A big trend in PR among clients, a few years back, was to consolidate the number of agencies to boost efficiencies. IBM Software, which had multiple agencies operating in the US, led the consolidation trend about a decade ago.
Now, signaling a change in direction, Wal-Mart has decided to enlist five agencies, instead of one, to get best of breed capabilities. Apparently, they found that so-called efficiencies came at a price in terms of effectiveness.
If other companies follow Wal-Mart’s lead, that could bode well for smaller agencies.