Frequently Asked Questions

1.  How does Marketing Sense International differ from other marketing consulting and search firms?

We are the first and only marketing consulting firm that provides services to business clients with no up-front fees and we are the only firm that requires all marketing agencies we work with to obtain our proprietary agency certification to ensure our business clients receive the best service possible.

2.  What is Marketing Sense International’s privacy policy and can my company be sure that any confidential information divulged during and after working with Marketing Sense will remain confidential?

The privacy and confidentiality of our clients (business clients and agency partners alike) are of the utmost importance with our company. We take multiple measures to ensure the privacy of all our clients. If you would like to discuss the specific details about our policies, please contact us so we may address any specific concerns you have to ensure your company’s information stays private and confidential.

3.  Do you work with start-up organizations?

We work with all types of organizations, start-ups included. Our team understands the critical demands of start-up companies, we will work side-by-side with your new venture to ensure all aspects of your marketing plan, and strategy set a foundation for future success.

4.  Does Marketing Sense International work with finance organizations? (Ex. Angel Investors, Banks, Private Equity Firms, Venture Capital Firms, etc.)

Yes. We currently have a few different finance organizations that we work with by providing our agency search services and our individual marketing consulting services. Additionally Marketing Sense will often work with finance companies as an external marketing adviser to ensure the businesses they finance are on solid ground, form a marketing standpoint.

5.  What are the client budget ranges Marketing Sense International is experienced in and can service while maintaining its’ level of service?

We work with virtually all marketing budget ranges from $100 thousand to $1 billion and beyond. Our staff has experience in all budget ranges and we will compile a team to work with your company that can provide real world experience for your specific budget.

6.  What types of marketing agencies and marketing services do you represent as part of the agency search and selection process? In other words, what marketing services can you assist my company in selecting?

We work with and represent agencies of every marketing service your business could need. These marketing services range from advertising to market research to public relations and beyond. For more information, please refer to our marketing experience page, or contact us today to discuss the specific needs of your organization.

7.  How long to the entire search and selection processes take to complete?

The search and selection process can take as little as a couple of weeks to over six months. It really depends on multiple factors from the type(s) of marketing services you are seeking, to the budget, to your specific time requirements. Note: We have conducted agency search processes under extreme time constraints.

8.  What are the costs associated with your services? Are there any hidden fees?

For our business clients, there are no direct costs associated with our services if they choose the agency search and selection process. The costs of our fees are paid in the form of a flat rate commission that we bill to the selected agency(s). The only hidden cost, or catch is, if your business completes the search process and does not select an agency, then your business will be charge for our time spent throughout the search process. Note: There are a few select circumstances that we do allow exceptions.

9.  What are the typical fees associated with your marketing consulting services?

The fees associated with our marketing consulting services primarily depend on the services requested and the size of your organization. For more information, please contact us to discuss your organization’s needs.

10. How many of your team members will be assigned to my company throughout the search and selection process?

Our typical services team consists of a five (5) member team. This is dependent on each individual business client’s needs and objectives.

11. How many business clients are each search team assigned to at one time?

Our policy is as follows, we will not allow any one-team member to be assigned to more than five (5) specific business clients at one time. This is to ensure our clients receive the highest level of service.

12. Do we have to go through every step in the search process or can certain steps be omitted and still achieve the desired results?

Yes. The steps in our processes are meant as a template to guide the processes down a path that we have found to be the most effective path, but we understand that not every client will fit the template model. Therefore, during the initial stages after we have been appointed, we will develop a specific plan with the clients input to ensure success.

13. My company needs to select a marketing agency ASAP, what can be done if any to expedite the process?

We get approach with this question frequently, and the answer is, contact us and we can discuss all of the particulars. We can work with your business under the most extreme time constraints. Note: In the past we have been able to complete a search and selection process in about a week.

14. Does Marketing Sense International select the agency(s) for my business?

No, we are the advisers. The selected agency(s) should be an extension of your company and because of that the selection is ultimately up to the business client to choose.

15. What is an agency review?

An agency review is an evaluation of your current agency(s) that provide your organization with external marketing support. Agency reviews are often called upon to ensure review the ROI, the service and or the work of one or more agencies to ensure that the business client is maximizing their potential.

16. When should we begin the agency review and or search process?

The ideal time to conduct an agency review is typically 2 to 3 months prior (longer for larger marketing budgets) to the expiration of your current agency agreement(s). That will allow enough time to properly review your current agency relationship(s) and to search for and select a new agency(s) prior to the expiration of the current agency agreement(s).

17. Why conduct an agency review?

There are many reasons to conduct an agency review, the primary reason is to ensure that your current agency relationship(s) are performing up-to their ability. Meaning, that the services that are being provided and the methods in which they are being provided are maximizing your marketing effectiveness and efficiency. Often after an extended period with one agency, things can become stale, leading to a decline in effectiveness and an agency review is to evaluate the situation to ensure that is or is not the case. Other times, as businesses grow, they outgrow their current agency relationships, requiring them to forge new relationships, the agency review process can be extremely helpful in determining is that is the case.

18. We are satisfied with our current agency(s), should we consider an agency review to be sure that our current agency(s) are the best suited for our organization?

If you are just satisfied with your current agency(s), conducting an agency review can open your company up to other methods and options not previously explored by your current agency(s). We recommend our business client to conduct an agency review every few years to ensure determine if their current agency relationship(s) are the best relationships for their business. If you have not changed agencies or conducted a review in the last 3 plus years, it is probably time to start thinking about it.

19. How can we be sure the marketing agencies you work with will be ideally suited for our organization?

We work many of the best advertising, marketing and public relations firms in the United States and around the world and we are constantly looking at new potential agencies to join our agency network. If we are not currently working with a specific agency you are interested in as a possible new agency let us know and we will be sure to looking into that specific agency. We are sure that we can provide you with multiple top agency options for your business. Note: We have screened thousands of agencies and only the best become our certified agency partners, and we have yet to run into an issue of not being able to provide at least 3 options that are ideally suited for any particular business client.

20. What happens if we complete the search process and do not find the ideal marketing agency(s) for my business?

If this happens, and it has yet to happen, there are three options. The first option continue the search for other potential agencies within our agency network, or extend the search to other potential agency partners that we currently have in the application process of becoming certified. The second option is that our company can continue to search for the ideal agency and your business can continue with its’ current agency relationship(s) until we do find the ideal agency. The third and final options is to quit the search completely.

21. We currently have an agency(s) we work with but we would like additional marketing services, can we use Marketing Sense International to conduct the search?

Yes. We work with situations like this all the time. Contact us today and we can get the process started.

22. What if my business does not see the results from the agency(s) selected that we expected? Are we able to conduct a new search for a different marketing agency?

It depends upon the agreement(s) that were signed after the selection. Typically, there was a reason why a specific agency was selected and because of that, our first course of action is to review the situation and see what the problems are based on the circumstances to see if the situation can be remedied. If that does not work, other avenues can be pursued as long as both parties mutually agree.

23. What are the proven ROI statements?

The proven ROI statements are statements that are collected by each certified agency partner during the certification process. These statements show the specific agency’s past and current ability to prove to our business clients the results they can and will achieve for the business client if their agency is selected. Note: We are the only search firm that requires this information prior to certification and the only marketing consulting firm that provides specific ROI statements prior to agency selection.

24. What are the typical results realized by your business clients?

The typical results our business clients see from selecting the best agency(s) for their business is from 10% to a 25% increase in marketing effectiveness and efficiency. That translates to an increase of brand awareness, market share, and total sales. We do have a few clients that have realize results in excess of a 35% increase but those rates or not common. Note: These are just the typical results and your organizations results may vary.

25. Does Marketing Sense International guarantee specific results?

We do not guarantee the specific results of the agencies we work with for a few reasons. First off, we are not the ones selecting the agency for you, you are; secondly, as in any relationship, no one can guarantee a specific outcome. That is why we require the agency certification process, the certification process is the closest thing to guaranteed results you can find in marketing because all agency partners must submit proven ROI statements for your company to analyze prior to selection. That is why we require certification, and that is exactly why, you and your company should require certification.