Outline the details of the project or services your company seeks.

Draw up specifics that will help frame the type of agency your company seeks, whether it’s for a single project or an ongoing partnership.

Before engaging any agency candidates, a company must first outline and agree upon the scope of work for the overall assignment. This will drive the best results for an agency search. The key deliverables, strategic goals, and selection criteria will serve as the framework for the entire search process; therefore, establishing this upfront will allow a brand team to clearly understand the type of agency they are looking for, assessing the core competencies, capabilities, and experience levels that need to be delivered to the brand,”

Decide the criteria to use for the Agency of Record or one-off project evaluation process.

Is your company looking for some project work or a strategic partnership?

“Regardless of the services being delivered and the length of the assignment, the selection criteria for any agency selection process will likely remain the same. The major difference between an [agency of record] evaluation and a one-time project engagement evaluation is the weights assigned to each criterion.

Examine agencies’ range of services and core competencies. How nimble is the agency? The ad landscape is changing, so agencies must also adapt. The WSJ reported agencies are investing in broadening their capabilities. Agencies are being asked to engage with customers in new ways (other than non-traditional advertising) and create all sorts of new types of content, according to The WSJ. If CMOs are concerned with and working to staying current with trends, your agency should be too.

“Regardless of the services being delivered and the length of the assignment, the selection criteria for any agency selection process will likely remain the same. The major difference between an [agency of record] evaluation and a one-time project engagement evaluation is the weights assigned to each criterion,” Jordan said.

Gauge the agency for the right vision and cultural fit. Matching approach and workflow types is critical to the project management process. As part of agency evaluation, find out how they handle project deadlines and project overruns as well as what resources and steps they will take to finish the project when it’s over deadline and/or budget.

Research ad campaigns and results of those campaigns. Seek examples of agency work to help illustrate the types of examples you’re going for. It might be helpful to find examples that are similar to the type of campaigns you want to launch or ones that your company likes. Examine the results of those campaigns, if available. It might be helpful to find out what the agency behind the campaign or look for an agency that specializes in the type of ads you want to produce that are specific to your industry. For instance, does the agency specialize in social, digital or mobile? This research will help the agencies you’re considering see what you’re interested in.