Sparks Grove Cited in New Report on Marketer/Agency Relationships

ATLANTA, Jan. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report released today by Forrester Research, Inc. titled "Agency Partnerships Speed the Innovation Journey" features strategic and creative firm Sparks Grove.  The report addresses how "smart marketers maximize agency relationships to create breakthrough customer experiences and business growth," in a time of evolving customer behavior. The full report can be found here.

According to the report, "companies look for innovative marketing approaches when they feel — or know from the numbers — that they are falling behind." To speed the innovation process, many companies engage with outside agencies; and, when successful, an agency and marketer partnership can lead to transformative marketing innovations. The report states that "innovation is not built on short-term execution and immediate sales results. Agencies and marketers have both stated that a new model of trust and openness is required." The report notes that marketers must:

• Carve out dedicated budget to focus effort
• Assign decision makers and hold them accountable
• Keep agencies informed as part of the team
• Prepare for radical change

Minsoo Pak, Chief Creative Officer at Sparks Grove, a division of global consultancy North Highland, cited in the study, states that "marketers need to understand that byproducts of innovation can be scary." He goes on to note that "marketers must have management buy-in for radical change resulting from the new innovations." If organizations are not truly ready for change, the relationship with an innovation agency will hit a wall of inertia from the marketing organization.

For agencies, the report states that they "must invest in innovation resources to prove their forward-thinking chops," and offers a few examples of areas where agencies have invested with impact, including the promotion of prolific partnering to accelerate innovations and co-investing with clients for faster pilot launches. The report also mentions the use of "a multidisciplinary organization model to scale innovations faster." It notes that organizations that use this model "can move rapidly from ideation and creation phases to full-blown launch and operational phases with in-house business process, systems integration, and back-office engineering talent."

"At Sparks Grove, we were created to bring the value and benefit of this flexibility to our clients," said Pak. "Our unique business model, which blends powerful creative thinking with core strategic consulting, allows us to deliver leading edge solutions that push innovation further and much more quickly for our clients."

To access the full study, please click here.

About Sparks Grove
Sparks Grove is a strategy and creative firm that provides marketing, communication, digital and design services. Our uncommon union of strategy and creative solves complex business problems for many of the world's leading brands.  A division of global consulting firm, North Highland, Sparks Grove delivers clients fresh ideas that invigorate their brands and resolve pressing business challenges.

For more information, please visit our website at sparksgrove.com or follow us on Twitter @sparksgrove or facebook.com/sparksgrove.

About North Highland
North Highland is a global consulting firm with a proven record of enabling great returns on our clients' investment. Our high-caliber consultants offer deep experience and expertise across many diverse industries and service areas.

We specialize in solving tough business challenges, being easy to work with, and nurturing long-standing relationships with the most recognizable brands in the world. Ask any of our clients, and they'll tell you. For more information, visit www.northhighland.com and follow us at @NHighlandGlobal.

North Highland is a proud member of the Cordence Worldwide global management consulting partnership. Learn more at http://cordenceworldwide.com/

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SOURCE Sparks Grove