Is It Time for an End-of-Year Agency Performance Review?

As marketing leaders firm up their priorities, budgets and plans for 2027, now is a good time to consider how well agency relationships are performing.

Are agencies delivering creative excellence and the strategic thinking required? Are the right teams in place? Are day-to-day operations running smoothly?

An end-of-year agency performance review provides an opportunity to recognise successes, identify areas for improvement and agree priorities for stronger client–agency relationships in 2027.

A practical approach to agency performance measurement

Performance measurement doesn’t need to be a lengthy or resource-intensive exercise.

Observatory International’s Agency Performance Tracker™ (APT) provides a light-touch, independent approach to evaluating agency performance. Used by clients including Samsung, Accor and McCain, it offers a consistent and reliable way to gather feedback.

APT assesses four core areas of agency performance: Team, Strategy, Deliverables and Operations. Short online surveys, taking less than five minutes to complete, combine quantitative scoring with qualitative feedback, providing a clear picture of performance without placing significant demands on busy teams.

Results are compared against The Observatory International’s established benchmarks, providing valuable context for interpreting scores. Feedback is two-way, gathered from both clients and agencies, to give a complete picture of the relationship.

Making time for a review

The final months of the year are often particularly demanding for teams. Undertaking a review in October or November can provide useful insight to establish a strong foundation for 2027 activities, without competing with the December rush.

APT can be used to review a single agency relationship or an entire agency roster, helping brands assess performance and identify priorities for the year ahead.

For more information about Agency Performance Tracker (APT), please contact us and take a look at our Agency Performance Measurement services here