ILLUSTRATION: GUSTAV DEJERT/GETTY IMAGES; HEADSHOT: ALEX FINEV O I C E
The 4 Types of
Agency-Client
Relationships
HOW YOU FUNCTION, OR DYSFUNCTION, WITH YOUR
AGENCY OR CLIENT DIRECTLY INFORMS THE CRAFT
AND CULTURE YOU CREATE. BY ANSELMO RAMOS
client doesn’t get it.” “My client blah
blah blah.” Enough already. Stop
complaining about your client and
ask yourself how the agency can get
better. And do it fast, before the client
calls the “good guys.” Now, if you’re a
great client with a crappy agency, it’s
up to you to ask for a drastic change.
Tell your agency you expect more,
and that from now on, you want great
work every single time. But also give
them a chance—almost every agency
deserves a second chance.The great agency with the crappy
client While not common, sometimes
it happens. If you’re a great small
agency, you probably need to be patient
and bite the bullet. You need to pay the
bills. But try to educate your client and
show what creativity can do. Convince
them to put aside 5 percent of their
budget to do some crazy stuff. You’re
a great agency, you know what to do.
If you’re a great big agency, I’m sure
you’ve already tried to change your
crappy client several times.
But also give them a chance—
almost every client deserves a second
chance. If nothing works, then fi re them.
Yes, agencies can also fi re clients. The
best ones do. What if you’re a crappy
client with a great agency? Well, ask
them why the work you’re getting is not
as good as the other clients they have.
They will probably tell you it’s your fault
since great agencies are brutally honest.
Listen to them. Learn. Be open to
change. Work together. Or say, “Do
whatever you guys want,” and get out
of the way.The great agency - great client
partnership If you have this type of
relationship, you’re set. They’re the
Wiedens and the Nikes. The TBWAs
and the Apples. They’re more than
agency and client—they’re partners
in crime. They’re aligned in their
ambition. They want to create long-
term brand value, shape culture and
sell a lot of products along the way.
It looks like advertising heaven,
but it’s not. This is actually the
hardest relationship. There are
disagreements and discussions, fi ghts
and frustration, crying and cursing.
It’s like a real marriage. Not every day
is great, but every day you make a
conscious choice to stay together in
the name of great work.
If you’re in this kind of relationship,
be thankful. Take a moment to tell
your partner how much you value what
you’ve built together, and do whatever
it takes to stick together. Go ahead and
have an affair if it’s necessary. It will
make you appreciate what you have
even more. You’re part of 0.01 percent
of the ad market. I just made up thatOver the course of my career, I’ve seen
all sorts of agency-client relationships.
I believe long-standing partnerships
are thanks to huge amounts of trust,
communication and understanding.
Trust is especially important. Almost
all clients and agencies (98 percent, in
fact) believe that a relationship that’s
based on trust leads to better work.
But let’s be honest, not every
agency-client relationship is perfect.
Here are the four types of agency-
client relationships we all may be in
(whether we want to admit it or not).The crappy agency with the great
client Hard to spot (since every
agency thinks it’s great), but this is
way more common than you think.
I see it all the time. Agencies love
to criticize their clients. “My client
doesn’t want to do great work.” “My
client doesn’t have a famous brand.”
“My client doesn’t have money.” “MyOPINION
Specs
Claim to fame
Anselmo Ramos, co-founder
of David, knows how to knit,
has written three unfi lmed
screenplays and, because he
has watched all of Jean-Claude
Van Damme’s fi lms, he never
retreats, never surrenders.
Base Miami
Tw i t t e r @anselmoramosSpecs
number, but I’m sure it’s pretty close.
But while we celebrate the beauty of
a great agency and client combo, we
can’t forget the infamous among us.The crappy agency with the
crappy client This is actually the
happiest relationship. Everything
fl ows. Timelines are met. There are
no problems. You can have two-hour
lunches and still leave everyday at
5 p.m. and have dinner with the family.
Hey, you can have a family!
After all, the crappy agency is
delivering exactly what the crappy
client wants. No questions asked.
Congrats, you guys have found
happiness in advertising, but enjoy
it while it lasts, because the fi rst
problem the client has, the agency
will be blamed. And the agency will
say, “Hey, we just did exactly what you
asked for!” And all of a sudden there
are no fancy cocktails or front row
seats that will save the account.
There are cases, though, where both
the crappy agency and the crappy client
are aligned. And if the crappy work is
kind of working and kind of selling and
will guarantee everybody’s job, then it’s
totally fi ne. Who are we to judge? Not
everybody wants Lions and Effi es.
Let’s face it—all agencies and
clients are in one of these relationships,
whether we tell each other or not, and
whether we want to fi x it or not. So,
which relationship are you in? Share
this and tag your agency or client. I’m
kidding. Please don’t do that (unless
you’re in relationship No. 3).12 OCTOBER 9, 2017|^ ADWEEK