Innovative bill-by-the-service, not-by-the-hour model has moved from beta to gold in just 3 years

 Sink or swim. Make or break. Do or die. Pick your idiom. They all meant the same thing for marketers at the beginning of 2020. 

For Bozell—a storied agency responsible for iconic marketing and advertising campaigns like “Milk Mustache” and “The Greatest Show on Dirt” for the NCAA Men’s College World Series— there was no choice but to swim, and swim like crazy. In the midst of a devastating global pandemic, Bozell, like so many businesses during the COVID outbreak, had to adapt to stay afloat in a new era and change the way it had done business for the past century.  

The new challenges meant a new focus for many businesses, whether they needed to suddenly create more demand, or nourish more loyalty as supply chains made fulfilling customer orders difficult. Some companies had to completely reimagine their business models. 

Over the past three years, Bozell has not only adapted to its clients’ needs, but thrived by reinventing traditional marketing and advertising cost structures and ushering in a new era of innovation and value for its clients. Bozell’s Membership Model represents a seismic shift in the industry – it provides not just services, but a comprehensive blueprint for success and a significantly amplified return on investment for businesses that engage with the Midwest-rooted agency. 

Our clients look to us as a partner, rather than a vendor – we are truly an extension of their marketing teams, and we share the same financial motivations. – Jackie Miller, Co-owner of Bozell 

To be clear, Bozell’s Membership Model is not a subscription-based service or a retainer model, which both depend on hours required and the scope of the project to produce work. Regardless of real-time market indicators, you are still paying for the hours needed to complete a specific job. However, Bozell offers a true membership, and as the classic American Express ad goes, “Membership has its privileges.” 

“This is a massive departure from the conventional agency-client relationship,” Miller said. “As our membership model has evolved over the past three years, we have moved beyond billable hours to a more dynamic approach where ideas are valued over time spent.” 

When a client becomes a member, they gain access to Bozell’s versatile team of creators (graphic artists, animators, copywriters, creative director), social media strategists, public relations experts, media planners and more, all of which are equipped to tackle any challenge, big or small, at one flat rate.  

“It’s an approach that has transformed Bozell from an agency of record to an agency of value,” Miller said. “And it’s forged deeper connections between our clients and their customers, which allows our clients to stay ON brand and ON customer.” 

Not all of Bozell’s clients join with full membership – some only need one service, such as social media support or a public relations partner, or perhaps a one-off creative campaign.  

“We like to think of ourselves as the Swiss Army knife of the marketing and advertising world,” added Miller. “Whether you need a magnifying glass or a set of tweezers, or every tool available, we think our Membership Model is a smart choice for a smart world.” 

Among the benefits of Bozell’s Membership Model: 

• Bozell 360 Listening™: A comprehensive approach to understanding clients’ needs and market dynamics. When you buy by the idea and not the hour, you want the ideas to be well-researched. 
• Full-service team: From creative direction to PR, social media, content creation and beyond, Bozell offers a complete suite of services under one roof. 
• Proof of concept: Beta testing initiated in late 2020 has seen a remarkable transformation, with the majority of Bozell’s clients now transitioned to the Membership Model. 

All the pieces for a modern marketing and advertising agency have come together over the past three years to create what Bozell’s clients are calling a “game-changer.” 

“It’s empowered the team to more strategically approach marketing and advertising,” says Tracy Malingo, chief operating officer at Siprocal, a Miami-based, cross-device growth and monetization platform, delivering access to premium audiences and communities across the Americas.

“As an emerging company, serving a dynamic market, it is critical that we no longer waste time sifting through scopes of work for every single project that we have pop up – big or small. Our membership means we can pivot on a dime and have instant access to a wide variety of assets, which makes the collaborative process so much easier.” 

Meanwhile, Javier Camacho, marketing and communications director at the Platte River Power Authority in Fort Collins, Colorado, says, “We needed to quickly develop a brand awareness campaign that commemorated our utility’s 50th anniversary … Platte River’s first-ever external brand awareness campaign in its five-decade-long history.

“Bozell’s innovative approach to working and collaborating with their clients allowed us to establish a partnership and turn around a holistic brand-awareness campaign. This inaugural campaign received more than 11.8 million impressions and 45,000 clicks driving users to a campaign website Bozell helped develop.” 

Ultimately, Bozell’s Membership Model represents not just a shift in strategy but a reimagining of what’s possible in the marketing and advertising arena in 2024. As businesses navigate an increasingly complex landscape, full of new hurdles like AI and cookieless tracking, Bozell stands ready to guide them toward success with its innovative, value-driven Membership Model approach. 

ABOUT BOZELL 
Founded in 1921, Bozell is an Omaha-based, full-service, WBENC-certified marketing and communications agency. Knowledge, drive and a relentless appetite for new challenges define Bozell and its people, who are the agency’s biggest asset. Bozell creates strategic, omnichannel campaigns that generate serious results for its clients, and after 100 years in business, Bozell continues to empower those who aspire to change the world.