The Client Agency Relationship
Often, no matter which side of the table you find yourself on, you find yourself wishing for a more seamless experience.
We conducted a survey to find out what agencies believed would improve the agency client relationship, the survey was circulated to 50 participants across 10 agencies.
The top 3 things agencies believed could further improve their client relationships were:
· Better Briefs
· More open dialogues with the client/ subjective feedback
· Realistic deadlines
No great surprises there, the perennial issues prevail.
The fact that the answer is predictable is, in itself, cause for concern- if we know the problem and the solution- why has it not changed?
A good brief is in everyone’s interest:
Write a brief, if for no other reason than memory is imperfect and what you say and what someone else hears can be entirely different things!
A brief should contain ‘a clear ask’ that can be responded too. After it has been written or read, put it down and ask yourself – what is the ask? If no one can answer this question in one sentence- go back and review it or call a briefing meeting and get around a table and communicate.
Give the brief the time it deserves and remember, a brief can have one owner, but the writing of it is a team sport.
As John Hegarty said “Writing a bad brief is the most expensive way to write advertising’.
Unrealistic turnaround times
Pressure can be a great motivator or it can induce paralysis. A response to a brief requires creativity and a lot of thought and these can take time.
While deadlines are important, they also need to be realistic enough to guarantee the best possible outcome. As the saying goes “There are no unrealistic goals, only unrealistic deadlines”.
Open dialogue with clients/ unstructured or subjective feedback
Is there room for open dialogue? If not, try creating an environment for honest and open conversations. An open environment is a space where it is safe to challenge and there is no such thing as a stupid question. This is essential to having a shared view of what is required and also an opportunity to inspire the teams.
When it comes to feedback, lean into the objective and not the tactics, it keeps everyone honest. Driving the feedback meeting with a clear agenda and objective will help you ask the right questions and keep the conversation on track.
These things don’t happen unless you make them happen. Start today! Everyone will be better off and happier, relationships will be stronger and it should lead to better work and more effective outcomes.
Or we can keep calm and carry on- “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein
And if that doesn’t work, you can always contact us for some advice.
01- 556 3678