• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, May 7, 2014

That agency with the funny name, Wexley School for Girls, has had it with RFPs and they aren't going to take it anymore. In an effort to reduce agency review shenanigans, the agency is turning the tables and is out with the first-ever Reverse Request for Information. It aims to eradicate the agency review process of the complex and costly rigamarole of vetting, chemistry checks and basically pitting agencies against one another to compete for an account. The intro to the RRFI reads: “We believe it’s as important for the agency to choose its next clients as carefully and rigorously as a client chooses its next agency.”

Explaining why the RRFI exists, the agency writes. "We think it is a perfect way of finding an agency that has the exact same values and needs as you do. When you do an RFP you get responses that are basically good guesses, instead of deep knowledge that leads directly to true insight. All of that time could be used to actually work on a real problem. All of the energy all of those agencies expend could be used on real work for you. We are looking for a client that is respectful, fun to be around and one that enjoys partnering with their agency not dictating to them. Period. We see ourselves as an asset not a vendor. And we see clients as partners not clients."

If you watch "Game of Thrones," you'll love this promotional effort from Sanders Consulting Group which is out with a survey designed to determine which Game of Thrones House your agency is most like. Through a series of survey questions that relate to the HBO series, your agency is properly aligned with the right Game of Thrones House. In doing so, your agency is given some interesting insight into who you really are. Give it a try here.

Austin-based Tent is celebrating its first year working in what it calls the post-AOR era. The agency has eschewed retainer-based work for fixed fee-based work and they're out with a video that shares their belief that because 70% of agencies are owned by three holding companies, they all operate the same way, because they share the same talent pool and because they all compete for the same clients, the net result is mass production-style crap that has no appreciation for talent or innovation. While all of this is true and admirably expressed, it's most certainly an uphill battle when, in fact, the net result of the holding company consolidation movement has sucked the blood out of any remaining talent ad innovation that might ever have existed. That said, we wish Tent well in their admirable effort to improve the agency business.

Remember when Diet Coke came out with that "You're On" campaign and everyone jumped all over the brand and the agency, Droga5, for making drug references? Well, it seems all those complaints had an effect -- and this week the brand is out with a "You're On"-less campaign that is more traditional in nature. And it was not created by Droga5. But the brand assures us that everything is still peachy between Diet Coke and the agency. For the time being.

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