From pitch to ditch: The client/ad agency life cycle

Abstract

While the partnership between an advertising agency and its client has often been referred to as a 'marriage' because of its closeness and longevity, it is now more realistic to expect relationships to last less than 3 years. The shorter nature of client/ad agency relationships reflects the changing nature of the marketing communication environment and the increasing focus on return-on-investment from communications activity. In addition to changes in the length of the relationship recent studies have identified the presence of new stages within the client/ad agency that have not previously been accounted for in the life cycle literature. Hence current frameworks of the client/ad agency life cycle need to be revisited to better reflect what stages exist. The paper draws on evidence from the literature and insights from the industry press and reports to suggest a new client/ad agency life cycle framework for discussion and further examination.