AGENCY REPORT 1999: Barkers

This year, Barkers emerged as an agency strong on genuine

creativity, with clients praising the agency for its responsiveness to

their needs and for its solid links with their target media. Making no

bones about it, one client claimed Barkers was ’certainly the best

agency I’ve been involved with’, and another said ’I like their

creativity and relationship of the team with ourselves’.

Its ratings were only let down by its credentials score. It could have

improved its performance in the quality section if it made use of

external media evaluation systems - although on the plus side, the

agency does use a fair spread of internal evaluation techniques.

The agency fared better in the client assessment section with solid

scores and a few real gems. Clients were particularly impressed with its

quality of dialogue and the chemistry they enjoy with the agency

although, like many other agencies, the quality of writing failed to

impress.

Barkers did impress, however, with its ability to meet deadlines and

keep promises and also scored highly on its influence with opinion

formers and its quality of media coverage.

Barkers also emerged as an agency active in promoting itself, and

benefits from a dedicated marketing member of staff.

Star Rating ***

AGENCY CREDENTIALS

                           MARK   OUT OF

Business performance          5       12

Staff                         7       10

Infrastructure                5        5

Quality controls              5       10

Industry recognition          1        3

Total                        23       40

CLIENT ASSESSMENT

                           MARK   OUT OF

Pitch promises                7       10

Relationship with agency      9       10

Nuts and bolts                8       10

Evaluation                    8       10

Client satisfaction          16       20

Total                        48       60