Marketing and branding at the corporate level are complex arenas.
When a big name teams up with an agency, a relationship begins to develop, and it is this relationship that is the foundation of long-term success.
Dissecting the Agency/Client Relationship
As with any business relationship, an agency/client relationship can have pitfalls, such as:
Uneven foundation
If one party always comes out of a negotiation on top, this will soon become apparent to the other party and before you know it, a ‘them and us’ situation emerges.
If the client feels the agency has their own goals ahead of the client’s, this will undermine the relationship.
As with any relationship, a business alliance is based upon trust, which must be established at the very outset; good relationships are all about give and take and both parties should always see things from the other’s perspective to get a balanced view.
Lack of transparency
Withholding information can lead to a feeling of distrust; a client might hold back certain information when communicating with their agency, fearing a breach in confidentiality.
It is crucial to nurture the agency client relationship and always remember that both parties should have the same goals.
Try to see things from the other party’s perspective and be as transparent as you can.
Hierarchy
Every organisation has a hierarchy, that is the way business works, yet if there is no communication through the ranks, things can go wrong, mainly due to lack of communication.
If the top people make decisions without consulting those in the field, this can negatively impact team morale, so top-down communication is paramount, so everyone is on the same page, so to speak.
Upper-level managers should have communication with those in the field to be sure that all stakeholders are aware of everything.
Poor communication
Some managers are on point with their communication, making sure the minutes of the meeting reaches all those who need to know; sadly, some in management mistakenly think that others do not need to know and this can cause a serious breach of trust.
This is probably the most common issue with agency/client relationships; all managers must ensure that everyone is on the same page.
The longer the relationship, the more likely that the above issues will arise and if the client is unhappy but isn’t prepared to tell the agency, this can only lead to serious issues later down the road.
Regular reviews
No marketing plan should be set in stone and regular reviews of a campaign is an essential aspect; changes can and should be made if the situation demands it.
This also gives the client an opportunity to air any misgivings around the meeting table and they should feel comfortable doing that.
Conclusion
To conclude, great care should be taken to nurture the relationship between the client and their marketing agency and the above information should help you to develop a strong relationship with either your client or agency.