Post on 07-Aug-2015
Client-Agency Relationships
Value Creation
or
Value Destruction?
Professor Tim HughesDr Mario Vafeas
Research Method
25 one-to-one interviews with clients, agency management, and agency creatives (nine case studies) in 2013-14
Additional qualitative data from three workshops in 2014
Survey questionnaire (64 responses from agencies) in 2014
Clientresource
s
Agencyresource
s
Interaction process
andResource
integration
Creative output
Relationship
climate
Co-creation
The Brief
Agencies say… Lack of focus Lack of information Lack of senior
manager sign-off Lack of time (and
money)
Clients say… Lack of interrogation
by agency Lack of alignment Agency cost
estimates unrealistic
The Brief
Agencies Say… Clients say…
It’s very rare we get a clear brief. (Creative, case 1)
We’ve improved our processes so things are better now than they were. (Marketing Manager, case 1)The junior managers give
you changes they want made before it goes up the ranks. You make a whole set of changes. Then you show it to the senior stakeholders and you find out it was off brief in the first place.(Account Director, case 3)
We need to put the energy at the beginning to make sure the brief is absolutely right and that we’re clear about what ‘good’ looks like. (Marketing Director, case 3)
Agency Perceptions of Client Brief
Item Mean score
The brief contains sufficient information 1.92
The brief contains a clear focus 2.53
The brief provides sufficient time for the job 2.47
The brief provides sufficient budget for the job 2.66
5=strongly agree, 1=strongly disagree
N=64
Knowledge and SkillsAgencies say about (some) clients…
Lack understanding of creative process
Inability to evaluate creative work
Clients say about (some) agencies…
Lack of understanding of client world
Narrow creative horizons
Knowledge and Skills
Agencies Say… Clients say…
No, I don’t always feel confident if I’m perfectly honest and that’s why I try to make it a conversation with the agency so I can get their opinions. (Head of Marketing, case 6)
There’s a lot of people out there who think they know what they’re talking about but don’t. Some can be open to learning from their agencies, but others are defensive and purport to know when they don’t. This can compromise the quality of work. (Managing Director, case 9)
Agency Perceptions of Client Skills
Item Mean score
Clients are good at writing a brief 2.23
Clients are good at articulating what they want 2.63
Clients are good at evaluating creative work 2.59
Clients understand the creative process 2.30
5=strongly agree, 1=strongly disagree
N=64
Have you ever had training in judging creative work?
1 2 3
0%
73%
27%
1. Yes a very full training
2. I have had some training
3. I have not had any training
Goals and Value JudgementsAgencies say about clients…
Risk-averse
Clients say about agencies…
Too safe
OR Radical just for the
sake of it Enhancing their
creative reputation
Goals and Value judgements
Agencies Say… Clients say…
They’re going to research the hell out of this and we’ll be left with a generic piece of work (Creative Director, case 2)
We’re trying to sell a product; they’re trying to promote their artistic work (Marketing Director, case 3)
You need more than one option but I think the ‘safe, middle of the road, and radical’ approach is the agency covering all the options (Head of Marketing, case 6)
InteractionAgencies say about clients…
Prescriptive Poor process
management
Clients say about agencies…
Inflexible and stubborn
Account managers can impede communication
InteractionAgencies Say… Clients say…
They are stubborn and I have to say to them ‘unless you shift your position, we can’t go forward’ And yet, despite this happening year after year, they continue to insist on doing things their way and it delays the process. (Brand Manager, case 9)They end up restricting
themselves and don’t get any value out of using us. You end up as the person moving the mouse for them. (Creative, case 5)
Clients can sometimes say ‘I don’t really like it, it’s not really doing what I want it to do’ but what they really want is help to fine-tune their thinking rather than us saying ‘OK you don’t like that, we’ll change it’. (Managing Director, case 9)
RelationshipAgencies say …
Danger of complacency
Treated as a supplier not a partner
Better output for clients we like
Clients say …
Threat of opportunism
Lack of transparency
Good relationship helps the work
Poor management of staff turnover
Relationship
Agencies Say… Clients say…
If it doesn’t work out, you fire them and get another one (Brand Manager, client workshop)
You get used to working with clients and give them what you think they’re going to buy, but you stop inspiring them. Then they wake up one day and realise they’re not getting the creativity they want.(Creative Director, case 7)
I’d like to think the relationship helps the work. I’d like to think they like working with me. We’ve got to know each other and it helps us get the best out of a project. (Brand Manager, case 8)
Expectations- Alignment around brief and output
- Stakeholder consensus and sign-off
- Transparency regarding costs
9
Communication - Clients open to hearing the truth
(within reason!)
- Instigate formal two-way appraisals
(with fair and constructive feedback)
8
Commitment - A degree of client commitment increases
agency motivation
- Negotiate space for risk-taking and proaction
7
Manage staff turnover- Handover
- Communication
- Senior manager involvement
- Knowledge management
5
Industry standards- Provide adequate resources for the task
- Agree service levels
- Free pitches devalue creativity
- Opportunism destroys trust
2
Can we help you?
Neutral and objective Extensive experience in management roles
in clients and agencies Can work with agencies, clients or agencies
and their clients Share results of research Facilitate staff in coming up with ways to
improve the effectiveness of the client/agency relationship
The process
1. Agree objectives
2. Run workshop to identify key issues, action plans for improvement and ways to judge implementation
3. Review implementation and adjust action plans
4. Establish policies and processes to maintain improvements.
ExampleArea for improvement
Issues identified in research & workshops Actions to address issues
Meeting client expectations
Importance of good communication and continually managing client’s expectations
Importance of client induction and of client having knowledge of agency processes
Is the client aware of timing required for different types of jobs?
Is the client aware of the costing process?
At what stage does the client need to sign off costs?
Would additional training help the client in dealing with the agency (for example in judging creative work)?