Tip 6 - Advice for agencies looking for an edge - A clients perspective.
""The caterpillar does all the work but the butterfly gets all the credit" - George Carlin
Which are you, the caterpillar or the butterfly?
6. Excuse me, but isn’t that “our” award? There’s a time of year when agency principals and senior staff don their tuxes, slip on their gowns, or at least dry clean their blue blazers to go with their newest designer-label jeans. When more than a few of them do it at the same time and place, you know it must be an awards banquet. It’s a night long anticipated, one that determines bragging rights when agencies pitch prospective clients or update collateral and websites.
The next time you attend one of those events, pause and look around the room. Note who’s there. Count how many people work for agencies, public relations firms, or the service providers that so effectively support our craft. Then count again. How many of the brands who paid for the work and bore the risk do you see? I’m betting that client employees will be hugely under-represented. You probably know where I’m going with this. Maybe a little of my disappointment is showing through … and maybe you feel a bit embarrassed.
We all know who enabled the creative to be written, produced, and delivered. We understand who had the vision, foresight, and courage to enable your work that truly does differentiate. And, as clients, we also know it takes a partnership to deliver excellence that yields tangible results and merits awards.
So the next time that you dress up for the gala, remember those clients who made your big night possible. You might celebrate together and send the hardware to the brand’s home address. There’s something remarkable about the word “yours.” By dropping just one letter, you transform the meaning. See how yours becomes ours? It works with awards, too!
Add A New Comment