4As & ANA Client Agency Relationship Tenure Report

A joint study by the 4As and ANA reveals that the average client-agency relationship tenure has more than doubled since what was reported in 2016, now standing at an average of 7 years. This increase signals a shift toward value-based partnerships.

The Client-Agency AOR Relationship Tenure study surveyed both client-side marketers and agencies to understand the evolving dynamics of Agency of Record (AOR) partnerships.

Get insights into:

• How the average tenure of integrated full-service agencies compares to that of media-only agencies
• The impact of mandatory agency review periods on the length of client relationship
• The kind of relationships the majority of agencies have with their top 10 clients
• The relationship between agency type and tenure–and more.

The report follows two prior studies from the ANA and the 4As: The Cost of the Pitch (2023) and The Cost of the Pitch II: The Rise of Value (2024) that revealed the true costs and consequences of unnecessary agency reviews.