When I first moved from the agency side to brand management, I held an onboarding meeting with my new advertising agency. The “manifesto” I shared with them is still a philosophy I follow in agency and client relationships today: Astonish each other with performance, and reward each other with growth.
Agency and Client Relationships — Goals for Both
What the client should expect from the agency:
- Leadership: Understand the end user, the client and all points in between as though you were pitching the business every day. Because you are.
- Listen: We were given one mouth and two ears for a reason. No matter how many awards you’ve won, honesty and humility will get you a lot further than hubris.
- Take the lead technologically: Adapt the creative process to capitalize on new media and marketing tools.
- Commitment: Wash windows willingly.
- Quality: Good enough isn’t. Materials should be as polished and error-free as if they were a formal presentation to pitch the business. They are.
- Timeliness: Fifteen minutes early is on time. On time is late. Late is unacceptable.
- Fiscal responsibility: Treat the client’s money as if it were the agency’s…it is.
What the agency should expect from the client:
- To appreciate, protect, and run great advertising and communications, even―especially―if it makes you a little nervous.
- A sense of respect and trust supported by an understanding of the agency business and how its people are motivated.
- Clear, consistent, and constructive direction.
- Be open minded, decisive, and willing to take risks.
- Question data. Just because it’s labeled research doesn’t mean it’s true.
- Explore “what if?” and “why not?” before saying “no.”
- Say thank you, publicly, for a job well down.
(re-posted from MENG Blog http://mengonline.com/blog/2016/06/07/seven-tips-for-great-agency-and-client-relationships/)
