To Impress Agencies, New Business Tools Have to Demonstrate a Direct Effect on Objectives

Ad agency executives in the US have a plethora of technological tools at their disposal. But a new survey from agency business development provider Mirren and RSW/US found that the most important factor for any new business tool was whether it was effective, or had a direct impact on business goals.

In fact, 85% of respondents polled in April indicated those factors influence their new business tool decisions.

The efficiency of new business tools was also a key point of consideration for respondents—72% said they look at how tools would improve productivity. Unsurprisingly, ease of implementation and use made a difference as well, with 67% of respondents considering this a factor in their selection process.

While value matters, the data suggests agencies are prioritizing other factors like effectiveness and efficiency. This means they may be willing to pay a little more for technology that excels in those areas. Still, almost 60% of respondents said they evaluate technologies’ impact on efforts vs. their costs.

Meanwhile, integration into existing systems was not as significant a concern for agency executives. Less than one-third said making sure new tools integrate with their current software was a factor influencing their decision-making. However, that might reflect a concerted effort among vendors to deliver better integration capabilities.

—Maria Minsker