What Joanne Davis Consulting does

Joanne Davis Consulting is a New York-based professional services consultancy founded in 2000 that helps enterprise advertisers and marketers manage, search for, and optimize their relationships with advertising agencies. The firm's three core practice areas are Agency Search and Compensation (structured ~12-week search processes including needs assessment, scope-of-work development, compensation structuring, and contract negotiation), Getting the Most from Your Agency (relationship optimization using the proprietary CAPO system), and Client Best Practices (internal marketing organization improvement and procurement education). The firm is people-and-methodology-driven rather than technology-driven: there is no software platform or API, and the CAPO (Client Agency Performance Optimization) system, which won the EU IT prize for innovation, is a proprietary consulting framework rather than a productized tool.

The firm generates revenue through project-based agency searches and ongoing retainer engagements on a quote-based pricing model (not publicly disclosed). Its go-to-market is sales-led, relying on Joanne Davis's personal brand and speaking visibility at the ANA, AAAA, IAA World Congress, and other industry associations; thought leadership white papers (e.g., 'New Business Gladiators,' 'Optimizing Advertising/Agency Relations'); referrals; and direct outreach. The senior team is composed entirely of former top-level agency and client-side executives from firms including Bozell Worldwide, Wells Rich Greene, DDB, Ogilvy, and Macy's. The firm adheres to ANA/4A's Rules of the Road for Agency Search Consultants and refuses payment from agencies or media to maintain a conflict-free advisory stance. It holds WBENC certification as a Women's Business Enterprise.

The customer base spans 24+ named enterprise and government clients across at least 13 industries (pharmaceutical, technology, retail, financial services, hospitality, F&B, CPG, energy, healthcare, government) including Pfizer, Microsoft, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Macy's, Marriott, Hilton, Delta Air Lines, Exxon Mobil, Vanguard, TD Bank, and the U.S. Department of Defense. Geographic reach is delivered directly in the U.S. and globally through the firm's 2006 shareholding partnership in SCAN International and a 2017 joint venture with bob wolf partners/TPG, supplemented by affiliated partnerships with Jane Twyon Inc. (media) and 747 Marketing (interactive/DRM). The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investment or parent entity, and revenue figures are not publicly reported.

Name

Joanne Davis Consulting

Legal name

Joanne Davis Consulting, Inc.

Website

https://joannedavisconsulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Joanne Davis Consulting is a New York-based professional services firm founded in 2000 that helps enterprise advertisers manage, search for, and optimize their agency relationships using senior former-agency executives and a proprietary CAPO methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer, Marketing & Sales Consulting (BPAHACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)

Keywords

• Agency search consulting
• Advertising agency relations
• Client agency management
• Marketing consultancy services
• Agency compensation advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for client/agency relationship management, agency searches, compensation management, and client best practices. Revenue generated through project-based engagements and ongoing retainer arrangements with enterprise clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Joanne Davis Consulting provides professional consulting services to enterprise advertisers and marketers covering three integrated areas: Agency Search and Compensation (structured 12-week agency selection and onboarding processes), Getting the Most from Your Agency (client/agency relationship optimization using the proprietary CAPO system), and Client Best Practices (internal marketing organization and procurement optimization). Services are delivered by senior former agency executives under project-based or retainer engagements, with no payment accepted from agencies or media to preserve conflict-free advisory.

Product overview

Joanne Davis Consulting is a consulting firm offering a unified suite of client/agency relationship optimization services. The core offering consists of three integrated service areas: Agency Search and Compensation (helping clients find and onboard the right agency partners through structured search processes), Getting the Most from Your Agency (optimizing existing agency relationships using proprietary tools like the CAPO system), and Client Best Practices (improving clients' internal marketing organizations and procurement functions). The firm also produces white papers and publications for industry education. Services are delivered through senior consultants who are former agency executives, with global coverage enabled through partnerships with SCAN International and bob wolf partners/TPG.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agency Search and Compensation Comprehensive agency search and selection services including needs assessment, scope of work development, compensation structuring, contract negotiation, and performance incentive model review. The service follows a structured 12-week process including screening, capabilities evaluation, finalist presentations, and work assignment phases. It is designed for enterprise advertisers and marketers seeking to identify and onboard the right agency partner.
• Getting the Most from Your Agency Client/agency relationship optimization services including relationship saving, agency assessment and evaluations using the proprietary CAPO (Client Agency Performance Optimization) system, scope of work management workshops, agency management guidance, and team building workshops. It is intended for enterprise clients seeking to improve or repair performance with existing agency partners.
• Client Best Practices Internal marketing organization optimization services including communications optimization, internal team building, multiple agency management guidance, client checkup programs, in-house agency coaching, and procurement education programs. Targeted at enterprise clients seeking to improve their own marketing operations and procurement maturity.

Quantifiable outcome

• A full search process including finalist assignment takes approximately 12 weeks

Named customers24 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SCAN InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006In early 2006, Joanne Davis Consulting became a shareholding partner in SCAN International. SCAN International offers clients the expertise of specialized consultancies representing almost a dozen cultural backgrounds with unparalleled experience in agency relationships, agency selection and compensation. This partnership enables the firm to serve multinational clients requiring global agency services.
• bob wolf partners/TPGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture relationship with bob wolf partners/TPG based in Los Angeles to ensure local geographic coverage within the U.S. as needed. The joint venture allows agencies to register once in a shared database accessible to both firms for future search opportunities.
• Jane Twyon Inc. / Worldwide Media DirectorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJane Twyon, Founder and President of Jane Twyon Inc. and Worldwide Media Directors, is an affiliated partner of Joanne Davis Consulting for media services. She has partnered with Joanne Davis Consulting on media searches for clients including Bayer, Jim Beam Brands, Collective, Macy's and VF Corporation.
• 747 MarketingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCheryl Benton, CEO of 747 Marketing, is an affiliated partner of Joanne Davis Consulting for interactive and direct and relationship marketing. They have partnered on confidential projects for Pfizer and other clients, and previously worked together in their earlier agency careers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AAR Partners: Independent agency search and management consultancy serving enterprise advertisers globally; the closest direct competitor in scope, service model, and client type to Joanne Davis Consulting.
• Pile + Company: Specialist agency search and client/agency relationship consultancy focused on marketers seeking agency selection and compensation advisory — directly overlapping with Joanne Davis Consulting's core offerings.
• Bob Wolf Partners / TPG: U.S. agency search consultancy; actual JV partner of Joanne Davis Consulting for shared agency-database access, but also a direct competitor in U.S. agency search engagements with overlapping client profiles.
• ID Comms: Global marketing procurement and agency relationship consultancy serving enterprise advertisers; competes with Joanne Davis Consulting in agency selection and compensation work, with broader procurement scope.

Broad incumbents

• Spencer Stuart: Large global executive search and advisory firm with a marketing-officer and agency-leadership practice; competes for some agency search and CMO advisory mandates at enterprise scale with broader service breadth.
• MediaLink (UTA): Strategic advisory firm serving marketers, agencies, and media companies on agency relationships and marketing services procurement; broader portfolio but overlaps with Joanne Davis Consulting on agency search and marketing operations advisory.
• Accenture Song: Global consulting and agency-services arm of Accenture that has expanded into marketing operations, agency relationship management, and procurement advisory — a much larger competitor encroaching on the niche.

Others

• Forrester Research: Research and advisory firm covering CMO priorities, agency selection, and marketing operations; an indirect competitor for thought leadership and advisory engagements with enterprise marketers.
• ANA (Association of National Advertisers): Industry association whose agency-search consultant standards and educational programming Joanne Davis participates in; an ecosystem participant rather than competitor, but shapes the regulatory and reputational framework of the niche.
• SCAN International: Global network of specialist agency-search consultancies in which Joanne Davis Consulting holds a shareholding; a strategic partner for multinational engagements and a peer-by-association for cross-border client work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/1671833376428292
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/joanne-davis-consulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Joanne Davis Consulting