Clients don't seem to understand that agencies exist to deliver results for them.

Erik Harbison is media director at 360i, an international search engine marketing agency that provides search engine optimization, paid placement management and performance analytics services to more than 150 clients. A partial list includes Alamo Rent A Car, Bank of America, CNN En Español, Firstwave Technologies, ING USA, Inc., McGraw Hill Corporation, Universal Studios, UPS and Sheraton Hotels. Harbison manages online acquisition and branding efforts for several of them.

iMediaConnection: What's your biggest frustration these days?

Harbison: Finding qualified talent. Like many agencies, we’re experiencing tremendous growth. We’ve been fortunate enough to find some top-notch employees at all levels, but there appears to be an increasing shortage of available talent that knows, and is excited about, the online space.

iMediaConnection: What's easier this year than last?

Harbison: As it relates to the majority of our clients, I would say campaign management and reporting. There have been some major improvements made with proprietary and third-party software that have allowed us to become more efficient and effective in delivering value to our clients. In addition, we have come up with some proven strategies that have made it easier for clients to fully realize their return on marketing investment.

iMediaConnection: What’s one of the most successful branding campaigns your company has executed recently, and what made it successful?

Harbison: It was for a new nicotine-free tobacco product. The launch needed to be geo-targeted, and the goal was to increase awareness and qualified site visitors. We worked with the client to refine their creative, and executed a geo/demo-targeted CPC banner campaign utilizing various IAB banner sizes, pop-unders, etc. After the initial campaign, research indicated that the banner campaign ended up outperforming other forms of media as the leading source responsible for generating brand awareness: online campaign, 17 percent; print/magazine, 15 percent; mail, 6 percent.

iMediaConnection: Can your company point to other evidence that suggests online advertising and marketing are contributing positively to branding metrics?

Harbison: We are seeing our bigger brand name clients becoming more cognizant of securing paid search real estate, in addition to their natural listings, for their branded keywords and phrases. When you secure as much real estate as possible on a given search result page (paid and natural), you are providing the active seeker with as much exposure as possible to your brand and message. In most cases, we see these branding terms delivering the best results over the course of a campaign.

iMediaConnection: What’s one of the most successful direct response campaigns your company has executed recently, and what made it successful?

Harbison: One of our most successful campaigns was assisting a large B2B client (in the construction field) generate online registrations for a limited-time free software trial. Over the course of three months, we were able to increase online registrations approximately 55 percent through execution and thorough optimization of targeted keywords and PPC search engines. Detailed performance tracking by keyword allowed us to make necessary adjustments to each campaign, as well as perfect our strategies in increasing registrations.

iMediaConnection: Have any of your clients successfully utilized any emerging technologies, such as IM, wireless, iTV, etc.?

Harbison: At this point, these opportunities have not been applicable to our client’s current online strategies. However, we intend to research and implement when the right opportunity arises. We recognize that these technologies are already making some impact with certain advertisers and categories, and we will continue to monitor that progress.

iMediaConnection: Your company specializes in search marketing. What's working in this area? And are you also utilizing local search?

Harbison: We have seen tremendous value in providing synergistic natural and paid search solutions for our clients. The majority of our clients are tracking through to some ROI metric, and we have found search to be the most efficient channel in accomplishing this.

We do have several clients who are executing local search campaigns. Although the overall volume is somewhat lower, the value in reaching local search traffic is huge. It is a great way to supplement a national PPC program.

iMediaConnection: What are you telling your clients about rich media?

Harbison: With most of our clients being so ROI focused, we tell them that the rich media placements and functionality, and the sites that accept them, have evolved and can be more effective in delivering quality leads.

iMediaConnection: What can't the Internet do, as much as we wish it could?

Harbison: Provide more solutions to close the loop on online and offline conversions. In addition to ones that already exist, evolution in this area will help more traditional advertisers embrace the online medium.

iMediaConnection: How is the agency-seller relationship these days? How could it be better?

Harbison: I would say that it has definitely improved. The relationship is progressing, and the major players are taking a greater initiative in sharing best practices, updates, etc., so that we’re better prepared to service our clients. As this industry continues to evolve, sellers have no choice but to be more proactive and service-oriented. Online budgets are increasing, so the smart seller knows that these dollars can easily be reallocated.

iMediaConnection: Are you working with your clients' non-interactive agencies? How are you perceived -- as a partner or still as an oddity?

Harbison: In many client engagements we are working with the non-interactive agencies. We are viewed as a valuable partner, as well as an important educational resource since the space is still new to many. It’s becoming apparent that online marketing, especially natural and paid search, is a necessity for any traditional marketer and should be embraced.

iMediaConnection: What's the one thing you wish clients would understand?

Harbison: The services that interactive agencies perform are specific disciplines. There is a lot involved with executing campaigns correctly. It is not as easy to execute as one would think. The combined experience of an agency’s staff should be considered very valuable. Agencies exist to deliver client results. I don’t think enough clients understand this.

iMediaConnection: What's the one thing you wish publishers would understand?

Harbison: Aside from knowing what each client’s business actually is, I would say that publishers should view agencies as allies. A bad or good experience with a particular publisher can be influential when it’s time to allocate a budget.

iMediaConnection: What remains the industry’s biggest stumbling block?

Harbison: Accountability. Overall, I still feel that publishers' agency service is okay, but there seem to be more instances of "our systems were upgrading" being used as excuses.

As technologies evolve, I feel that publishers will be forced to become more buttoned-up on how they sell, implement and manage campaigns.

iMediaConnection: What are you reading these days?

Harbison: Online: searchenginewatch.com, imediaconnection.com. Offline: 'Purple Cow' by Seth Godin.

iMediaConnection: And finally, tell us something we don't know yet, but that we will this year.

Harbison: As it relates to search engine marketing, paid search opportunities (Overture, adwords, second-tier engines, trusted feeds, link development, etc.) will become recognized as imperative components to any client’s online marketing mix. Continued competition and consolidation (both on advertiser and publisher side) will force everyone involved to become more strategic in how they approach this discipline.