Choosing a marketing agency is often a challenging task for marketers.
Competition in the market is fierce, and finding one that truly understands your brand’s needs is not easy. A review of the portfolio, chemistry meeting, or recommendations from the industry are often enough to quickly select a partner and be confident that you want to work with them. However, some brands decide to organize a tender – either seeking a fresh perspective or simply following internal procurement procedures. This process is an opportunity to compare offers and select the best business partner.
A well-conducted tender is also the perfect time to clearly define your goals, needs, and what will be the success metrics for you. Organizing a tender can be compared to mapping out the terrain before a big journey: you need to set reference points that will help you reach your desired destination.
What is a tender?
According to the definition, a tender is a competition for offers to sell certain products or perform specified services. It is a method aimed at selecting the best supplier or contractor who will offer the most favorable terms in relation to quality, price, timelines, and other criteria important to the organizer. Tenders can be applied both in the public and private sectors, and their purpose is to ensure transparency and fair competition.
Partner relationships
Keep in mind that a tender is an effort on both sides – both the marketer and the agency. It is the organizer’s responsibility to prepare documentation, communicate with contractors, and analyze offers. On the other hand, the agency invests its resources and time into creating an offer, which does not always result in success. Preparing a competitive offer is not limited to just a presentation – it often involves weeks of intensive work from a team of strategists, copywriters, designers, media experts, and other specialists.
By inviting a small group of agencies (from 2 to 4), you have the chance to truly engage in the process, dedicate enough time to each, and thoroughly evaluate their proposals. This increases the likelihood of receiving well-prepared and relevant offers that truly meet your needs. In the case of an unlimited tender, you should be prepared for the possibility that some well-known agencies may decide not to participate.
For tenders involving a large scope of work, consider introducing a so-called Rejection Fee. This is a fee for agencies that prepare and present an offer, if their proposal is not selected. While this practice is not standard in Poland, it appears in many cases. It is a form of recognizing the time and effort invested by the agency. As mentioned earlier, preparing an offer is a significant investment. The Rejection Fee not only motivates agencies to create even better proposals but also helps build positive relationships that may lead to future collaboration. Even if an agency is not selected, they may be more willing to return for future opportunities.
Key stages of the tender
Defining goals and needs
The first step is to clearly define your goals. The more precisely you define them, the easier it will be to find the right agency. This is also a good time to outline the scope of activities that the agency would be expected to perform.
Setting the budget
Before inviting agencies to submit offers, you need to know how much you can allocate for the project. Defining the budget upfront helps avoid disappointments – agencies will be able to tailor their proposals to your financial capabilities, which prevents unrealistic offers. A transparent budget ensures both parties are on the same page and know what to expect.
Preparing tender documentation and the brief
Once you have a clear understanding of your needs, it’s time to create the documentation that will serve as the foundation for submitting offers. It’s crucial to define precisely both the requirements for tasks to be performed in the tender, as well as the responsibilities of the agency once it wins the tender.
One of the most important elements of the entire tender process is preparing the brief. A marketing brief, also called an advertising or promotional brief, is a document containing key information necessary for executing a marketing project. Its purpose is to provide the agency or internal team with clear guidelines regarding promotional activities.
It is a condensed description that defines the campaign’s objectives, target audience, key messaging, preferred communication channels, budget, and execution schedule. With a brief, all parties involved in the project have a shared vision and a solid foundation for creating effective marketing actions.
You can learn how to create a good brief from our article [article on the brief]. You will also find an option to download a sample brief template from our agency.
When preparing for a tender, also remember about the NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement). This document protects both the tender organizer and the participating agencies. Its purpose is to safeguard confidential information from unauthorized disclosure and prevent situations where strategic or creative ideas could be used without the author’s consent. It is important that the agreement clearly defines the scope of confidential information, the responsibilities of the parties, and the consequences of breaching its terms. The NDA should be provided to the agencies as early as possible, ideally at the stage of announcing the tender. Before signing it, agencies often consult it with their legal departments, which may require changes to be made and re-approved by the tender organizer’s legal department. This all takes time, so the earlier the NDA reaches the agencies, the sooner this stage can be completed. This ensures that when the brief is received, the formalities are already settled, and agencies can immediately focus on preparing their offers without unnecessary delays.
Announcing the tender and inviting offers
Once everything is prepared, it’s time to announce the tender and invite agencies to submit their offers. In addition to the pricing offer, many companies require agencies to provide a substantial component, such as creative concepts, examples of creative work, or preliminary strategies. This practice gives a better insight into how the agency approaches the project and allows for the assessment of the quality of proposed solutions. Although preparing these elements requires additional effort, it helps in more accurately matching the offer to the client’s real needs and expectations.
Debrief
During the tender process, it’s worthwhile to organize meetings with agencies that will allow them to ask questions and clarify any doubts. The discussions are an opportunity to better understand the expectations and ensure that the agencies prepare offers aligned with your requirements. By answering questions, you can also clarify project nuances, making it easier for agencies to develop more accurate, tailored concepts.
Evaluating offers and selecting the agency
Once the offers have been received, it’s time to evaluate them. This is the moment when you compare the proposals from the agencies. It’s also a good time to check how well the agency understands your goals and how their proposals align with your vision for the project.
Negotiations and signing the contract
Once you have chosen the agency, it’s time for negotiations. At this stage, you’ll agree on the details of the collaboration: compensation, deadlines, service scope, reporting methods, and other important matters. After all conditions are agreed upon, you sign a contract that becomes the foundation for the collaboration. It’s important to ensure that all arrangements are clear to avoid misunderstandings during the project’s execution.
With a clear plan and proper organization, the tender process will be much more effective and efficient.
How to choose agencies to invite to the tender?
Selecting the right agencies for the tender is a key element of the process. To increase the chances of success, it’s important to choose agencies that best align with your needs and goals. What criteria should be considered when making the selection?
Agency portfolio
Check the projects completed by the agency and pay attention to their experience working with similar brands. Even the most brilliant concept presented in the tender doesn’t reflect the actual dynamics of daily collaboration with the agency. It’s not only about a creative idea on paper, but also about experience, thinking patterns, and the ability to collaborate long-term. That’s why it’s important to look at the agency’s track record—its portfolio, relationships with brands, and projects completed over the years. Long-term partnerships with reputable clients are the best proof that the agency not only knows how to win a tender, but also delivers value on a daily basis.
Reviews and recommendations
Reliable sources of feedback can be industry platforms, such as Clutch, as well as recommendations directly from people within your network.
Chemistry and work style
Meeting with the agency representatives will help you assess whether their approach to collaboration matches your philosophy and working style. Make sure that you can collaborate effectively.
Expertise and strategic approach
Pay attention to the agency’s experience in long-term activities and marketing strategies. The agency should offer not only creative ideas, but also solid strategic foundations.
Remember, a great concept at the tender stage might be impressive, but it doesn’t always reflect how the daily collaboration with the agency will unfold. That’s why it’s so important to consider the agency’s track record, experience in long-term collaborations, and successful projects for reputable brands when choosing the right agency.
Why does an agency withdraw from a tender?
During the process of organizing a marketing agency tender, you may encounter situations where some agencies decide to withdraw from the process. Several factors can influence such a decision:
Lack of resolution
A lack of decision after the tender concludes, along with significantly extended waiting times for results, can affect the willingness to engage in such tenders in the future.
Too many invited agencies
Agencies may be concerned about their chances in the tender, especially when a large number of participants are involved. The chances of winning depend on the number of agencies in the tender. For instance, with 10 agencies, each firm has only a 10% chance of success. With such a large number of invited agencies, the chances of winning are minimal – nine of them will likely incur significant proposal preparation costs that will not be recouped. Furthermore, involving as many as ten agencies in the pitch process greatly limits the marketer’s ability to collaborate effectively and respond to questions, compared to a process involving just three agencies. Therefore, it’s worth considering inviting around 2-4 agencies.
Unclear budget
An undefined budget can lead to misunderstandings and difficulties in aligning actions with realistic financial capabilities. If the agency doesn’t know the exact budget for the project, it might deem it impossible to prepare a satisfactory offer that can realistically be carried out.
Unclear decision-making process
Agencies may withdraw if the partner selection process is unclear or overly complicated. A lack of information about who will make the final decision and on what basis can discourage agencies from dedicating their resources. Particularly problematic may be the impression that the decision-making process is already predetermined – for example, if the client favors their current agency or has already selected a partner, despite the formal announcement of the tender.
Lack of client engagement
If the client does not dedicate enough attention during the tender stage, fails to engage in dialogue, doesn’t provide complete information, or does not give clear feedback, the agency may consider that future collaboration will be difficult and decide to withdraw from the tender.
Too short a time to prepare an offer
Tenders require a significant investment of time and resources. If the agency is given too little time to prepare a proposal, it may be forced to withdraw, especially during busy periods.
Lack of compatibility
Professional agencies engage in tenders where they are confident they can deliver top-level solutions, matching available resources – both budgetary and operational – ensuring a high level of client satisfaction during collaboration. If the goals and requirements of the project significantly exceed the available resources, the agency may conclude that it will not be able to provide the expected quality of execution. In such cases, the decision to withdraw is not based on a lack of willingness to collaborate but on a commitment to quality and effectiveness. A responsible approach involves engaging in projects where real, measurable results can be achieved, leading to client satisfaction and long-term value.
At Neon Shake, we engage in tenders where we compete with 2–4 carefully selected agencies. Clear rules are key for us – we know the budget, the decision-making process, and we are confident that the client approaches partner selection with full engagement. We believe that transparency is the foundation of successful collaboration, which is why we avoid tenders where clear rules are lacking. We treat each project not as a one-off task, but as the beginning of a long-term, partnership-driven relationship.
Summary
A well-conducted marketing agency tender is not only a way to identify the best business partner, but also an opportunity to precisely define your goals and expectations. Clear rules, transparent communication, and proper preparation are crucial – from the brief and defining the budget to thoroughly evaluating the offers. Thoughtful selection of invited agencies and a partnership-based approach to the process increase the chances of receiving well-crafted proposals and establishing long-term cooperation built on trust.
FAQ
How long should the tender process last?
Answer: The optimal duration of a tender depends on its scale, but it usually lasts from 4 to 8 weeks. It is important to give agencies enough time to prepare their proposals and leave room for possible meetings and negotiations.
Is a tender always the best way to choose an agency?
Answer: Not always – in some cases, a request for proposal (RFP) or collaboration based on recommendations and previous relationships may be more effective. A tender is especially useful for large projects that require detailed analysis of offers and the comparison of several potential partners.
What factors should be considered when making the final choice of agency?
Answer: Besides evaluating the proposal itself, it’s important to consider the agency’s experience with similar projects, their communication style, and whether their approach aligns with your company’s culture. References from other clients can also be crucial.
Is it worth giving feedback to rejected agencies after the tender?
Answer: Yes, transparent communication builds good relationships and helps agencies improve their proposals in the future. A brief feedback can increase the likelihood of better proposals next time.
