• by Masha Geller , May 30, 2001

According to a Harris Interactive 2001 Advertising Agency Reputation Study released today, more than a third (37%) of Advertising Clients who spend $5MM or more believe that medium sized agencies are likely to do the best work.

Only 9% of those same clients believe that a mega-agency can do the best.

“Creative is still king, with over 70% of the respondents saying that creative work that is effective in selling product is 'absolutely essential' in importance when evaluating an agency,” said Judy Ricker, VP of marketing communications research at Harris Interactive.

“This basic truth still holds: excellent creative attracts excellent clients.”

The use of performance based compensation remained flat from 1998 with only 27% of those surveyed saying that they used it.

Also flat was the utilization of search consultants -- with 10% claiming their use.

However, the influence of those consultants leaped with 56% of those who used consultants, saying the consultant influenced their decision to switch or work with a previously unknown agency -- up from only 26% in 1998.