Secrets of a Good Client-Agency Relationship

For Charlotte advertising agencies and marketing agencies, a successful client-agency relationship is essential to a firm’s success. We’ve written before about the qualities a client should look for in an Charlotte branding or communication agency, but obviously, sustaining a successful relationship is a two-way street. Neither just the client nor the agency can exert all the effort. On the client-side, there are a number of simple attitudes and behaviors that foster communication and create a long-term, successful client-agency relationship. So here are few characteristics we feel a client needs in order to make the partnership work.

Instill a spirit of partnership in the relationship.

Avoid the superior/subordinate relationship characterized by an atmosphere of mistrust, lack of respect for the agency’s expertise, and undercurrents of intimidation. These tactics have no place in a partnership. Using fear of dismissal to “deal with” an agency undermines trust and productivity. The best advertising is only created in the absence of fear. A successful joint effort is achieved only through mutual respect of intelligence and expertise.

Agree on a clearly defined objective of the advertising you wish to create. Failure to define or agree upon the precise purpose of advertising dooms the creative process from the start.

Give the agency the opportunity to be totally absorbed in your product, people, and culture. When an agency team thoroughly understands it’s client’s corporate culture, it will more likely create campaigns that endure.

Create an environment of experimentation and be prepared to pay for failure. Great clients want advertising that stands out. However, nothing predicts mediocrity in advertising so precisely as a risk-aversion environment. Although it’s natural to want to conform to rules and formulas in quest for a measure of certainty, elements of the development process are inherently uncertain. Trust that the outcome will be viable advertising.