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Many people have asked how companies such as Toyota, Procter & Gamble, McDonalds and Kraft have been so successful in winning many of the most admired awards and honors in the communication field. These companies have won such prestigious awards as: Advertiser of the Year, Marketer of the Year, and numerous Effies, Clios and Cannes Lions. These results are not limited to traditional advertising. These Companies have had similar success in all areas of communication--- from advertising to media to shopper marketing to digital to PR. Part of the answer lies in their belief that a strong client/agency partnership is critical to developing business building communication with Agencies of all types.

Why is this important?  Data clearly shows that communication that produces awards such as Effies and Cannes Lions also build the business and the reputation of the Brand!

What does an Agency do for a Client?
The role of the Agency is to help the Client reach business/marketing goals by presenting the company to the public in the best possible light.  They accomplish this by helping to fine-tune the Brand message and by developing a piece of communications or a full blown campaign that fits within established budget and marketing plan parameters. This applies whether the communications project is for in store, in a magazine or on line. The process requires the Agency to gain a detailed understanding of the products, the customer base, and the company. Once they have done that, they will use that information to connect the Client and the Brand to the right target customers.

Tips on how to get the most from working with your Agency (Note--These tips work for Agencies of ALL types):

1. Have your Agency work WITH you, not for you – The Companies mentioned above have benefitted from long term relationships with their Agencies. They believe that the Agency is a PARTNER and treat them accordingly. That is why the best companies foster strong team work. They create opportunities for the Client-Agency team to get to know each other and establish common goals for working together early in the project or relationship. This helps to ensure that the Client and the Agency share the same creative values and objectives. This will help the team get through the inevitable crisis faster and better.
2. Build enthusiasm for your Brand and its consumers on the Client/Agency team. Passion for the Brand and the target customer provides a strong impetus to create great communication. This includes deep knowledge of the consumer, what is important to him/her and what role the Brand plays in the consumers’ lives.
3. Develop a strategy and set clear objectives - The best creative work always starts with a clear strategy. The team also needs a communication brief that lays out the critical elements for the project. This includes such things as: great insights about the consumer, a timetable for completion and a budget the Client can really afford.
4. Provide inspiration, not just information, to the Creative Team at your Agency. One way to do this is to provide an actual “briefing meeting” with the Agency at the start of each project. In addition to the facts, find ways to visually and dramatically illustrate why your product is great. For example, show the Agency videos of consumers using your product in home or shopping for the Brand in store. Or let the Creative Team use the product themselves.
5. Set high expectations for the team. Ask for excellence and benchmark against the best.  This will help you develop and produce truly breakthrough communication that inspires your consumer to take action (i.e.: to try your product, repurchase, etc.)
6. Be decisive. This is true during the evaluation process as well as the follow up action steps. Similarly, be clear about who is the decision maker and have him/her involved in the process at key steps in the process (agreed to in advance). This is especially important for the strategy and the communication brief. Agencies of all types have said that nothing demotivates the Creative Team more than endless comments, meetings with no end in sight and Clients who aren’t clear about who can really say “yes”.
7. Don't assume the Client always has the right answer – Good Clients take some risks. They are willing to take the Agency’s point of view on purely creative matters. It is important for the Client to know WHAT should be communicated but the Agency knows best HOW to communicate to the consumer. That is why Agencies should not be given a strict set of guidelines to follow from the Client. If the Client really has all the answers then they should not have hired the Agency in the first place.
8. Stay current on recent trends in movies, video games, social media, etc.  The Agency world does. And a lot of creative inspiration can come from these areas.
9. Communicate clearly and honestly and expect the same communication from your Agency. There is nothing more valuable to a Client than an Agency Executive who is willing to stick his/her neck out to give the Client tough facts that they need to hear.  If the Client is willing to really listen, the Client will receive the on going trust and respect of the Agency.
10. Hold the Agency accountable for results and provide rewards and consequences for those results. At the very least, provide a fair evaluation for the Agency based on objective as well as subjective measures. Give the Agency the opportunity to give feedback to the Client also.

The author, Lynne Boles, has over 30 years of experience in marketing and communication.  Lynne and other CCC Consultants can help your company understand in more depth how to work with an agency and/or develop specific training for your company to better communicate with your Agencies. This is based on years of experience working with Agencies of all types during their previous careers at P&G.

Contact Information
Call or e-mail Judd Weis, CCC President/CEO, at (513) 516-0539 or jweis@cincconsult.com or Lynne Boles at lboles@cincconsult.com.

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