Here’s a staggering statistic: In the month of June alone, accounts worth over $1.7 billion changed advertising agencies. And that’s only among the six largest advertising agency holding companies. It doesn’t include any of the brands that shifted their accounts to thousands of independent agencies across America.
Why so much turnover? One reason is the diminishing tenure of the chief marketing officers who hire agencies—an average of less than two years, according to one recent study. But even in companies where the marketing staff is stable, the temptation to shop for a new agency can be strong.