23 May 2006 | Rebecca Ellinor

Procurement, marketing and advertising agencies now have little reason not to work together to achieve the best results, after CIPS and two other membership bodies published joint guidelines today.

Magic and Logic: Redefining sustainable business practices for agencies, marketing and procurement was produced by Marilyn Baxter who has spent 30 years in advertising planning and research. It was commissioned by CIPS, the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA).

The paper, much of which is based on interviews with leading practitioners in all three fields, calls for greater openness, integrity and professionalism on the part of all three - marketing, advertising agencies and procurement.

The message for procurement is that it plays a pivotal role in ensuring fair play between all three parties. It is urged to get tougher on marketing to deliver more professionally, provide a remuneration framework that rewards quality and creativity, and to look for ways to help agencies be more efficient.

Procurement professionals are also challenged to develop their understanding of the agency marketplace and the link between the input, output and outcomes of creative agencies, and to be more open about their agenda.

It describes the characteristics of successful procurement as: • Helping marketing to deal more effectively with agencies • Helping agencies to improve their management and processes • Understanding how agencies create value and their role in it • Looking for a win/win situation in negotiations

Michael Campbell, business development director at CIPS, said: "This report is a real landmark and step forward for all those professions involved. CIPS believes the area of the procurement of marketing services is not only of growing importance but also an area where procurement professionals can further contribute to the achievement of organisational goals and objectives."

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