| What has been your role in the new business efforts of the agency? | |
|---|---|
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | Bridging strategy and creative/representing the creative work |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | Lead and participate in new business efforts |
| Angela Lester - Managing Partner | Digital Strategy, CRM, Analytics, User Experience etc as well as specialist in certain industries (i.e., finance). |
| Sunshine Yoon, Head of Project Management and Production | Providing guidance on project approach, staffing, and costs if the RFP requires one. Also, participating in coordinating the new business process, providing resources and timing. |
| Spiro Mifsud, Head of Technology | I provide technical oversight for creative executions. Recently, I've been trying to implement prototypes for mobile app efforts and provide updated tools for pitching. |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | Since arriving at the agency I've been involved in approximately 70% of the pitches and have most commonly acted as the strategic lead, which has included (but was not limited to), managing strategy staff and resources throughout the research, creative briefing, and concepting process. Managing or leading the development of the strategic portion of the presentation and presenting to the client. Additionally, I assisted the creative teams and leadership throughout idea generation. Depending on the pitch and assignment, I have in some cases been the deck owner. |
| What is your background, in terms of agencies, accounts, and client-side experience? | |
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | Six years at Y&R, five years at TBWA/Chiat Day, four years at R/GA, one year at Tribal. I've lead creative for Nike Running, the launch of Google Wallet, in addition to other large scale brands -- Walmart, Sprint, Citibank. |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | Started with DDB Chicago in 2002 on the Morton Salt and J&J beauty businesses. Moved to DDB London and DDB Hong Kong for projects in 2006, then to Tribal to run the J&J digital business. I now run the agency relationship for H&R Block, Quaker, Pfizer OTC, Partypoker, in addition to overseeing the office's relationships with all clients (with the exception of ExxonMobil). |
| Angela Lester - Managing Partner | Managed accounts since 1995. The list is a little too long to list here. I have done everything from finance, automotive, entertainment, packaged goods, media/publishing, etc. Also, clients have been everything from startups to Fortune 100.. B2C, B2B, B2E. Mostly digital. Mostly accounts that have complex business problems. |
| Sunshine Yoon, Head of Project Management and Production | Started within Marcomm, became client side as an account executive, and have now been working within agencies or in-house agencies for the last 12+ years in a PM and Operations capacity |
| Spiro Mifsud, Head of Technology | I've work at advertising agencies for over 10 years. As a developer, technical director, and team/ department lead. I've worked within a variety of industries. And with major brands such as : Lifetime TV, Take-Two Interactive, Modelinia, MothersClick, Heavy.com, Zac Posen, Nike, Verizon, Chase, etc. |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | I've worked at a variety of traditional, digital, and media agencies, while in my 10 years in advertising. Some of those include R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi, Initiative, Arnold, and Modernista! I have experience working within the Retail, Auto, Finance, Fashion, Beauty and CPG verticals, among others. I have worked overwhelmingly within the strategic capacity in most previous roles - as a planner, trend analyst and social strategist. As such, research, social, analytics, digital and mobile is my core skill-set I have not been employed client-side. |
| As if you were writing to a prospective client, describe the agency in no more than 3 sentences: | |
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | Tribal always brings the unexpected -- unexpected questions, solutions, effort, and delivery. You will always get more than you expected from Tribal but if you don't have a stomach for surprises we may not be right for you. |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | In most cases it would depend on the client. Every client is looking for something different, therefore I would describe Tribal differently depending on what their needs/desires might be. Overall the uniform messaging points would be: Small agency with big clients. Small agency with global footprint. Small agency with big awards. |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | Tribal Worldwide is a global digital advertising & communications agency that was born brand and raised digital. We join human insights with smart data to get useful strategies that result in innovative creative platforms. Our service stack falls into three categories: Communications, Community and Commerce. |
| Stuart Elliott, who covers agencies for the New York Times, decides he is going to write an article about your agency. After spending a day at your offices, and then going back to write the piece.... what would the headline be? | |
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | An agency that hasn't forgotten this business is about people. |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | Defining Madison Avenue Sub head: People with purpose |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | Tribal Worldwide is at it again: Reinventing digital advertising as we know it |
| Now bring the agency to life. You have certainly been through this exercise, however applying it to your agency agency can be quite revealing in understanding more about your "DNA". If the agency were a car, what kind would it be? What color? Why? | |
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | Nissan 300ZX. Cool a few years ago, still a nice, respectable car, but needs to be upgraded. |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | Early 1990's Jeep Grand Cherokee. Color: Red Solid core/guts (agency: people; car: frame/body). Was an 'it' car years ago. Still has mass appeal/love, but also seen as more of a classic. Missing new refinements, but desired nonetheless. Red was the favorite color and I think we're still favorites in the market, just not the favorites we used to be. |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | Silver Jeep Wrangler -- able to get through anything |
| What agencies do you most admire? Why? | |
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | Weiden for it's creative and independent spirit. R/GA for it's ability to self-promote. Droga for being consistently good across all channels. |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | I admire agencies for a variety of reasons. Way of doing business, innovative model, client set, creative, etc. My top list would be Co Collective - way of doing business R/GA - innovative model and client set Droga and 72 - creative West - tech relationships I think it's also important to look outside the agency world and look at the 'marketing' startups that are breaking the traditional agency mold. |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | Anamoly - for shaking up the agency model |
| List the top few agencies that you do/will compete against most often. | |
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | R/GA, Digitas, Goodby, Huge... |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | 360i, R/GA, Huge, AKQA, etc. |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | R/GA Huge Digitas/LBi/MRY Proximity/BBDO Organic |
| In the eyes of clients, what do you provide of value, that none of your competitors do? | |
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | A unique perspective on their business and solution to their needs. |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | Most of what we have, our competitors can also tout. However, our greatest opportunity is to turn the typical Madison Avenue message on it's head. Our competition isn't on Madison Avenue - so we have the best of both worlds - rooted in the past, but looking to the future. A real local-network approach. |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | Active Listening Deep Partnership Programs that drive business results (instead of the next big shiny object) |
| In the eyes of clients, what do your competitors provide of value, that you do not? | |
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | Predictability. |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | Generally, the breadth and depth of capabilities. In the case of a pitch, client case studies that dazzle and pitch theatre that convinces. PR prowess. |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | We are often told that we are too expensive. |
| Are there any negative perceptions that prospects might have about the agency that could hold you back in new business? | |
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | What has Tribal done lately? |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | Some prospects might be confused as to what we do - a lack of perception and awareness around the work. Everyone knows the name. Tribal as a brand, has brand awareness, but after you get past the name, people seem confused as to what we've done. Our work should be positioned from a PR perspective well enough in the marketplace to allow prospects to understand what we do. |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | Expensive Employee Turnover |
| What are the top 3 road blocks that most hold you back with new business? (check only 3) | |
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | |
| Sunshine Yoon, Head of Project Management and Production | |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | |
| Specifically regarding Competitive Pitches/RFPs, when you lose, what are typically the top 3 reasons? Consider both the client's expectations and how you compare to your competitive set. (check only 3) | |
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | |
| Sunshine Yoon, Head of Project Management and Production | |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | |
| When you win a Competitive Pitch/RFP, what do think are typically the top 3 reasons? (check only 3) | |
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | |
| Sunshine Yoon, Head of Project Management and Production | |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | |
| Bottom line, what do you think the agency most has to do to improve at new business? | |
| Chris Ferguson, Executive Creative Director | Hire a new business lead and be highly selective about the prospects we pursue. |
| Ryan McLaughlin, Chief Strategy Officer | We need to be selective about what we pitch and when, so we set ourselves up to win. We need to acquire the information from the prospective client that will allow us to work on the assignment with confidence. We need an owner - someone who will lead the charge and rally the troops. We need dedicated pitch resources that understand new business beyond funneling deck versions and setting up meetings. Bottom line - we need to dazzle prospective clients and connect with them. |
| Heather Stuckey Head of Client Development | hire a new business lead who can tighten pitching process roll out company mission and vision to ensure we're targeting the right prospects |