In the February 2010 issue of PM360, a magazine targeted at marketing decision makers within the biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device field, I had the great opportunity to share some comments on what it is that creates a great working relationship between an agency and their clients. Take a look at my thoughts and I welcome everyone’s feedback on this critical topic of relationship building in today’s business climate.
To see the full article and read the comments from other industry professionals, visit the PM360 site.
“As someone who has been on the client and agency sides, I have learned that a productive collaborative partnership needs a foundation of mutual trust, openness, and ongoing communications. It’s easier said than done, but there are three principles both parties can follow for success. First, agency immersion. It’s imperative that the agency does a deep dive into the client’s business. This includes listening effectively, understanding their internal and external needs, challenges, and goals. Keeping up with the client’s competition and market issues is also crucial. With thorough immersion, the agency can respond thoughtfully and counsel the client with evidence-based insights.
For the immersion to work, the client has to provide access to internal and external company resources, including other agencies in different disciplines. The agency should have access to people who can fully cooperate in giving appropriate information regarding policies, changes, or other areas that impact marketing success.
Second, aligned partnership. I emphasize aligned because if there’s no agreement between the agency and client on strategic and creative directions, success can be elusive. To reach such a partnership, both parties should consistently communicate and engage in clear, thorough, and unbiased dialogue. Everyone involved should focus on achieving agreed-upon goals, critical success factors, and measurement to deliver desired marketing results.
Third, mutual trust. This means that the client sees the agency as a trusted counselor, and expects it to play an integral role in the decision-making process. As a trusted counselor, the agency is unequivocally valued as a partner, not as a technical expert implementing programs.
As we continue to face a communications environment that is seemingly evolving on a daily basis, these fundamentals are critical-so that your agencies provide you not only compelling and relevant strategy but, even more important, ensure flawless execution regardless of the platform. At the end of the day, the power of a successful communications effort lies in connecting with and influencing the audiences you seek to reach-regardless of where they might reside.”
Tags: business, communications, networking
I think a great client/agency relationship depends greatly on strong communication, common goals, trust, mutual respect and let’s face it..making lots of money by maintaining the ability to consistently work on profitable, realistic projects, but I think that is mainly a byproduct of the aforementioned elements.
Nice Post, cheers for your article.I will be sure to improve just from reading this awesome article. If you could, can you possibly post more, it caught my attention straight away!