Press Release:

For immediate release:
Press contact:
Kenichi Sugihara
(212) 206-1997 phone
Kenichi@selectbooks.com

New Book Reveals Secrets and Strategies for Success in Emerging Field of Agency Management

Agency Mania Discusses New Complexities of Client/Agency Relationships in the Digital Age; Groundbreaking Handbook Includes Insights from Dozens of Industry Professionals

New York, NY — SelectBooks has announced the publication of Agency Mania: Harnessing the Madness of Client/Agency Relationships for High Impact Results by Bruno Gralpois (ISBN: 978-1-59079-205-6; October, 2010; Business Hardcover; $24.95), a new title in its list of cutting edge business books.

As any professional marketer knows, the era of chain-smoking, womanizing, and three martini lunches that is glamorized by the ad-executives on TV’s Mad Men, is far behind us. The modern marketing reality is a daunting landscape of evolving digital technology, social networks, high speed information, and multiplying channels of communication. When faced with today’s complexities even a cool customer like Don Draper would be seeking help.

Bruno Gralpois is a highly esteemed thought-leader in the marketing community and is currently the Director of Global Agency Management at Microsoft. His experience from working on both the agency and client sides of the equation inspired him to champion the development of the discipline of Agency Management as a discrete practice. The need for a better understanding of the client/agency relationship has become critical because, as businesses of all sizes put increasingly large sums of money into their marketing efforts, the demand for greater efficiency rises proportionally. To get the most out of these huge investments, the client organizations must demand more from the advertising and marketing communications agencies with whom they partner, and the agencies must be sensitive to the call. As Mr. Gralpois points out, “Agencies bring a huge amount of experience and savvy to the table, and their input can be invaluable. The organization that can manage them efficiently grants itself an enormous advantage over one who does not.”

Agency Mania is the first comprehensive study of the techniques and best practices of Agency Management. It covers fundamental issues such as:

• What is fair agency compensation?
• How will an agency be evaluated?
• What will the ongoing role of procurement be?
• Who will coordinate the efforts of multiple agencies to ensure that strategies and messages are fully integrated and supportive of the over all brand positioning?

It also delves further to discuss uses of new technologies, the development of strategies in a new marketing environment, and the all-important future of the role of Agency Management in this time of rapid change.

Along with Mr. Gralpois’ insights is a running commentary from dozens of his colleagues in the marketing arena. The commentators from the highest echelons of the industry include advertising executives, marketing managers, advertising directors, creative directors, and agency managers from such organizations as Ford, Starbucks, Burger King, AT&T, MasterCard, Macy’s, Intel, Best Buy, Eli Lilly, Wal-Mart Stores, and Johnson & Johnson. Their contribution provides a practical perspective on important topics from the minds that are actively shaping the marketing and communications industry right now. 

SelectBooks Publisher, Kenzi Sugihara states: “The inside track perspective that this commentary lendsis in itself invaluable. This powerful book shines a bright light on the subject of client/agency relationships. Whether you’re on the agency or client side of marketing, Agency Mania provides crucial information about how to get the job done.”

Agency Mania will be available in bookstores in October 2010.

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