HOW TO: ENHANCE YOUR CLIENT-AGENCY RELATIONSHIP

A client-agency dynamic can be very complex, and requires a significant level of collaboration from both parties. Allowing information to be shared freely is essential when trying to build trust in your new relationship. In today’s society, patience can run thin, miscommunication occurs, and loyalty has weakened. Therefore, open communication will ensure that your partnership is sustainable. Below we have compiled 7 simple tips to enhance a relationship with your Ad Agency.

Show the brief to everyone.

As the client, it is your job to understand your agency’s game plan, and make sure all your colleagues do too. Anyone who is allowed to have an opinion on it should be given the chance. It would be terrible if halfway through the campaign, Joe from HR feels the agency doesn’t get “the vibe” you’re searching for.

Give them space.

We’ve all been there. This campaign is your baby. But one of the best things you can do for your creatives is to give them the time and space they need to produce something great. Creatives will often have to work through the bad ideas before they get to the cream of the crop. In which case, too many “check-ins” could do more harm than good.

Realize you aren’t the consumer.

Even if you lie smack dab in the middle of your target market, it’s important to realize that your ties to your business are probably tainting your view. Sometimes it’s best that the creatives do the evaluating, because you’re just too close. You have too much at stake and you know your business better than any disinterested consumer ever will. One way to eliminate anxiety is to have your agency review the objectives and market studies before beginning the pitch.

Keep it positive.

One of the worst things you can do for your creatives is discouraging them. If repeated, it can cause them to become cynical towards you as a client, and inevitably produce sub-par work. Instead, when leaving feedback, lead with the positives. Remember it’s just as important to be positive as it is to be authentic. False praise won’t help anyone.

Blocking out your boss is best.

When it comes to brainstorming ideas, one of the worst things a chief marketer can be is gun-shy. Try to stay focused on the big idea instead of how your boss will react. The longer you wait, the more developed and appealing the idea will be.

Give Feedback, not solutions.

Remember that you are paying your agency for a service. You don’t have to solve the problem for them, that’s why you hired them in the first place. Your job is to be as specific and transparent about the problem and your objectives as possible. Asking questions is an excellent way to do this, but if that isn’t helping, dig down deeper to make sure you are identifying the problem to the best of your ability. Once you have, sit back and relax. Let them do the work you are paying them to do!

TRUST.

Trusting your creatives is the best thing you can do for them. Putting restraints on them can often cause animosity between the two of you. Whereas, in reality, the more room a creative is given, the more likely they are to strive to align their work with your objectives, and hit the nail on the head. In the end, the best client-agency relationships stem from trust, confidence, and great communication.