketing Agency executives during December, 2020.
The purpose of the survey was to glean insights relative to marketer and agency perspective as they each headed into 2021.
Topics explored included “biggest challenges facing marketing agencies” as seen through the eyes of marketers
and agencies.
Also probed were topics related to spending and investment expectations, the growth of specialty agencies, the growth of in-house agencies, and the ever increasing importance of data and analytics.
Our hope is the key findings and implications from this study are of value as you kick your marketing and sales planning into gear for 2021.
The agency sample came from the RSW/AgencySearch database of over 5,000 marketing service companies in the U.S. and Canada, ranging in size from under $5M in capitalized billings to over $100M.
The disciplines of each Agency varied from full service advertising, to digital, to PR, to marketing consultancies.
The marketer sample came from our RSW/US database of 50,000 marketing decision maker contacts. Company size, location, and category varied.
https://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021-RSWUS-New-Year-Outlook-Report.jpg1224994Lee McKnight Jrhttps://www.rswus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Updated-RSW-logo-2021.pngLee McKnight Jr2021-01-13 22:13:012022-01-07 12:39:442021 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report
