Welcome to this special edition of the SoDA Report on the Next Agency Model, developed in partnership with Deltek.
Research Study & Highlights
SoDA conducted an online survey with agency leaders in Q4 2020 (October 9 – December 22) to better understand how agencies navigated the disruption in 2020, their financial performance for the year, key operational priorities and pain points, and the initial outlook for 2021.
The Survival of the Fittest?
On March 16th, the UK went into national lockdown. Non-essential shops closed and online delivery slots for supermarkets were being snapped up in seconds. Just a week later, a national lockdown came into force in the U.S., and two weeks after that, Amazon’s share price had increased by 28%.
Build a Solid Foundation to Sell From First
With fewer RFPs going out to tender, many agencies have to rely more on traditional sales tactics in order to grow. The days of reliance on AMs and the C-Suite to fill the gap have passed. What they need is a more sustainable, targeted effort.
How the Year of Uninvited Disruption Forced Change in 2020 and Beyond
In the pre-COVID world, the agency/client relationship took on many different guises—all unique in their own way—and impossible to generalize.
The Business of Change
Even on their best days, humans struggle with change. So do businesses. And the pandemic wasn’t the year’s next “hottest fad,” it was an existential threat from nature itself. When the pandemic hit, we all watched as some companies easily adapted, some struggled and made it through, and some were dead on their feet.
The Next Partner Model Must Build Business Value, Not Ads
The past year has seen significant change in the way people connect with brands and each other digitally. While this has been great for some major players—it’s also led to heightened complexity for marketers to navigate in the form of touchpoints, channels and technologies to serve. These changes also come at a time when marketers feel the pressure of accountability like never before.
Team and Partners
The Society of Digital Agencies (SoDA) serves as a network and voice for entrepreneurs and innovators around the globe who are creating the future of marketing and digital experiences.
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Head of Production & SoDA Communications Manager
Lakai serves as SoDA’s Managing Editor and Head of Production for the SoDA Report, the organization’s trend publication featuring compelling research insights, global thought leadership, and award-winning project showcases.
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SoDA Brand & Production Designer
Since joining SoDA's Operations team in 2014, Jessica Ongko has been deeply involved with strengthening SoDA’s brand and visual identity while collaborating with agencies around the world to design and create publications, event signage, and both digital and physical assets related to the work of SoDA. Jessica serves as the Production Designer for the SoDA Report.
Deltek is the leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions for advertising and marketing firms and other project- and people-based businesses. Deltek customers include three out of the four largest global agency networks. More than 20,000 organizations and millions of users in over 80 countries around the world rely on Deltek to streamline operations and deliver more profitable projects, optimize resources, recruit and develop talent, research and identify opportunities, and win new business.
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Director of Solutions Engineering
Nancy leads solutions engineering at WorkBook, Deltek’s global agency management solutions practice designed specifically for advertising, creative and digital marketing firms. She is dedicated to the delivery of exceptional data intelligence and best-in-class products to “service-driven” agencies. She has a comprehensive 20-year background in enterprise-level organizations, communications and agencies, as well as worldwide technology transformations.
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Senior Marketing Manager
Chris manages marketing activities for the agency solutions business unit at Deltek. With 15 years in agency, five managing his own shop, Chris has in-depth experience in agency operations, including account management, scoping & pricing, resource management and production. He uses his experiences to help identify agency operational pain points and provide thought leadership to help agencies learn and grow.
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Senior Product Marketing Manager
Regan is a Senior Product Marketing Manager and Agency Operations Director with a demonstrated history of working in both the software and advertising industries. With 15 years of ad agency experience in operations, scoping & pricing, project management, creative resourcing, and creative recruiting under her belt, Regan uses her insider knowledge of how agencies and the industry work to help Deltek tailor solutions to the way they work.