In my working life, I have spent more time on the client side than on the agency side of the business. In fact, I’ve also spent time on the third side, helping clients work with their agencies. When I first entered the advertising world, agency people were seen as Gods. I think the mystery of how creative people come up with ideas and turn them into stuff that engages people is what made them so revered. I have worked with Joan Roach, Ken Eustace, Greg Marfan, Michael Bonaparte, Sandy Morrison, Patrick Johnstone, David Inglefield, Mark White, Ernie Ross, Joan Christopher, Rick Hernandez and Marvin Imamshah to name only a few; outstanding copywriters and artists who crafted talked-about advertising that made brands sell more.
So have agencies gotten less creative? Maybe. But we must also acknowledge that a lot has changed since my earlier days. One big change has been man’s desire for instant gratification. Most of us won’t read the whole book anymore, the summary would do and some can even get by on a diet of 140 characters. Something called the internet has also changed everything, for good or for bad. So creative people must now create instantly. Can we make masterpieces in the time it takes to read 140 characters?
What can clients do, to get the best results from their creative teams? Here are a few tips from peppermint:
- Provide a good brief
- Build a good relationship
- Prioritise communication with your agency
- Limit the amount of people you have interacting with the marketing agency, that way they are not receiving direction for numerous different sources.
- Work out what you want advertising to say
- Give them time
Ultimately, it comes down to trust. If you have stopped trusting your ad agency, then look for one you can trust to do great work. Ditto for agencies.
