AAR has launched a new website that reflects a clearer articulation of where the business now sits in the marketing industry – not just as a long-standing adviser and intermediary on agency selection and pitches, but as a consultancy focused on marketing operating models, agency relationships and how marketing organisations are structured to perform.
It is an evolution, not a departure.
AAR still works extensively as a consultant for pitch processes, agency selection and relationship design between brands and agencies – work that has defined its reputation over decades. That role remains a core part of the business. What has changed is the context around it, and the breadth of challenges clients are now asking AAR to help solve.
For over 50 years, AAR has operated at the intersection of brands and agencies, originally founded to bring greater neutrality, clarity and trust to decisions about who marketers work with. That founding belief – independent, impartial advice in a highly subjective part of the industry – still underpins everything the business does.
But marketing itself has changed.
It is more complex, more operationally fragmented, and more dependent on the interplay between technology, data, internal structure and external partners. Strategy is rarely the only constraint; executional design increasingly is.
Victoria Fox, CEO of AAR, says the industry is now confronting that shift more directly.
“Marketing is in full transformation mode. What we are seeing is that success is no longer just about having the right strategy – it is about how organisations are designed to deliver it in practice. Our role is to help leaders get that balance right.”
This framing sits at the centre of AAR’s expanded focus: marketing operating models. In practice, that means working with organisations on the design of the systems that sit behind marketing – people, partners, process and platforms – and how those elements are aligned to deliver performance.
It is a shift from only advising on decisions within marketing, to also advising on how marketing itself is built.
The distinction AAR draws is between the “what” and the “how”. Most marketing organisations are highly capable on the “what” – strategy, creativity, media and data. The constraint increasingly lies in the “how” – the structures, capabilities and operating systems that determine whether those ideas can be delivered effectively.
Katrina Law, Marketing Lead at AAR, says the new website is about making that evolution visible, without changing what AAR stands for.
“This has been about expressing who AAR is today in a way that is more explicit. The work has evolved, and the website reflects that reality, making clearer how we help clients turn complexity into something that actually works in practice.”
While the language of “transformation” is widely used across the industry, AAR’s positioning remains deliberately grounded. The emphasis is less on reinvention and more on making marketing work better in practice, often by addressing friction points between internal teams, agencies and technology platforms.
Importantly, AAR continues to play a central role in pitch processes and agency selection, alongside its expanded consultancy work on marketing operating models and organisational design. The business sees these areas as connected rather than separate: how partners are chosen, structured and managed remains a key part of how marketing performance is ultimately shaped.
For those working across marketing, agency management and transformation, the message is straightforward: AAR’s role has expanded, but its foundations have not changed.
To explore more about how that evolution is taking shape – and how AAR is helping marketing organisations rethink how they work – visit the new website at www.aargroup.co.uk.
Or, as Victoria Fox puts it:
“Success is no longer just about the quality of the strategy. It is about whether the organisation behind it is set up to deliver it. That is where we focus our attention.”
The new website reflects that belief, and the next phase of AAR’s long-standing commitment to making marketing work better.
FAQs
What is a marketing operating model?
A marketing operating model is the combination of people, partners, process and platforms that determine how marketing is delivered within an organisation. It bridges the gap between strategy and execution, helping marketing teams work more effectively, improve performance and drive better business outcomes.
Does AAR still run agency pitches?
Yes. Agency search and selection remains a core part of AAR’s offer. We help organisations identify, evaluate and appoint the right agency partners through a structured, impartial and commercially robust process.
What types of organisations does AAR work with?
AAR works with brands and marketing leaders navigating transformation, agency relationships and organisational change. Our clients span a wide range of sectors, from global enterprises and ambitious scale-ups to public sector organisations and charities. We also support agencies of all sizes, helping them strengthen client relationships, accelerate growth and adapt to an evolving marketing landscape.
What does AAR support organisations with?
AAR helps organisations improve marketing effectiveness through consulting, transformation and agency advisory services, including:
- Marketing operating model design
- Marketing transformation
- Organisational design
- People and capability strategy
- Upskilling and capability development
- Strategic planning and marketing strategy
- Partner optimisation
- Agency pitch search and selection across creative, media, social media and influencer, PR, branding, CRM, strategic consultancy, digital design and build, communications planning
- Pitch management
- Agency relationship management
- In-housing strategy and implementation
- Commercial audits
- Process design and optimisation
- Agency management frameworks
- Governance and process playbooks
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Martech and adtech assessment
- GenAI readiness assessment
- Creative automation acceleration
- Marketing data readiness
Why work with AAR?
For more than 50 years, AAR has helped organisations build more effective marketing functions and stronger agency relationships. Combining strategic consulting expertise with deep industry experience, we help marketing leaders within brands and agencies design operating models, improve capabilities and deliver lasting change.
