| What is your background, in terms of agencies, accounts, and client-side experience? | |
|---|---|
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | Client-side experience: 1 year as Jr Prod Manager (Gilead Sciences) Agencies: - 1 year local market Promotional - 7 years International in WPP - Promotional then MedEd for 4-5 years - 1 year in start up independant agency (building international BU) - with Publicis for the past 2 years Accounts: a little bit of small clients but mostly very large global clients |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | I have started on the client side as a Communication Assistant for 3 years then decided to get a Communication degree. After my graduation in 2001, I started working for Publicis on the consumer side. Then I moved to the healthcare business because I wanted to work on global clients, mainly on OTC brands and some ethical brands also (Oral Care for P&G, Aesthetics for Anteis, infant Nutrition for Nestlé, CNS for Sanofi and Shire) |
| What has been your role in the new business and organic growth efforts of the agency? | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | For the past 2 years with Publicis, I have been working on only one large client. As a result, new business activities were focused on organic growth: - keep existing business - expand it within the client's organization |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | Regarding the new business, I have worked on some pitches that Publicis won such as Nestlé Health Science, Shire ... but I would say that I am better in developing growth with my own clients. Being constantly in contact with brand teams allow us to quickly identify the opportunities for the agency but above all for the Group. |
| As if you were writing to a prospective client, describe the agency in no more than 3 sentences: | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | PLBI builds global brands that engage with your customers on their own terms. We provide our clients with the strategic support they require to fully understand their brands and the market. Our international team is trained in communication, science, medicine and pharmaceutical industry and is handles global plans across the clinical and product lifecycle. |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | A human-size health agency part of a robust network. Made with passionate and expert people, from all around the world. Decicated to deliver quality. |
| 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? | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | Grey Mercedes. Clients get attracted by the name with the expectation of good quality. Pretty expensive car. I would select grey as this is not extremely creative - pretty neutral (I dont believe we currently are extremely creative/pushing boundaries). |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | A white volvo. Because I believe we have trustworthy and reliable people with great skills, big brands with nice clients. We just miss the spark that would make us a red beetle. |
| Specifically within Healthcare, which categories, conditions or disease states does your agency do most of it’s work within? | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | Diabetes Oncology Infant food |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | Oncology, Diabetes, Vaccines, Epilepsy, Malabsorption, Infant Nutrition, |
| Which 3 - 5 services does the agency most often provide these clients? | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | Medical Strategy Branding Promotional tactical implementation |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | Strategic recommendation Tactical Planning Campaign creation and development |
| List the top few agencies that you do/will compete against most often. | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | Ogilvy Sudler McCann |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | Mc Cann health Ogilvy heatlh Havas health |
| In the eyes of clients, what do you provide of value, that none of your competitors do? | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | Medical Strategy & client servicing |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | Quality and reliability |
| In the eyes of clients, what do your competitors provide of value, that you do not? | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | Creativity MedEd |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | Creativity and out of the box |
| Are there any negative perceptions about the agency that might hold back your new business efforts? | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | Yes - lack of appropriate staffing vs clients SOW |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | No |
| On a scale of 1-10, how well do your presentations back up the agency’s recommendation with an irrefutable logic trail? In other words, how well do you typically build a strong argument for the agency’s recommendation? (10 = we are always strong in this area) | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | 8 |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | 6 |
| On a scale of 1-10, how well do you build your presentations around a new and unexpected strategic consumer insight vs. a predictable consumer 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) | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | 8 |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | 6 |
| On a scale of 1-10, how well do you build your presentations around a new and unexpected creative/concept/program/tactical idea? (10 = we are always strong in this area) | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | 4 |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | 6 |
| On a scale of 1-10, how well do you demonstrate the business impact of your recommendations? (10 = we are always strong in this area) | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | 3 |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | 5 |
| Overall (and as you consider the questions above), what do you believe most holds back the effectiveness of your client and new business presentations? | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | I believe we generally have very good medical/strategic insight but often have too little details on corresponding creative proposals and/or out of the box thinking in terms of tactics (still relying too much on basic ones). I believe we could improve our proposals showing seamless integration with digital and/or innovative solutions. |
| What are the top 2 or 3 changes or trends you see in terms of how clients are interacting with agencies? | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | I have had only 1 client over the past 2,5 years... but in general, what i have seen over the years is a requirement for 360° thinking and requests for integrated solutions that embed the strategic thinking + creativity + optimal implementation. Overall, clients require more client servicing and integral support for the same price. |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | Healthcare clients are constantly looking to best practices from the consumer world. They irrationally want to digitalize everything without even being assured that this would be more relevant or effective. They are looking for holistic partners who are able to quickly find the solution regardless of the agency core expertise. |
| What are the top few changes you see in terms of why clients put accounts into review? | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | Some clients see the agencies as partners and expect us to be proactively making suggestions and proposals of new tactics or new thinking, to challenge them so they can propose new, creative ideas to their teams. Lack of proactivity in making NEW proposals (strategic, creative, tactical...) is the main reason for review... We have also recently seen clients becoming more and more Jr and using the agencies as a tool to protect themselves with their hyerarchy |
| If you’re able to answer, how is most new business coming in to the agency (i.e., competitive reviews/RFPs, proactive prospecting, referrals, etc.)? | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | For now, it is mostly through RFPs and/or referrals. Expanding existing clients is also a strong part of our new business strategy. |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | Thanks to the Publicis network or to our own clients |
| Bottom line, what do you think the agency most has to do to improve at new business? | |
| Audrey Erard Sr Account Director / Brand Navigator | 1. Integrated teams with Digital 2. Plans presented to clients 3. Presentations look & feel |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | Evolve from power point traditional presentations? Train us on making the show? |
| Any final advice for us as we prepare your training program? | |
| Dima Al Malawi Group Account Director | Looking forward meeting you |