How CMO’s Should Choose An Agency From The Woman Who Won Gucci, Tiffany & RedBull

Most agencies know how to pitch.

Far fewer know how to win the right work, keep the right clients and build something people want to be a part of.

I sat down with Virginia Hyland, who previously led Havas Media Group and is now co-founder of Squad M&A, to talk about what really makes an agency valuable.

Virginia has worked with huge brands - we’re talking Red Bull, Gucci, Tiffany, Rimmel, Bumble and Tourism Fiji, and has sat on almost every side of the agency world from founder, CEO, pitch leader, acquisition advisor AND buyer.

I wanted to sit down and chat with Virginia about what indie agencies can do better than the big networks, why chemistry matters before any pitch, what marketers should look for when choosing an agency, and how founders can start building a business that’s worth buying years before they plan to sell.

Key moments:

0:00 - How Virginia built an agency before social media changed everything

3:49 - Why indie agencies can beat the big networks

11:49 - How a 15-person team won against global agencies.

15:19 - The client win that led to helicopters and Tiffany jewellery

18:09 - How to tell if a pitch is actually worth your time

23:10 - The best way to get into someone’s boardroom

28:18 - The mistake most agencies make in pitches

31:57 - How to let your team lead a pitch without taking over

34:00 - How Havas stood out against more than 100 agencies

35:42 - What Virginia learned from losing Red Bull the first time

39:20 - What to watch for when your agency gets sold

41:44 - What changes when you go from indie founder to HoldCo CEO

45:54 - Why founders should prepare for sale years before they exit

51:11 - How AI could change the agency model

54:29 - What makes an agency worth buying

If you want to connect with Virginia you can find her on Linkedin here, or visit Squad M&A www.squadma.com

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