Yes guide 1: how to get the best out of your creative agency

The relationship between a client and its agency is rather like a marriage. Like all relationships, a marriage relies on a number of key aspects to make it work. Today’s ‘How to…’ guide explores how to make this partnership a fruitful one. Below are six steps to developing a good working relationship with a creative agency:

1. Communication

“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.”

Rollo May

Good communication is the cornerstone of any relationship. The best client-agency relationships are those where the channels of communication are always open. Share insights. Stimulate conversation. Bounce ideas off each other. The better you understand each other, the closer the relationship will become.

2. Growth and development

“You will either step forward into growth or you will step back into safety.”

Abraham Maslow

Never stand still. Great work is created when clients and agencies are continuously moving forward together.

3. Hard work

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”

Colin Powell

No relationship can survive without a heavy dose of hard work. Whether you’re a client or an agency, be prepared for changes in your marketing environment. Be thorough. Be committed. Both agency and client will benefit from a common desire to do the best possible job.

4. Mutual understanding

“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”

Albert Einstein

The essence of a good relationship is a sense of mutual understanding. Agencies and clients work best when they share an in-depth knowledge of the organisation’s aims, beliefs and values. Never stop learning about each other and the target audience. The more you learn, the greater the insight.

5. Trust

“I don’t trust words, I trust actions”

Unknown

The strongest client-agency relationships are those that endure over time. If both parties continue to deliver, trust is established and continues to grow.

6. Chemistry

“I have always believed that personal relationships are vital in business”

Richard Branson

No relationship can be established or maintained without chemistry. Work with an agency where you like and are inspired by the people. Spark off each other and generate new ideas. Find an agency that shares your passion for your brand and really gets it. We know just the people…