Building strong agency-client relations starts at the beginning
Published on 11/24/2003 under Ad Management
In my 30-plus years working with and for ad agencies, I’ve seen way too many clients jump ship prematurely, often for reasons that defy logic. Professionals do seem to have worked harder in years past to build and nurture these relationships than they do today. That’s a shame, because like marriages between two people, if both parties put forth a little more effort to get what they want and help their partner do likewise, much of unproductive firing and hiring could be avoided.
The first and probably most important step in building strong agency-client relations is to select the right partner in the first place. Surprisingly, this is where the process is most dysfunctional. We’ve turned a process of identifying needs and finding sources to fill those needs into a beauty contest. It’s called spec creative and I’m sorry to report it consumes an obscenely large portion of total agency time and talent, with essentially no usable return on that investment.
As the saying goes, “If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling back.” So agencies, even those that are doing well, throw themselves headfirst into every pitch they can finagle an invitation to. Even though this creative avalanche makes for exciting reviews, it doesn’t tell you what you need to know about which one will best serve your needs. And after the selection is made, the spec creative work is rarely used.
So don’t do it. Instead, ask to see how your agency candidates solve problems. You hear a lot of talk these days about the importance of strategy, but usually it’s nothing but talk. If an agency is proud of its strategic thinking, its principals should be able to present at least three detailed examples of how they applied that thinking for specific clients.
To me, the most interesting part (and the one that often is skipped entirely) is defining the problem itself. The agency really must understand the prospect’s market situation. Then I like to hear about all the solutions that were proposed, even those that weren’t approved. Seeing how they found their way through uncharted waters will help demonstrate more than anything else how they will tackle and solve your problems.
But strategic and creative skills aren’t the only consideration in selecting a good agency partner--at least they shouldn’t be. You’ve probably heard it said that the reasons clients fire agencies seldom have anything to do with why they were hired in the first place.
Agencies generally are hired because they are creative and possess magic powder. They’re fired because of misunderstandings over billing, because they’re not responsive or for lack of interpersonal chemistry. And a dozen other reasons that have nothing to do with creativity.
So you must include these issues in your selection process. Ask to meet the key people who will work on the account--insist they be part of the presentation. Don’t be misled by senior agency management karma. Within six months, those people will have no idea what’s going on with your account.
Ask to see samples of billing and other agency paperwork. This sounds mundane, but you can avoid many unpleasant confrontations later and also find out if special billing requests can be accommodated without extra cost by taking the time to understand the agency’s standard procedures.
Another area where light bulbs often flash is when you ask how information is captured within the agency and how it is disseminated. Ask to see how jobs are initiated, and try to understand their system of checks and balances. And be sure to get a specific written agreement regarding assignment of copyrights (to you).
I also find it helpful to ask for approximate production timelines for various types of jobs. This doesn’t mean they can’t do it faster. It just says, all things considered, this is how much time they’d like to have to do their best work. That might come in handy later if it turns out you’re constantly pressuring them to do things faster, or conversely, they’re taking a lot more time than they said would be needed.
Money is always a good subject to address. Many clients have the attitude that it’s not their responsibility to ensure that the agency makes a profit on their account. But you can’t expect to get good work if you’re not willing to allocate adequate budgets. The trick--and this is huge--is knowing how much is enough. Maybe if we were more willing to share what we pay for various projects this wouldn’t be so difficult, but clients are generally reluctant to reveal even total budgets, much less specific amounts for line-item tasks.
Believe me, in my role as Marketing News columnist, I’ve asked many times. The answers usually invoke the client’s constitutional right to confidentiality.
If you wonder why people get so upset over money in advertising, it’s because they have no frame of reference. They can drive by a new housing addition and have a pretty good idea how much the homes in that subdivision sell for, but you can lay three capabilities brochures on a table and they can’t come within 25% of the actual costs. Try walking through a large trade show convention center and guessing how much each exhibitor ponied up for the privilege of being there. Even I can’t do that.
Agency performance generally comes down to three issues: time, money and direction. Agencies can’t apply their creative talents without adequate portions of each. But if you do a good job finding an agency partner with the right talents and the right organizational disciplines, you should be able to forge a long-lasting relationship that will pay maximum dividends for you and your company.
Assuming, that is, if you’re willing to work at it.