Rule of thumb 4: grey matter
Between all of our ears is this amazing organ called the brain; however, it seems to me that increasingly in the advertising, marketing and media industry, we're being ruled by emotion rather than logic -- or worse, we're not thinking things through to a logical conclusion. On the creative side, we are seeing increasingly, in my professional opinion, stranger, weirder and more outlandish advertisements trying to capture the attention of the viewer, listener and reader. Sad thing is, more and more (and I do this for a living so I'm paid to be hip), I don't even understand what is trying to be sold or how it helps me better my day or life or satisfies an impulse.
If your agency is touting how many awards it has won or showcases its marketing and graphics team as "creative," try to understand a bit more about what they mean by "creative." That term is a given in this business -- if you're not creative, you won't be in business very long. Marketing and media is designed to sell and increase market share, and somehow, somewhere that's being lost. Don't ask for catchy slogans and beautiful creative, ask how campaigns helped to increase market share by x percent, or to grow new leads by 50 percent from benchmark.
Good creative is important, but ultimately how that is used and properly placed within a strong marketing mix is going to make the difference between selling more and a "failed campaign." If you spent your budget on creating a blockbuster television campaign and you only have a few dollars left to place the ad on 2 a.m. horror movie classics -- well, you didn't use your head. The pieces and the programs work in harmony, so get the professionals involved upfront with your organization acting as the project manager, stating specifically: "Here's what we have, and here's what we want to achieve. What do we need to be put behind this, who are we reaching out to and what needs to be said?"
And, I cannot stress this enough, don't go into an agency meeting and say our budget is X. That's like taking a blank check to the government and saying, "Can you do something with this?" Budgets come about based on realities of the program, the targets, saturation, need frequency, reach, creative, other integrated strategies and so on. I guarantee that if you go to an agency and say we have $20 million to spend, they'll spend it, and will spend it based on budget as opposed to desired outcomes. Find a hands-on agency that understands how to work with a client to develop honest programs that are designed to achieve predictable outcomes based on level of push.
Also, if you just don't feel that the agency is using its brain and being smart about how it works with you, your target audiences, the way it proactively shares ideas and strategies and better alternatives (that may cost less), that's a good sign it may be time to move on. And, conversely, if you, the client, tend not to listen to what the senior advisors at the agency are counseling you toward and don't trust that this team is the expert, it's time to move on so you can let your strategic partners do their job, and make you look good.
Conclusions
Clients must be willing to do their upfront due diligence when selecting an agency, finding the right size, the right expertise and the right personnel for your program or project. I personally believe that RFPs are foolish and show a general lack of understanding of your own business. Find several agencies that fit these four simple rules and ask them -- four or five of them -- to come in for a formal presentation and make your selections from there. Trusted referrals are also a very good thing. If you don't use them, you'll simply find yourself unhappy and searching all over again. Be sure that your expectations are in line with reality, and again, a good agency will take the time to go through reasonable expectations based on budgets and your specific goals and objectives.
In the end, we all want to impress. A good marketing executive needs their product, their service and their brand to make solid, lasting impressions, and changing agencies every 18 months is a surefire way to erode a brand. In sports analogies, think of it as changing your head coach or your quarterback every other season. It hurts continuity. Spend the upfront time asking the right questions. Being a good client and being a good agency is just like being in a good marriage -- you must have upfront communication and the desire to achieve a common goal together.
