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“Birds of a Feather Flock Together”: Strategic Implications for Advertising Agencies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2004

TAMMY NEAL CRUTCHFIELD ,
DEBORAH F. SPAKE ,
GILES D'SOUZA  and
ROBERT M. MORGAN
TAMMY NEAL CRUTCHFIELD
Affiliation:
Mercer Universitycrutchfie_tn@mercer.edu
DEBORAH F. SPAKE
Affiliation:
University of South Alabamadspake@usouthal.edu
GILES D'SOUZA
Affiliation:
University of Alabamagdsouza@cba.ua.edu
ROBERT M. MORGAN
Affiliation:
University of Alabamarmorgan@cba.ua.edu
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Abstract

Advertisers who perceived high similarity between themselves and those within their advertising agency rated their agency as superior to those who felt they had less in common with agency contacts. Outcome measures examined included communication, performance, intention to remain with the agency, and defection following the departure of agency personnel. Differences based on the organizational level of the respondent emerged. Lifestyle factors of similarity were found to play an important role in perceived agency performance, lending support for deeper exploration of client traits and personality prior to the agency's assignment of personnel to a client account.The authors would like to thank Anthony King for his help with background research for this article.

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OBSERVATIONS
Information
Journal of Advertising Research , Volume 43 , Issue 4 , December 2003 , pp. 361 - 369
Copyright
© Copyright © 1960-2003, The ARF

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