Because I think we can all do a little more to make our working relationships easier, here are some common things I’ve seen over the years. Of course, to be fair, I will publish a future post from the client’s perspective. Enjoy.
- You say things like, “I’m the client, you’re the agency.” or “I’m not paying you to think, just do it.”
- You do not read the recommendations or points of view sent over & ask stupid questions (the answers for which are contained within).
- You make bold statements or ask questions about things you thought were not delivered. But, alas they were & have been sitting in your inbox for over a day.
- You consistently change established goals & wonder why your agency fees continue to rise.
- You heinously consistently miss deadlines & expect your agency to make up the difference.
- You give unclear direction & are upset when the deliverable is not something for which you were looking.
- You do not do the necessary leg work internally to pass along information vital to the current & future success of your campaigns.
- You allow your offline agency to do things online that do not continue or build upon your current interactive efforts.
- You sacrifice long-term goals for short-term success.
- You do not pay your agency or media fees promptly.
The funny (or maybe sick) thing is; having experienced all of this, I still love what I do. And, at the end of the day, we still love our clients & working with them. We know most of this is not always your fault.
Competition is good; it drives us to provide better services & spurs creativity & profitable innovation. The importance of differentiating & establishing a competitive edge has never been more important in the interactive world. Agencies, large & small, are creating new revenue streams by eliminating weaknesses, identifying opportunities, & delivering competitive & holistic interactive services.
At the end of the day, we are simply trying to help our clients succeed. What is good for the client will be good for the agency, most of the time. Client needs have never been more obvious & voiced.
- My customers are evolving. How do I communicate with them most effectively?
- How do my customers’ interactions flow from online to offline?
- What are my customers doing when not directly engaged with my brand, products, or services?
- What’s the most effective way to attract & retain customers through the online channel?
- How do I effectively measure return on marketing investment across not only online, but offline channels?
- So what’s mobile & social networking all about? A hint on this one…no one knows, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Fortunately these questions are forcing positive change within interactive advertising realm. Traditional online strategy & planning has become passé. In order for agencies to prosper we must help client & customer connect & remain engaged. The interactive medium will continue to grow in the face of current economic conditions. Perhaps not at the rates of growth we have seen over the past 10 years, but more people, young & old (Hi, Pop-pop), are going online & learning new ways to find things, interact with each other, your brand, & your products/ services. Showing clients how to make themselves accessible to the right people at the right time will give you an edge in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Who’s ready to play?
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