The official countdown has begun for your brand’s global launch. The stakes are high, the product category is unique, and the market potential is significant. It won’t do to bring on just any agency to handle your brand. You need the right partner. The right agency partner can deliver not just global launch expertise, but also enthusiasm, energy, and commitment. When you are deep in the trenches of the launch, you know these are the people you trust to do right for the brand. The wrong agency partner, on the other hand, can make launch plans emotionally — and financially — taxing. To find a perfect agency partner, start by assessing its culture DNA. Culture is the promise that an agency makes to its clients. What the company believes, follows, and does for you and your brand are all imbedded in its culture. It provides the operating instructions that determine how an agency responds to challenges and how decisions are made. Culture also creates the distinction that makes each agency unique…or the same. To discover an agency’s culture DNA means looking beyond the fancy walls and instead checking the footprints they create and leave behind. While there are several ways to assess an agency’s culture DNA, we’ve identified seven clues that can provide a quick and accurate picture of its true partnership potential. See Past the Fluff By fluff, we mean look beyond the foosball or basketball hoops in the agency common area. The real insight is what you see, hear, and experience in the hallways, bathrooms, and lunch areas. These clues measure an agency’s likability factor. Likability makes working in a team environment easier, better, and more efficient. It is a skill set encouraged and nurtured in a culture of mutual respect and genuine commitment to doing what’s right for the client, the brand, and each other. The Square Peg in a Round Hole No matter how talented, “square pegs" don’t adapt well in a “round hole" culture. Agencies with a strong culture don’t hire the first great talent who walks in. In fact, they use their culture as screening criteria. Those who fit the culture will remain with the company for years to come, producing great work. Creative Trophies vs. Creative Cases The agency wins 40 creative awards in one year but has few results to share? Results-driven case studies can reveal how the creative strategy helped the product grow market share. Great creative is about being relevant, memorable, and results driven. When agencies do talk about their creative case studies, do they express enthusiasm? Do they intimately know the details? There’s a difference between telling the case study “history" and “living" it. The “Us" Factor Accountability is a shared responsibility that comes from a culture that fosters honesty and empowerment. Problems are resolved because team members mutually believe in the same goal — do what’s best for the brand. Alternatively, in a culture where people are “punished" for their mistakes, accountability is virtually nonexistent and finger pointing is rampant. For brand managers, these are costly mistakes that will rock the agency/client marriage. Tough vs. Wimpy Questions Sweeping tough questions under the rug will only build up and surface later on, potentially causing frustrations for both the agency and client. In reality, good brand managers usually like being challenged because it demonstrates the agency’s commitment for their brand. The Head Honcho Many times, how an agency head behaves and what he or she believes is indicative of the culture. For example, those who demand that every decision is made at the top can hold back creativity, efficiency, and team collaboration. Size Does NOT Matter Perhaps 30 years ago, this may have been true. No longer. Technology is a great equalizer. And so are alliances. Independent agencies are no longer hindered from working on both sides of the pond. Nor should the brand manager be hindered by agency size. Finding the right agency for your brand may require more than the cursitory meet-and-greet or listening to the capabilities presentation. It requires listening and watching for clues that can reveal the agency’s true partnership potential. It requires uncovering their culture DNA. n Topin & Associates To find a perfect agency partner, start by assessing its culture DNA. Culture is the promise that an agency makes to its clients. What the company believes, follows, and does for you and your brand are all imbedded in its culture. What An Agency’s Culture Tells You About Its DNA topin & Associates is a full-service, medical marketing communications company. For more information, visit topin.com.

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