A tip sheet with advice from RSW/AgencySearch on how to find the perfect agency partner.

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

2. Tip sheet | September 2013 | Agency Search | 1
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.

3. Tip sheet | September 2013 | Agency Search | 2
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 wellexecuted Requests for Information (RFIs)
and Requests for Proposals (RFPs).

4. Tip sheet | September 2013 | Agency Search | 3
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

5. Tip sheet | September 2013 | Agency Search | 4
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