The Observatory International
Marketing in Johannesburg

The Observatory International is the leading global management consultancy dedicated to helping companies maximise their marketing and communications resources. So with over 25 years’ experience working with many of the world’s leading brands and agencies our casebook is full of best practice on how to get the most out of your marketing resources. Today more than ever, marketers need to drive greater efficiencies and demonstrate both tangible improvements in marketing RoI and a strategic contribution to business growth. The Observatory International offers support at every stage of planning, procurement, resource allocation, agency selection and relationship management. The Observatory International brings global and local perspectives to marketers along with the knowledge required to overcome the challenges associated with managing communications agencies. We have offices in London, Paris, Hamburg, Warsaw, Zurich, Johannesburg, Dubai, Singapore and Tokyo. Our commitment to quality and professionalism strongly echoes the MCA’s principles and Code of Practice and gives our clients further reassurance that they are engaging the only MCA-recognised global consultancy in our field. The Observatory International is the leading global management consultancy dedicated to helping companies maximize their marketing and communications resources. The Observatory International was formed in 2013 by the merger of Roth Associates and The Observatory International to build a unique organization that could meet the complex needs of today’s marketers, whether they be global, national or local. Founded in 1988 Roth Associates developed many of the best practices related to search and selection, agency compensation, and staffing optimization. The Observatory International offers comprehensive support in every stage of resource management including: agency selection, agency compensation, resource allocation, agency rostering, and relationship management. Through our consultants we are able to provide advertisers with global insights and deep local expertise. The Observatory International is recognized by the Management Consultancies’ Association. The Observatory International’s pitch consultants will find the best agencies for you wherever in the world you go to market. We offer a seamless search and selection service regardless of location, leveraging our collective knowledge and experience. Our approach identifies and matches your needs with agency capabilities, culture and location. We accept no fees from agencies, to ensure we act in your best interests at all times. Our unparalleled understanding of the local, regional and global agency landscape means we get you to the strongest set of agency candidates fast. We benchmark fees and resources, and partner with your procurement professionals on fee negotiations, or lead those negotiations as required. We facilitate the final decision-making process through bespoke scorecards. We help on-board your new agency to ensure effective working practices right from the start. Our search and selection process systematically reduces a broad list of candidate agencies to identify the best fit for you in term of credentials, experience and chemistry. With a focus on usable results the vast majority of strategic and creative work generated during an Observatory International review is produced and used. Our approach has been proven over time and against a full range of clients, locations, categories and agency disciplines from ATL to digital, PR and beyond.