| What is your background, in terms of agencies, accounts, and client-side experience? | |
|---|---|
| Justine Ryan, Director of Business Development | Grey NY for 5 years - worked primarily on GSK and new business pitches Made Music Studio for 8.5 years worked on all categories but output was music / sonic identity. Walmart, IMAX, ZipRecruiter, Barbie, Virgin Hyperloop, Wondery, Amazon, AT&T, |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | 17 years of agency experience in the UK and USA David and Goliath, 72andSunny, JWT London, Fallon London, WCRS London USGA, Traeger, Google, TaylorMade, Health-Ade, Qantas, California Pizza Kitchen, UKG, Bridgestone, Kia, Tillamook, Shock Top, Busch, Natty Light, Target, Nestle, Nokia, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Sony, Orange telecomms, BMW. |
| Chris Raih, Founder | Fallon - United, BMW W+K Portland - Nike Zambezi - |
| Alex Cohn - Head of Content | Been with Zambezi 10 years. Was less involved with pitches, but had experience prior to Zambezi/Advertising in pitching in entertainment space. Then led agency production, so main exposure to pitches was leading content creation - mood videos, and other executional elements. More recently at Zambezi I have been working on new business for our production studio FIN. So, definitely pitching, but more content, social media, and production focused. Less traditional AOR client and strategic type relationships (though some pitches have involved modified versions of that:) |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | I started out in market research nearly 15 years ago at Kantar / Millward Brown. I’ve been at several different agencies, small and large, including FCB, Leo Burnett, Grey, DDB, and Pitch. I’ve worked on Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors, State Farm, Burger King, Walgreens, and a few smaller accounts along the way. |
| Gavin Lester partner and cco | All sizes agencies, Agencies holding companies, independent, and micro global agencies. From chewing gum To telecommunication and everything on between |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | Entry level: agency + brand side, focus on brand strategy |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | Agency - I've worked at big holding companies and independent shops. Clients in Goldman Sachs, Lexus, Sony Entertainment, and more. Agencies include Team One, Mindshare, Mediaedge, Deutsch. Client - I was on the private equity turnaround business for a bit and worked at Avon. It was fascinating to be part of the owner group changing the operations and marketing internal teams. I was brought on for social media strategy but then ended up helping out in all things digital including UX/UI, apps, etc. Sales - I was at a start-up company called Betawave that went under in 2009. I was selling media to agency and clients. It was tough during 2008 when the market crashed in NY. Very eye-opening. Political - I built the infrastructure of a start-up company called DSPolitical a programmatic firm and the media arm of Bully Pulpit Interactive which was started during Obama's run for President. Freelance - I freelanced at an assortment of places from big holding companies to start-ups. Including Surprise Ride which the sisters were on Shark Tank! https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracesteng/ |
| What has been your role in the new business and organic growth efforts of the agency? | |
| Justine Ryan, Director of Business Development | I'm 1 month into my role with Zambezi. I will be leading new business department and supporting the agency across all offerings for new growth. |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | More limited than most in biz dev terms. Pitched and won USGA Organic growth - I've retained all existing AOR relationships since joining ZMBZ, each client has grown annually around 5% |
| Chris Raih, Founder | Historically, central to all phases of biz dev. As we grow, I'm leaning on talent around the company. |
| Alex Cohn - Head of Content | More recently with the addition of our production studio FIN Studios, I have been helping and/or leading new business efforts with some good success...but always looking to improve the batting average:) |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | I’ve been involved in one larger pitch towards the end of last year, as well as a couple other into / chemistry calls with prospects. |
| Gavin Lester partner and cco | As CCO I’m in most new business pitches. It’s usually a mix of leading, supporting or even creating. Organic growth usually stems from the entire team delivering great effective work in conjunction with our strong relationship skills. Occasionally proactive thinking can help this. |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | On the new biz team — client facing and focused on driving growth for the agency |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | I built the media department. It's been exciting and tough. To show the exponential growth, my first year was at $250k, 2nd yr is at $9MM, and 3rd yr is at $40MM. It started with me but now we have 12 talented people in the department and hiring more. I've build out the Media Planning, Buying & Reporting across all media types including TV, Radio, OOH, and Digital. We are now expanding into Programmatic and Performance as new product offerings and additional revenue streams. We have an AWESOME team. The leadership on the team is strong and I'm grateful for all the people who make this happen. Our Media Strategy and the storytelling of the strategy is our key differentiator. It's truly some of the best strategy I've ever seen in the industry. And we have a good time build it! Building out Cross-Comm has been a big selling points with the clients too. Love that we can get to work Brand Strategy so closely to be build out the best product for the clients. |
| As if you were writing to a prospective client, describe the agency in no more than 3 sentences: | |
| Justine Ryan, Director of Business Development | Zambezi is the largest female owned integrated agency in the US. Our best work is DEI focused and Sports. We are made up of large agency talent, but the speed and adaptability of a small agency. |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | A Female owned independent agency with an emphasis on integration |
| Chris Raih, Founder | DEI messaging & Sports |
| Alex Cohn - Head of Content | Zambezi is an agile and adaptable creatively led agency that helps businesses define their message and communicate their offerings to the world. We are here to help you strategically and creatively solve your most difficult business problems. How can we best help serve your needs? |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | Zambezi is a place where you’ll get people that fight and believe in the brands we partner with. You get seasoned advertising veterans alongside cultured creatives. The work we strive to make has the intention of growing your brand and business. |
| Gavin Lester partner and cco | A female led, creative, fully Intergrated agency that can adapt to any of your needs to deliver effective memorable work from very nice people. |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | Female owned. Big agency talent, small agency speed. Independent and highly adaptable. |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | About Zambezi: Zambezi is the largest independent female owned creative agency in the US. We are a full service agency that brings talent from major agencies to an independent shop. Clients includes TaylorMade, Beats, Traeger Grills, USGA, Google Fiber and more. About Z Media: Zambezi is the largest independent female owned creative agency in the US. We believe in creative media that is based on data. Our Media Strategy is strength as |
| List the agencies that you do/will compete against most often in pitches/RFPs. In the eyes of clients, what do they provide of value, that you do not? | |
| Justine Ryan, Director of Business Development | 72andSunny, Olgilvy, |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | N/A for me |
| Chris Raih, Founder | Preacher, 72s, Goodby, The Many, Joan, Noble people |
| Alex Cohn - Head of Content | Don't want to derail the larger agency process/focus...but our competitors are typcially more creative studio models FWIW our competitors are places like STEPT STUDIOS MIRADA HECHO DOUBLEDAY & CARTWRIGHT COMPADRE and others But I think we should concentrate on competitive agencies for purposes of these sessions :) |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | Not sure in terms of who we compete with the most. i’m sure there are lots of different agencies. The thing that some of the other smaller shops like D&G or The Many tout are probably around the creative product. The lmk the bigger shops like 72 or Deutsch are able to play up their network capability and industry experience and awards. |
| Gavin Lester partner and cco | 72 and sunnny The many Tombras Preacher Mother |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | Mother, Anomaly, BBH, 72&Sunny — they go deep beyond advertising in terms of creative output and pushing the envelope on business. Recently competing more with brand consulting agencies like Landor and Red Antler |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | We're newer in the Media space but I'd like to compete against Noble People, Media by Mother, Giant Spoon as the smaller shops and then Horizon & Deutsch eventually |
| In the eyes of clients, what do you provide of value, that none of your competitors do? | |
| Justine Ryan, Director of Business Development | We do our best work for growing companies. |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | Adaptability and the ability to tailor a team to meet their needs versus a 'this is our schtick' team from the likes of Chiat/Deutsch. |
| Chris Raih, Founder | Integrity & staying power |
| Alex Cohn - Head of Content | With a full suite of services, from strategy to creative, through comms planning, media buying, and flawless execution, Zamebzi provides custom teams and solutions to help best serve your needs. Our ability to be agile and bring to bear top tier talent in an offering the specifically fits clients needs is our super power. |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | Female owned and diverse. Also a small agile and integrated team that has capabilities across creative, strategy, media, and social / content. |
| Gavin Lester partner and cco | Open working method Female run Maybe Intergrated |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | Female and family owned |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | Our Media Strategy and the storytelling of it is key. Our Cross-Comm approach with brand strategy has clients very interested. The fact that clients with a $1-$20MM budget can get top level talent is huge. They get the secondary teams with budgets of $5MM but we provide them with the best the industry has to offer. Also, the concept of creative media is key. I also have a wide berth of experience in the digital space due to the freelance gigs so I'm able to talk about tech stack and other nuances in the space. |
| Are there any negative perceptions about the agency that might hold back your new business efforts? | |
| Justine Ryan, Director of Business Development | Our size, some people are looking for integrated offerings from a holding company. We do our best work when we are same height in size / growth trajectory as our clients. |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | Not diverse enough. Low awareness of our brand. Lacking a crisp definition of what we actually do. |
| Alex Cohn - Head of Content | Not sure. We are not part of a larger global network? |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | Maybe that we don’t have the scale or instructions experience in certain sectors. |
| Gavin Lester partner and cco | Visibility Being known for a sports marketing agency Range of clients |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | Not a wide enough array of clients / everyday household names in client roster |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | Maybe we can get stuck between being too big or too small. I feel like Media has a pretty strong track record once we're in front of clients which is why I'm super curious to see how stack up when we pitch without a stronger Z connection to lean on. People haven't heard of us so it takes more time to explain who we are. Also, we're pretty nimble but once we have Performance in house, it's going to be whole another game with Analytics and quick turnarounds that will bring us into the digital space. |
| Bottom line, when you step back and think about new business for the agency, what do you think the agency most has to do to improve? | |
| Justine Ryan, Director of Business Development | We need to focus on what differentiates us. Why a client should pick us over another mid-size independent agency. |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | Define why we are here. |
| Alex Cohn - Head of Content | Think we could improve not only our efficacy, but the way we attack, reach, and communicate our efficacy I think we have a tendency to point to the art and craft of the work - which is valid and great...but sometimes we leave off the science and the data and what the work actually accomplishes Think the addition of the media and analytics has helped (as we aren't chasing 3rd parties for results) but think we can do a better job in case studies of previous work and in how we pitch new work that shows great creative alongside great business results for clients. |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | Clarifying our differentiated company POV. Simplified storytelling / less words in decks. Even more creative work that will attract clients. |
| Gavin Lester partner and cco | Sniffing out of the opportunity is perfectly matched for Casting for the pitches appropriately Reading how best to present to different clients. Formal over informal Not appearing desperate |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | Breaking into new industries and winning the pitch |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | I think process. I feel like the creative side and get a little bogged down but I'll let the creative and account talk about that process. On the media side of process we're definitely getting better. People just need to let us have the time to build out our thinking. Since we're data based, it simply takes time to pull reports and then find insights. I think the people need to ask how long things take instead of assuming. Often times we don't know what we'll find the data, it should be something but we won't know until it's pulled. Also, we work with Assistant Media Planners who are recent grads so it takes time to train. |
| On a scale of 1 - 5, how well would clients say your team understands and address their business (and category-specific business/marketing measures)? For example, in Lodging, the measures are defined as Rate per Occupancy, Duration per Occupancy, and Inbound Inquiries. For Retail Grocery, the measures would include Basket Size, Basket Mix, Store Traffic, Trip Duration, etc. | |
| Justine Ryan, Director of Business Development | 3. "They understand my category-specific business and marketing measures." |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | 4. "They are effective at tying all the agency’s work back to my category-specific marketing KPIs” |
| Chris Raih, Founder | 2. "They understand and address only soft, top-of-the-funnel measures, such as awareness, impressions, traffic, CTR, etc.” |
| Alex Cohn - Head of Content | 2. "They understand and address only soft, top-of-the-funnel measures, such as awareness, impressions, traffic, CTR, etc.” |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | 4. "They are effective at tying all the agency’s work back to my category-specific marketing KPIs” |
| Gavin Lester partner and cco | 3. "They understand my category-specific business and marketing measures." |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | 5. “They are effective at tying all the agency’s work back to my category-specific business KPIs” |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | 3. "They understand my category-specific business and marketing measures." |
| On a scale of 1-10, how well do you base your presentations on a new and unexpected strategic target audience insight vs. a predictable target audience insight? In other words, how well do you always have something brand new to share about the client's target audience? (10 = we are always strong in this area) | |
| Justine Ryan, Director of Business Development | 6 |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | 7 |
| Chris Raih, Founder | 6 |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | 7 |
| Gavin Lester partner and cco | 6 |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | 8 |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | 8 |
| On a scale of 1-10, how well do your presentations always include a new and unexpected creative/concept/program/tactical idea? (10 = we are always strong in this area) | |
| Justine Ryan, Director of Business Development | 9 |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | 8 |
| Chris Raih, Founder | 7 |
| Alex Cohn - Head of Content | 8 |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | 7 |
| Gavin Lester partner and cco | 6 |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | 7 |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | 8 |
| On a scale of 1-10, how well do you demonstrate the business impact of your recommendation? (10 = we are always strong in this area) | |
| Justine Ryan, Director of Business Development | 8 |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | 2 |
| Chris Raih, Founder | 3 |
| Alex Cohn - Head of Content | 5 |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | 4 |
| Gavin Lester partner and cco | 5 |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | 6 |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | 7 |
| On a scale of 1-10, how well are your strategy and execution presentations backed up by an irrefutable logic trail? | |
| Justine Ryan, Director of Business Development | 7 |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | 9 |
| Chris Raih, Founder | 3 |
| Alex Cohn - Head of Content | 8 |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | 6 |
| Gavin Lester partner and cco | 5 |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | 6 |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | 9 |
| Any final thoughts for us as we prepare to lead you through the training program? | |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | I'm interested to pinpoint where it is we fall short. We often pin it on or worse blame it on e.g. a lack of creative resource, a lack of time. Something is happening that is meaning when we leave the room, we are or our work/strat/recommendations are not sticking in their brains. |
| Alex Cohn - Head of Content | Excited to learn more |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | None here. Excited for this. |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | N.A |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | I tend to talk fast and it works with clients. But I'd like to add in more verbal options of knowing when to slow down or use verbal to help with business. As we're building out the media practice, my role is changing into more client facing upfront. I'd like to better understand when I can guide clients when needing to push back on things while still being respectful of their position. |
| Please list any Mirren conferences you’ve attended or workshops/webinars you’ve participated in. | |
| Gordon Gray, Exec Director Brand | None. excited to be in this one. |
| Alex Cohn - Head of Content | n/a |
| Matt Babazadeh Group Strategy Director | None. |
| Caroline Stoddard, business development coordinator | N.A |
| Grace Teng Chief Media Officer | N/A. I'm excited! |