| What accounts do you work on? What has been your role on each of these accounts? (just bullet points) | |
|---|---|
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | All accounts: C21, TMO, Wing Zone, GSK, etc., strategic direction and account supervisor....... |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | I sell so I have touched a lot of the accounts but only until they are turned over to Client Services. |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | Donatos: franchise lead gen strategy, research, develop sell sheet & direct mail; ADP: project work such as postcards, sell sheets, email updates; GlaxoSmithKline: project work such as sell sheets, website updates; Meineke: consumer project mgmt & strategy; Jack in the Box: franchise lead gen research & upcoming strategy recommendation; Applegate Farms: summer promotion updates & project mgmt; T-Mobile: assist in strategy ideas, research, project mgmt for seminars; IFX & MSA: project mgmt in ad resizing, ad development |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | business development so I work on the cultivation stage of bringing clients on. In the past I've worked very close with ADP, GlaxoSmithKline, CENTURY 21, Yum! Brands, Artuzzi's and a few others. |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | Jack in the Box - Participated in RFP process; Leading the onboarding and initial research and positioning of franchising opportunity. Meineke - Cultivation and selling of regional marketing program; leading the overall strategic direction and onboarding. Regis - Participated in RFP process; leading the onboarding and initial research and positioning of franchise opportunity. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | Currently work on T-Mobile, CENTURY 21, Wing Zone. In 2008, managed projects for YUM and Kiddie Academy as well. Responsibilities include: - Management of core client relationships closely from a project-by-project basis, understanding client needs, providing solutions and managing the workflow of projects from beginning to end. - Conduct proactive discussions with clients about their needs, providing input and ideas regarding existing and new projects. - Conduct regularly scheduled status calls with clients as needed. - Provide effective creative direction and briefs to Creative Department. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | Financial reporting, Accounts payable, Accounts receivable/collections, HR, Medical/Dental Insurance, 401K, States of NJ and CA, Federal Gov't, Payroll, Interface with Accountant, Benefits, Bonus/commission plan, Interface with Bank(s) Insurance Agencies (prop, liab, etc), various leases and equipment contracts. |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | Roll - Graphic Designer on all accounts Accounts - ADP - Applegate Farm - Artuzzi's - Century 21 - Donatos - GSK - IFX - Kiddie Academy - Meineke - MSA - T-Mobile - Wing Zone |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | All accounts. I lead all creative strategy and development for clients. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | Computer Explorers GlaxoSmithKline Jack In The Box Meineke Regis |
| xx | xx |
| What is your background, in terms of agencies, accounts, and client-side experience (just bullet points)? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | Before joining SJ back in 2005 I worked in marketing and advertising in various roles, mainly national consumer advertising director roles since 1993......all on the client side from 1993-2005......SJ my first agency gig....but managed many agencies over the years. |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | -franchise industry experience 12 years - Aussie Pet Mobile - approximately 4 years (Franchisor) - IFX Online (Franchise Supplier) approximately 4 years - Autobytel.com (worked for both US & UK operations (UK being a master Franchisee)). approximately 3 and 1/2 years - SJM - 1 year 4 months (Franchise Supplier) |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | Century 21: Mgr Target Mkt Branding: client side, worked with agencies to develop plans & creative for luxury homes & commercial properties, event planning, strategizing, advisory board mgmt, budget mgmt Tramac Corporation: Mktg Assoc: client side, worked with agency to develop creative, database mgmt, dealer network needs mgmt |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | Agencies; small regional firm based in Morristown. Art Director there for three years out of college, then started St. Jacques in '91. Accounts; ADP, GSK, C21, Coldwell Banker, Coldwell Banker Commercial, Yum Brands! several smaller brands No client side experience. |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | Started with Phil in 1991. No formal agency experience. Couple years of computer programming experience prior. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | Cendant Corporation (now Wyndham Worldwide) - 1999-2002 - Client Side for hotel franchisor (Days Inn, Ramada, Super 8, etc.) - Responsible for the development of national and regional print, online, direct mail and television advertising for Days Inns Worldwide, Inc. Responsibilities included identifying advertising opportunities, negotiating rates, developing creative briefs, and evaluating agency creative. - Managed the development and execution of marketing plans for 37 Days Inn regional alliances totaling over $2.5 million in media spending. - Responsible for the day-to-day interaction with both national and regional advertising and media buying agencies. DVC WorldWide (now Aspen Worldwide) - 2002-2005 - Agency side for national promotional agency Responsibilities include: - Managed and supported multiple accounts (Polaroid, AT&T Military, Gold Toe Socks, Alberto Culver (St. Ives)) and ad-hoc projects (Georgia-Pacific, AT&T PrePaid, Perdue) often simultaneously, and ensured that all projects and deadlines were met to the satisfaction of both the Clients and DVC. - Developed programs to support the launch of products through account-specific and experiential marketing programs. - Managed marketing tactics for Clients from conception to completion, including online marketing initiatives (sweepstakes, e-loyalty programs), experiential events, direct mail campaigns, and promotional print advertising. - Worked with creative and production groups to provide the Client with creative that caught the attention of the consumer, and arrived on-strategy, on time, and within budget. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | N/A |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | - Graphic Designer at Kiernan | Thompson 2006 - 2007 - Independent Contractor 2007 - 2008 - St. Jacques 2008 - Present - No client-side experience |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | I've worked at St. Jacques for going on 9 years. Previously I worked for an apparel company, tradeshow display company, technology company, and an industrial company developing software. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | Client-side Walt Disney World Marketing (15 years) -Associate Marketing Representative, Marketing Planning -Marketing Representative, Special Markets/Special Events -Sr. Marketing Representative, Media & Retail Promotions -Marketing Brand Manager, Disney-MGM Studios -Director of Promotions, PR & Events Shoe Carnival, Inc. -- Vice President of Marketing $700M high-volume specialty retailer of brand-named footwear for the family with 270 stores throughout the South and Midwest. Toys”R”Us, Inc. – Director of U.S.Marketing *Key member of the US Executive Team responsible for driving $6.4B in annual sales in 685 stores throughout 49 states. Commerce Bank -- Vice President of Marketing Successful 475 branch business model recognized by Consumer Reports as #1 retail bank for customer service in U.S. Bank was purchased by Canadian-owned TD Bank for $8.5B. LA Weight Loss Franchise Company -- Chief Marketing Officer International center-based weight loss leader specializing in one-on-one counseling. Franchisor and owner/operator of 400 centers located throughout North America. Agency-side Account Executive, Anson-Stoner, Inc., Winter Park, FL -- Pizza Hut Account (400 corporate and franchised red roofs located throughout the Southeast) Pro bono work with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central Florida |
| xx | xx |
| As if you were writing to a prospective client, describe the agency in no more than 3 sentences: | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | Franchise brand marketing experts, specializing in customizing marketing solutions that fit the unique needs of franchise companies across various industries. |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | St. Jacques is a franchise brand marketing firm based in Morristown, New Jersey with a West coast office in San Diego. We have over thirteen years of franchise consumer marketing experience providing advertising and promotional solutions for key franchise brand growth challenges. Due to our franchise specialization we help answer big marketing questions for brands like Yum! Brands, Regis Corp., Jack In The Box, CENTURY 21, T-Mobile, ADP, and Glaxo Smith Kline as well as small to medium size companies like WingZone, Donatos, and Kiddie Academy. |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | Here at St. Jacques we work together as a team to bring together our knowledge of not only marketing, but of franchising as a whole. We will work with you and your brand step by step to gather the best in research, positioning, strategy and creative. Our goal is to bring you the best in quality, and we are the best. |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | St. Jacques is a nationally sought after marketing firm that specializes in solving marketing challenges for franchised brands and brands that sell through a distributed selling model. |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | As the nation's premier franchise brand marketing firm we assist in the understanding, conception and execution of creative solutions to address the unique challenges and opportunities afforded franchise brands. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | St. Jacques Marketing is the leading marketing firm specializing in the franchise industry. St. Jacques develops strategic marketing programs that bring value to your company whether your needs are consumer or lead generating-focused. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | Dear Client, St Jacques is a dynamic, forward thinking, strategic agency, who specializes in companies that are franchises. We work with world class brands and will bring a unique set of talents and perspective to your franchise brand. We start the process by thinking through your specific need or issue then executing to solve your marketing problem. |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | We are a marketing agency that specializes in franchise brand marketing. Our capabilities range from advertising, plan development, offline and online creative, lead generation and more. We help build relationships between franchises and franchisees, and also franchises and consumers. |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | St. Jacques, Inc. has been in business for nearly 20 years. Throughout this time we have effectively implemented unique strategies and creative to meet and exceed our client's marketing needs. We specialize in the development and implementation of strategic marketing plans to effectively communicate your message. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | A team of marketing professionals dedicated to serving the franchise or multi-unit network. Work is strategy-based and business results driven. |
| xx | xx |
| 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? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | Mid-size, not flashy, cost effective, dependable, good on gas, probably a Maxima or something like that, not an SUV, too big and powerful, but something reasonable, but nice to look at, drive, etc., keep for a long time. Some kind of neutral color like bronze. |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | The agency would be a Silver S55 AMG Mercedes Benz. Why? Because St. Jacques compared to other agencies is first class (at the top) – classy, experienced, great engendering, in a class all by itself. Not in your face – thus the color silver – classy, elegant but not in your face. |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | I'm not really a car person so my knowledge of different cars is limited... but pulling from my personal favorites I'm going to say a Jeep Wrangler. They're rugged and hardy and can get you anywhere just like STJ can get a client anywhere. Jeeps are durable and can be transformed from a family-friendly transportation vehicle to an all-around 4-wheeling machine... meaning they're diverse just as STJ is able to be diverse in the clients we work with. We can pull from our vast knowledge of marketing and franchising to work with just about any type of client. Jeeps have also stood the test of time being around for a long time serving our country in times of war to having fun 4-wheeling to being safe to carry precious family cargo. Color? I'm going to go with one of my favorites here as well... burnt orange with black top/interior... we like to stand out in a crowd but not obnoxiously. We can stand with the best of the best and still be unique in our own way... just like a Jeep. (If you share this response with the group they'll probably know exactly who it came from... I think I'm the only Jeep person in the crew. :) |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | Silver, Lexus. Slightly understated, but says something about you. Intense focus on quality of work and relationships, reputation for excellent quality, but not in a flashy way. |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | Silver Saab 9.3. Looks good on the outside but needs alot of attention to be a real performance contender. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | I'd say something like a Nissan - reliable, works well and lasts for a long time, not too expensive/luxury but not a cheap purchase, has some nice features you don't see in the basic models. Maybe would be a green or blue - not the traditional silver/white/black colors but not flashy red either. More creative then a beige. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | Sporty, maneuverable, agile, Blue (St Jacques color). |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | I feel that our agency would be an Passat because a Passat is a great car, but not just yet an luxury car such as an Audi or BMW. We are are a great agency but will need to grow more and have more brand recognition to consider ourselves an Audi or BMW. We have many capabilities, like a Passat, but can add more capabilities to move up to be consider more like a fully loaded SUV. I think we would be white. A white car stands out but is not as exciting as a red car. |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | We would be a black Ford F-150. When I think of St. Jacques, I think reliable which is why I chose a pick-up truck. We bend over backwards to meet any request our clients throw at us. I chose the F-150 because it has history which demonstrates staying power which St. Jacques has definitely proven both by years in business and senior leadership. I chose black because at times we can be sexy. I don't believe our clients give us the liberty, although we try, to be truly sexy (i.e. red) but you can definitely see the potential. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | A 5-10 year old domestic car that still looks new, gets decent mileage, very clean and well-maintained, four door for practicality, not too many bells and whistles. If you jumped on the gas it may sputter and some smoke will come out of the exhaust, but afterwards it will ride much better. |
| xx | xx |
| List the top few agencies that you do/will compete against most often. | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | Hard to say, we compete against franchise agencies like HotDish, but also those in specific industries like bigger agencies like Doner that have automotive experience, not just franchise experience, so it's really about overall experience, not just franchise experience. |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | - HotDish (but not a true competitor) - Sprokkit (also not a true competitor) - Avitech (also not a true competitor) |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | Hot Dish, Sprockett, Doner |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | Hot Dish Advertising – Minneapolis Wyse (on Meineke) McGary Bowen (on C21) Aviatech |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | Hot Dish Advertising Aviatech Sprokket Re:Group Mainly focused on franchise space. We compete very well against them. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | - Hot Dish - Most national consumer agencies that our clients have relationships with already |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | Hot Dish, Sprocket (sp?), Stone Ward. |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | Hot Dish |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | HotDish |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | 1. Local/regional agencies that handle local co-op business for corporate and franchised businesses. 2. Agencies handling national accounts and also the local co-op business 3. Highly perceived retail-driven agencies, Zimmerman, Wise Advertising (wiseadvertising.com) |
| xx | xx |
| In the eyes of clients, what do you provide of value, that none of your competitors do? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | We understand the franchise business from the inside out, because we have met with franchisees, sat on their panels, not just sat in the room with the brand guys and marketing people, we've heard the complaints, listened, really work with them. |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | Many years of dedicated franchise experience working with elite franchise brands in the following categories: Consumer Brand Marketing (Consumer Research, Marketing Strategy, Media Planning, Creative/Web Development),Franchisee Marketing Tools & Programs (Advertising and Promotional, Marketing Delivery Systems, Region Specific Plan Development) as well as Franchise Development (Investor/Market Potential Research, Region Specific Lead Generation, Franchise Sales Web Sites & Collateral). This experience has given us knowledge and understanding that only working with franchise brands can provide. |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | knowledge & expertise in: franchise sales lead gen, franchising overall, local marketing & strategy, marketing overall |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | Complete and meaningful understanding of franchised brands and how they are built. Also a distinct process for uncovering insights about their brand, customers, or potential franchisees that brings new knowledge and perspective to help direct the brands. |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | A pragmatic perspective based on research and strategy at least in the franchising space. An ability to understand the franchise challenge the prospect is facing and speak solutions to that pain. (at least in the prospecting process. Not sure about when it gets to client service dept.) |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | - Our knowledge of the franchise industry is unique. - Clients prefer us over their national agency cause of our responsiveness and our willingness to work with them to help them acheive their goals. We are more flexible than the big agencies in regards to schedules, turnaround times, etc. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | Service, attention, professionalism, real business operation. |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | We specialize in franchise brand marketing. |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | Diversity, reliability, and personality. For a small agency we have a variety of talented people to assist with their needs. Reliability because we do what it takes to get the job done even when some don't deserve that level of commitment. Personality because none of carry a chip on our shoulder. We're here to help and always treat our clients with respect and kindness. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | A very focused specialty within the franchise industry with special emphasis on delivering results. |
| xx | xx |
| What do you think could hold you back in keeping accounts and getting new accounts? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | Our size, we get new clients in and then have no plan to service them 110%, we jam in the work to our current small structure. We also have little industry expertise in any one industry like QSR, franchise experience only goes so far. We also probably should slow down our nb process until we can service what we got! |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | Lack of marketing ourselves. We put a lot of energy into our clients which is really good, but we do not put the same effort into our company. |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | if something doesn't work, cost, doing the same thing for all clients - not reinventing the wheel, not educating ourselves in new marketing tactics or industry knowledge I don't play a roll in getting new accounts. I help with accounts once they're transitioned to the client service team for day to day project mgmt and additional strategizing, but those would be my thoughts as a whole. |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | Our account team does not grow the account beyond the relationship that is established and are not proactively looking for new business within our existing clients. They don't feel its their responsibility. |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | Not having our key client facing folks be perceived as peer level advisors. We think we're alot better than we actually are. I routinely witness the limitations of our knowledge, or ability to understand insights, that affects the strategy and creative product. Putting strategic and lead account responsibilities on people who will never be there, yet continually trying to get them there. Hiring lower on the food chain. Inability/willingness to proactively grow accounts. Poor structure and processes. But most importantly incomplete communication processes and forums. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | - The size of the agency - some clients fear that we don't have enough bandwith to handle large accounts - and they are probably right. We need more account people and creative people to handle the potential workload. - We don't have a lot of case studies to show clients to help get new business. We talk a lot about being experts in the industry but we don't have an overload of examples to show why. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | Bandwidth having potential clients thinking we are too small. Relationships with existing clients not as strong as they could be. |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | We don't have enough work or programs that deal with the consumer side of brands. We need to work on getting more accounts that deal with consumer work. That will open many more doors for us. We have started working on a new web page, but I think the process needs to move quicker. I feel our website is out of date and doesn't show enough of our creative talents. We need to build a new site that also has a portfolio for companies to see what we can do. |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | Overall size could be an issue as well as limited knowledge of emerging technologies. I also think that we are seen more for franchise development instead of franchise marketing which could take us where we may not want to be. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | Agency size Need for a more seasoned client service staff Stronger broadcast and online production capabilities More pro-active (peer-to-peer) recommendations |
| xx | xx |
| What do you believe are the top 5 characteristics of a strong client services person? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | Responsive, dedicated, dependable, knowledgeable/strategic and really listens! |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | 1. Communication (people with a service attitude, make the customers time an experience, also regularly information appropriate other SJM employees about what's happening with a client) 2. Knowledge 3. Experience 4. Ability to build and maintain relationships. 5. Systematic, regular client interaction (make decisions with the customer in mind) |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | organization ability to think outside of the box strong marketing tactic knowledge ability to learn and absorb all knowledge about the client outgoing communication skills |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | 1. Confident 2. likeable 3. intelligent 4. motivated 5. Confident (again) |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | Is seen as a strategic peer level advisor. Thinks deeply about client challenge at hand and is interested in a brilliant strategic and creative solutions. Confident in their knowledge, advice to client, and can confidently present themselves and ideas to clients. Knows when they don't know, and is able to ask for help. Genuinlely likes the marketing field and enjoys staying on top of trends. Genuinely like people. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | 1. Strong Personality - have to relate to the client, empathize with their needs, engage them in conversation 2. Responsive 3. Strategic 4. Strong organizational skills 5. Dedicated |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | outgoing, Good at making and retaining relationships, positive, bright, knowledgeable |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | 1. Friendly 2. Organized 3. Knows there clients 4. Should be able to communicate what there clients want to creative department 5. Devoted to client |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | Friendly, responsive, intelligent, organized, dedicated |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | Resourceful Communicates well with client and internally Great initiative Credible and able to influence others Responsive |
| If you were to nominate a Client Services Employee of the Month, who would it be and why? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | Scott Robinson - as far as Client SERVICE goes, he's tops, he services clients above expectations, goes the proverbial extra mile, stays late, over-delivers, works hard, is likable....... |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | I do not interact with the client services employees enough to be able to make an informed recommendation. |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | Scott Robinson because he has a very strong knowledge about working with clients from an agency side and is someone who I (we) can learn a lot from. He also has a very strong knowledge about marketing overall. |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | Right now I'd say Dave. He's the only one who recognizes that the work we are doing with Meineke is not the end but only the beginning and said the opportunity here is unlimited. We traveled to Chicago together, presented together in front of the Chicage Meineke dealers and corporate and felt like we've been doing it for 10 years. Confident, smart, motivated and recognizes the opportunity we have right before us. Instead of waiting for opportunities he's going out and getting them. |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | That would be difficult. It may be Scott as he handles alot of project work from C21 and T-Mobile. I struggle with him because he is extremely timid. Very nervous in front of clients and immediately defaults to a subordinate role. Many meetings I've been in with him says very little. I do not see him at C21 meetings or am involved in T-Mob conversations. Excellent project manager. Poor client advisor. C21 and T-Mobile are 100% driven by the client. C21 calls, we pick up the phone, take the order and get it done. They are very happy, though. T-Mobile is much the same. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | I would say Melissa Siegel since she has developed a strong relationship with her clients, and has strong project management skills. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | Scott, Shows up, engaged. |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | Scott Robinson I believe he knows his clients very well and this helps me as a designer. When he communicates what needs to be done for a client, I always fully understand and believe, as a designer, the work comes out better and also quicker. He is very organized and always keeps me on tract for all projects. |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | Scott Robinson... I think he really manages client requests, workflow and expectation very well. He communicates with creative effectively to avoid any lag in delivery etc. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | Too soon for me to tell. |
| What do you think clients in general most want from their agencies? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | Someone who provides not only value and service for a particular thing or project, but is proactive and brings new ideas to the table! |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | Among many things - Guidance. |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | Someone who is going to be honest with them and who will truly help them in their best interests. Someone who will not try to sell them something just for the sake of selling something. Someone who doesn't pretend to know something they don't know. Someone they can trust. |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | Guidance and a process for getting the answers they need to make decisions and results. |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | Understand their challenge, develop a sound strategy, great creative and crisp professional execution and coninually offer new ideas. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | A well-rounded strategic program that is delivered on time and on budget. A partner that they can rely on to bounce ideas off of, and to manage their needs. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | knowledge of their business and insight to their industry that they may not know about. |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | That that agency understand the clients market That the agency can voice there thoughts on what is best for the client That the agency can develop a plan that works the best for the client That the agency can deliver high quality work and be able to walk the client through it That the agency is always there for the client for any questions or concerns |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | Exceptional work...be it creative or strategy. Ultimately our job is to make them look good. Bringing out of the box ideas and delivering quality results will advance their career. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | Exceptional account service A pro-active staff that will may them look good Smart minds that know when to challenge and know when to just get it done. |
| What do you think the new roster of St. Jacques clients most want from the agency? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | Strategic direction and peer level discussions about their overall business not just marketing. |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | They want guidance in these quickly changing economic times. They want a relationship with their agency. They warm and fuzzys, specific niche franchise, knowledge, new and different options. |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | As I said above, someone who is going to be honest with them and truly help them with their best interests at heart. Someone they can trust. |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | Guidance. We hear this over and over, they say "we've been with X-agency for many years and we're looking for new ideas" or "we're looking to get to the next level and don't know how to get there." |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | Understand their challenge, develop a sound strategy, great creative and crisp professional execution and continually offer new ideas. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | Same as above. Also, a team that can be readily accessible and that they don't have to teach their business to - the team already understands it and leaves and breathes the client's product and industry. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | Results, attention, bring new fresh ideas. |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | That want to be able to know that they are working with an agency that has much knowledge about franchising, that can produce high quality work and plans, that the agency is devoted to what they do, and that they are working with a agency that will keep a great working relationship with the client for all their needs. |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | Results. We are promising expertise to our clients and we need to deliver on that. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | Industry expertise Key learnings from other client programs Best of class programs and technologies |
| A client tells you they have $300,000 to spend and they want your POV on exactly what to do with this budget. How would you recommend handling this situation? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | 1. understand their objectives first and their results expectations or current ROI measurements 2. discovery, get your hands on as much research and results they already have to not just present the same old stuff, also look at the competitive landscape 3. work with key media and internal partners to brainstorm ideas 4. develop a strategic approach to their issues with a plan that helps achieve results, perhaps a test phase first |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | First I would have to ask questions and have a dialog with the client. Example questions would be: What is the budget for? (consumer marketing, local marketing, franchise marketing etc.) What are their goals in general (Franchisor, marketing department etc), what do they want to happen, what have they done that they liked/didn't like, etc. Without asking questions I could not and would not throw out options. |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | First I would make sure I knew exactly what their goals were. Then depending upon that answer I would research the best tactics to take to get to that goal. I would work with our team here at STJ to develop the most beneficial plan to reach those goals within the budget they gave us. I would also probably add in a few recommendations of additional tactics they may want to consider as options should they be able to get additional budget spending and why it would help them. |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | First we'd establish their goals, realistic goals. Then we'd apply the budget to our process the help them get the answers they are looking for starting with insight, positioning, strategy, creative development, tactics, measurement and analysis. Usually starts with a proposal an we move from there. |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | We typically say 'here's our process let's start with the research which will help direct the next stages. We'll give them a proposal for this portion with some visibility as to how we might apply the balance following the research but typically say each step will help direct the next one. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | I would develop a brief on their objectives to run by them to ensure we are planning on the same page. I would get our client service team and creative team together to discuss an approach - and include appropriate partners who are relevant to the project (media, online, etc.) I would look at past projects with the client to determine what worked, what didn't, etc. and apply those learnings. I would then develop a proposal that outlined our strategic approach, timing, approximate costs, etc. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | start with understanding the clients needs, research, then execute. Retainer program put in place. |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | I have never worked on the budget side or plan development side. I am a designer and I work only on the development of the creative and on creative ideas that can be used for marketing. |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | I think this question is very nebulous. Before I could give any recommendation on budget I would need to know the client, their current practices, what they are trying to accomplish etc. I don't typically deal with deciding on budgets accept to assist in new ideas to spend them. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | I would gather as many facts available to create a situation analysis: Evaluate what they have been doing prior and what type of ROI they have received Verify/define their target audience via all consumer insight information they currently have Review the period of the length of time we are discussing (month, quarter, annual, etc) and also critical timing for launch (Back to School, holidays, etc) Then pull together a team of agency resources for a download and begin mapping out critical path. Return to client to gain buyoff on critical path/deliverables Initiate program development, budget and timeline for client approval. Execute program Measure & Re-evaluate for added rollout planning for next period. |
| What do you think are the most critical elements of a strong brand and a communications program/campaign? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | 1. The brand has a distinct position within the minds of consumers and the competitive landscape 2. The communications program must be clear, credible and have reasons to believe different from the competition 3. The creative must grab attention 4. The communication must have some sort of wording to react to, call to action 5. Must have some sort of measurement for success, unique URL, etc. |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | I believe the most critical of all elements is the creation and retention of client relationships. |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | A client who believes in themselves and the brand they work for and/or started helps to make a strong brand. The same goes for a communications program/campaign - if you do not believe it will work as an agency, why would a client believe it? |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | Strong relationship with client then research. |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | Well collected target audience research and the ability to accurately distill the insight. The ability to take those insights to direct the positioning, key messaging and subsequent strategy. Like an archer aiming at a target down field, of this is off even by a few degrees, it will be a wide miss |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | The brand needs to be well-positioned so it has a clear and defined identity. Everyone needs to be on the same page on what the brand is - how it is communicated, what the goals for the brand are, how it stands against the competition, etc. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | understanding of problem, execution. |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | I believe the most critical element for a strong brand is brand recognition. Brand recognition is created by the emotional attachment to a brand or product. For a strong brand an agency must create a look, feel and promise that are truthful to that brand or product. I believe the same goes for a campaign. It must be truthful and promising, however can take a more creative twist. In a campaign you can push the look of a brand more to draw more attention to what you are trying to sell. |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | I think the most critical element is understanding the audience you are communicating. To have an effective campaign we need to understand the feelings, personalities, trends and tendencies of the people we are communicating too. The goal is to get someone to take action, identify with the brand, and hold that brand sacred above all others...and to do this we need them to know we understand them. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | The program contributes to the strength of the brand, is fully-integrated to maximize its effectiveness and drives business. |
| At this point in time, what do you think clients most value about client services at St. Jacques? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | Adaptability and fast service, our clients are constantly changing their minds and we turn on a dime.... |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | Franchise brand knowledge and experience |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | At a higher level I think they value the fact that we bring a strong franchising and marketing knowledge to the table. I think they also value that we're not afraid to start at the beginning with the "tedious" work like research and don't just jump into the "sexy" work of creative. From a client service perspective I think they like our organization and project mgmt skills and the fact that we can bring a knowledge of different strategies and tactics to the table. |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | We are excellent and getting work done in an organized way. I think they like that we're organized in that way and don't have to micro-manage us. |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | The ability to get their projects done. Some semblence of a strategy, but I have little confidence in the deep thinking about the challenge, the innovation of the programs, our understanding of franchise challenges and marketing overall. I am also thinking about future competitors which will get more and more capable as we continue on our journey. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | They value our dedication to their accounts. They value our input and recommendations into the projects we work on. They appreciate we think through a project and it shows from our approach down to our creative. They like we are responsive and accommodating. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | our knowledge about franchising. |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | I believe that clients value our knowledge in franchise marketing and our commitment to what we do. I believe we have strong relationships with all of our clients and that the client understands that we will do our best to make sure they receive the best quality work and services. |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | I think our clients value the readiness and dependability of their client service rep. Readiness to help them under tight deadlines, budgets, new frontiers and the dependability to deliver results...that our client service team makes them look good. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | Too soon for me to know all. I'm sure they like the involvement of Mike and Phil (principals) in their business. |
| At this point in time, what do you think clients need but are not getting from client services at St. Jacques? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | Proactive ideas, not enough time to do so......with people on so many different accounts....... |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | I think we could do a better job of creating and maintaining client relationships, offer them more guidance and come up with new ideas that they could add to their marketing needs. |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | I sometimes wonder if we're not able to offer different things to our clients. Since most clients are for franchise lead generation, I wonder if we're not doing the same thing over and over, just applying different messaging and creative to the same program. I worry that if it "fails" just once, it might hurt us more than we think. Putting all of our eggs into one basket so to speak. |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | That peer level discussion. Some clients get it, others don't. I think our account team likes working with the clients they like and degrade relationships with people they don't like. |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | Knowledgeable, peer level advisors who are experts in thier business. With all the research we sell our client there should be no people on the planet who know more about our clients challenges and what to do about them than us. I get blank stares when I bring this up. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | The clients get everything they ask for, but there are times where I wish we had the time and manpower to go above and beyond - bring more ideas to the table, propose new projects/opportunities, etc. Since we are all so busy that gets forgotten about and is key to the business. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | more/better ideas. things without asking. |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | Some times, I feel that our clients need to understand that branding a company or coming up with a strong campaign doesn't happen in a day. I feel that if our clients understood that, we could have more time to really build a strong campaign or a strong positioning for a company. Also, I feel that when we develop different concepts for branding or for campaigns, as agency we need hold our ground on what we come up with and not let the client design for us. We are professionals in this field and we know what will work or not work. The client should not have all the say in the final work that is developed. |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | I think we need to push more out-of-the box ideas and a stronger position on what they should be doing. Often times I feel that we let the client dictate programs instead being steadfast in our beliefs and communicating that. We morph programs which could ultimately affect results. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | Broader based solutions to include more broadcast advertising, print advertising, promotions, PR, social media, etc. |
| When you win a new account what do you think are the top 3 reasons? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | |
| Bottom line, what do you think the agency most has to do to improve overall and with client services? | |
| Jennifer LoBianco, VP Client Strategy | The agency needs a better plan to bringing on new clients and figuring out how to service them vs. just the nb people passing them off to an existing 3 person group, we've been the same size no matter how many clients we have, doesn't make sense, everyone gets burned out. Client Services needs to be in teams with focus on fewer clients each. |
| Sally Facinelli, VP Business Development | reorganize a little and make sure peoples strongest talents are being utilized to their best ability and are not expected to do things that just aren't that good at. Also, work on our client relationships. |
| Melissa Siegel, Client Service Manager | I think overall we could use some help on our internal procedures and processes. I think we were on a good direction at one point to set up a system for job scheduling and production, then it all fell by the wayside. I think everyone gets caught up in their day to day responsibilities that the little things are overlooked too. The same with education. We were having regular education sessions then it all stops. Those are the little things. I also wonder if we're going to get "stuck in a rut" with going after franchise lead gen as our clients. Franchise brand marketing doesn't always translate to consumer clients... which I know is the ultimate goal for the company. |
| Philip St. Jacques Chief Marketing Officer and Founding Partner | Improve our client relationships Get our account team to recognize it's their job to grow those accounts and sell more; or find the right people who know this Better understanding of what research is telling us and how that translates into strategy and creative |
| Michael St. Jacques - Chief Strategic Officer | We need to stop congratulating ourselves for mediocrity. Realize the high level of talent we are coming up against and install a process that plays to our peoples' strengths and efficiently cultivates brilliance in strategy and creative. I am routinly unimpressed with the strategy and creative product as well as seeing our folks in front of clients. Let alone our ability to grow an account or even maintain a relationship when the client stops calling us. If Melissa is a great project manager, stop trying to make her an account planner and do not delude ourselves our clients see her as a strategic peer-level advisor or is the person who can proactively bring new programs to our client and present them coherently. |
| Scott Robinson, Client Service Director | - More training on franchising and marketing in general always helps. - More time to really focus on our current clients - understand them inside and out - the industry, the competition, etc. - More people to handle the work. |
| Robert St Jacques CFO/Partner | Stay engaged, don't settle. |
| Rachael Ritchie, Graphic Designer | Overall, I think the company needs to get some more clients on a consumer basis, not just on the franchise side. Have the franchise side helps so much on working with large companies on a consumer side, since we will know the ins and outs of the whole operation. We need a new designer. Brad and I are the only two designer right now and if more work comes on we will need more help. |
| Brad Leszczynski, Senior Art Director | Overall I think the agency is running well. Areas where improvement can be made: 1. We need to be careful not to set a low cost expectation because then we have to work twice as hard to meet the constraints. As of late, this hasn't been an issue but something that has occurred in the past. 2. We all need to better understand the industries our clients compete in. I think at times our lack of knowledge hampers our ability to work in that space. 3. I think we need to think internal procedures through better before acting. Sometimes it seems as though we are moving in circles. We discuss a plan of attack and then change direction midstream or revert to old ways. 4. I believe we need to better brand ourselves. I think we go out with a strong message but if you look at our own branding it does represent that. 5. We need to broaden our scope in proposals. I feel like we don't spend enough time creating a unique plan of attack...things are too cookie cutter. With Client Service, I think we do a great job. As mentioned above I think we can push our clients a little more to try new things and give them some push back when they try to alter programs / creative. |
| Dave Kuhnlein, SVP | Continue to add bench strength to our client service team and become more pro-active in unsolicited ideas to drive our clients’ business. Leverage our franchise expertise further through more speaking engagements and industry-related promotion and PR. Align ourselves with a stable of best-of-class vendors (with great chemistry with SJM) that will allow us to provide more quality services and increase account profitability. |