Distinguishing Qualities of a Great Client

• Inculcate a spirit of partnership
• Avoid a superior/subordinate relationship, characterized by
• Atmosphere of mistrust
• Lack of respect for the expertise of the agency
• Undercurrents of intimidation
• There is no doubt to an agency that a client is and can be ready to exercise the option to dismiss them
  • (some clients even use this tool for dealing with their agency)
  • fear, intimidation and disrespect have no place
• The best advertising is often only created within the absence of fear
• The by-product of real partnership—a joint effort—based on mutual respect of intelligence and expertise

• Be wary of change for change's sake
• Imitating a trend fails by definition to achieve the first purpose of adverting which is to create a distinctive image for a client
• We think that success in advertising is achieved by finding a long-term positioning and sticking with it.
• Tune in, instead to the changes in the consumer

• Make sure your agency is making a fair profit
• If an account is unprofitable to an agency, that account will be less important to the agency

• Give the agency the opportunity to be totally absorbed in your product, the people and
  your culture
• Great clients totally immerse their agencies in the product
• It costs more money and it involves risks in exposing agency people to its weaknesses and to know its secrets
• When an agency team thoroughly understands a client corporate culture, it will more likely create campaigns that last
• If a campaign precisely reflects the culture, there's a better chance the client will stick with it
• Articulates a corporate mission, the client will give it longer to work

• Create an environment of experimentation and be prepared to pay for failure
• Nothing predicts mediocrity in advertising quite so precisely an environment of risk-aversion
• Natural to want to conform to rules and formulas in quest for a measure of certainty the outcome of development process
  will be viable adverting
• Great clients want advertising that stands out

• Treat the agency people well
• Great clients know it is human nature for people to work harder for their friends than for business acquaintances
• The happy consequence is that the great client gets more out of the agency

• Agree on a clearly defined objective of the advertising you wish to create
• The failure to define or agree upon the precise purpose of adv. Dooms the creative process form the start

• Keep approvals simple and disapprovals kind
• Nothing saps energy more than an agency presenting the same work over and over at succeeding layers of the
  client organization
• The best system for approval of adverting is to have as few layers as possible
• Three simple axioms to remember:
• Be honest. If you don't like something say so.
• Be specific. Don't ask for a new execution just because this "one doesn't do it for me."
• Be kind. It helps to think of commentary as if are evaluating the person.

• Make the agency responsible for the advertising and give them the authority it needs to
  do it
• Involvement in the process is an exceedingly difficult line to walk
• Often, lack of involvement is just a way for the client to avoid sharing responsibility for the end result
• Too much involvement consistently denies the approval empowers the agency to realize its vision
• Great clients state precisely why they disagree and then challenge the agency to find a solution that both parties
  can agree to

• Perform evaluations of each other at least annually, and more often in the beginning of the relationship
• A good agency wants to know if there is a major problem before reading about it in the trade press
• Great clients draw up the terms of evaluation in partnership with the agency

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