There is nothing new under the sun, as the saying goes.

In the angst-laden world of a slowly recovering advertising and marketing agency industry, the insertion of procurement departments in the agency selection process is among the things that are not new at all. But this old whipping post is generating a fresh round of teeth-gnashing.

What’s all the fuss? If an RFI/RFP process feels burdensome, stacked, unclear or downright unfair you can simply opt out. It could just be that the process put in place, whether procurement is involved or not, does not fit your model for acquiring new clients and projects. Just like you won’t win every client pitch, you also don’t need to be involved in every one.

Prospective clients whose processes become especially onerous run the risk of reaping what they sow when they attract sub-par agencies because the best and brightest just won’t play by their rules. Or clever agencies will find a way around procurement.

For those who choose to opt in, there are plenty of resources and lots of advice for navigating the process. Here are few recommended resource:

  • The RFP Database not only is a clearinghouse for issued RFPs, it also contains links to related information and advice
  • The Confluent Forms blog is one of those linked resources
  • The Fuel Lines blog by Michael Gass often tackles the issue of RFP best practices and strategies
  • Because the consternation seems greater in small and medium-sized agencies, Advertising Age‘s Small Agency Diary blog is worth visiting – even a valuable online subscription
  • And of course, Agency Babylon strives to be of service whenever it can
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