A Longitudinal Analysis of the Ad Agency-Client Relationship: Predictors of an Agency Switch

The present study is a longitudinal study of advertising decisionmakers designed to identify key predictors of an agency switch. Discriminant analysis revealed a key set of six predictor variables which discriminate between advertising decision-makers who change agencies and advertising decision-makers who do not. Unlike previous studies, the present study finds that higher satisfaction with creative skills is a significant predictor of agency change. Results suggest the existence of distinct stages of development in the agency-client relationship in which an initial focus on creative potential shifts to a focus on performance and service skills. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for research methodology and for the role of Creative in the evolution of the agency-client relationship.