the naked truth: an unadulterated look at the client / agency relationship & what it means for...

Hi, I’m Tim Leake.I work at RPA as SVP/Growth & Innovation.

@tim_leake

#GetNakedAtCannes

If Clients don’t believe their Agency’s recommendation is in their best interest,

Cannes-worthy ideas die.

My job is to apply creativity to make sure we succeed in the future. !

And to succeed in the future, we need to improve our relationships.

We’re proud of our relationships and our work. But we want to get better.

THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW A CLIENT NAKED.

“Honestly, I simply don’t trust any of my agencies to actually solve my marketing problems.”

My jaw.Floor.

What else aren’t we saying out loud?

So, we partnered with USA TODAY on a survey:Completely anonymous

143 senior-level agency & brand marketing leaders

What leads to the best advertising?

84%81%

Longstanding relationships

84%81%

What leads to the best advertising?Collaboration from start to finish

84%81%

What leads to the best advertising?Clients trusting their Agencies

98% of Agencies and Clients agree that trust leads to great advertising. !

Why don’t we have more of it?

“Get with it. Think more. Embrace your potential and shake off your stupid, dated internal ways.”

CLIENT TO AGENCY:

CLIENT TO AGENCY: “You slow us down. My professional success has nothing to do with your creative idea.”

AGENCY TO CLIENT:“You’ve drunk your own Kool-Aid. You have no understanding of consumers at all. You think you can just show up and people will pay attention and swoon.”

AGENCY TO CLIENT:“You’re most always your own problem. You can't get out of your own way enough to let the agency do good, business-changing work.”

Four truths affecting trust:

Considering we’re communication companies, we suck at communication.

CLIENT:“As an agency, you need to leverage your supposed ‘expertise’ at communication to win over your clients.”

AGENCY:“Your agency relationship is your opportunity to step outside your passive-aggressive double-speak corporate culture and speak directly. Stop doing to us what you do internally and give us more transparency to solve your problems and assist with your career objectives.”

of Clients claim to speak their mind freely, even when it’s uncomfortable.88%

But among Agency leaders who frequently interact with Clients, the number who agree this is true falls to: 36%

of Clients claim to speak their mind freely, even when it’s uncomfortable.88%

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” !

- George Bernard Shaw

We need to apply some creativity to what we mean by “creativity.”

of Agencies and Clients agree we don’t have a shared definition of creativity.2/3

What does “creativity” mean, anyway?

What does “creativity” mean, anyway? The ability to transform marketing objectives into something that connects with people? !

What does “creativity” mean, anyway? Non-literal, non-lateral thinking?

What does “creativity” mean, anyway? New and original ideas and insights?

What does “creativity” mean, anyway? Making ads?

How much could the best creative work potentially move your business?

26% 48% 77%

Clients Agencies Agencies, if you count the people who said over 100%

How much could the best creative work potentially move your business?

26% 48% 77%

CLIENT:“You’re all smart, but you get too wrapped up in a cool idea and lose sight of the strategy.”

AGENCY:“I wish our clients had the courage to go beyond ‘messages’ and embrace brand ‘behaviors.’”

CLIENT:“Don't believe you have a monopoly on either creativity or great ideas. They can, and often do, come from many places. Embrace this.”

“It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you do not care who gets the credit.” !

- Harry S. Truman

Risk is risky.

AGENCY:“Be greater risk takers!! Don't rely on proven solutions in a world filled with new ‘unproven’ opportunity!”

AGENCY:“Think of your 3 favorite brands. Do you think they took risks or played it safe? Five years from now if we ask someone else that same question, do you think your brand will be in their top 3?”

of Agency executives say their Clients are afraid to take risks.

76%

“Different” and “Risky” are two distinct things.

CLIENT:“If you understand my brand and present a risky and somewhat scary idea to us, we will buy it. We are interested in making waves- but not just for the sake of it- it needs to be strategic and ladder to our brand equity goals. Challenge me and you will be surprised at my positive response.”

“Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.” !

- Warren Buffett

We’re better at the art of ads than the art of business.

I feel guilty even talking about this stuff at Cannes.

90% of Agencies say they truly understand their Clients’ business. !

Only 65% of Clients agree.

84% of Agencies say they understand how to drive sales for their Clients’ brands. !

Only 56% of Clients agree.

76% of Agencies say they do a good job of demonstrating ROI. !

Only 40% of Clients agree.

AGENCY:“You have absolutely no idea how much we care about building and transforming your business/brand.”

CLIENT:“You don't get it. You spend a lot of time selling us on your ideas, but if you put that energy into working toward the same goal (sales), the results would be better.”

of Clients agree their Agencies seem more interested in ‘selling their work’ than ‘solving our problems’

56%

The reason we don’t have more Cannes-worthy work is that we’re trying too hard to sell Cannes-worthy work.

AGENCY:“The ones who actually care about your business success don’t have final say on what work we present. !

The work is pushed more for personal reputations than the client's best interests.”

Our incentives are not aligned, and this will be a problem until we fix it.

We need a business case for craft.

Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art.

Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.

!

- Andy Warhol

A four point plan for Agencies to help increase trust:

Focus as much on interpersonal communication as we do mass communication.1

A four point plan for Agencies to help increase trust:

Work with our clients to define and better understand the evolving role of creativity.2Focus as much on interpersonal communication as we do mass communication.1

A four point plan for Agencies to help increase trust:

Support our clients in recognizing the distinction between "different" and "risky."3

Work with our clients to define and better understand the evolving role of creativity.2Focus as much on interpersonal communication as we do mass communication.1

A four point plan for Agencies to help increase trust:

Practice the art of business as much as the art of advertising.4

Support our clients in recognizing the distinction between "different" and "risky."3Work with our clients to define and better understand the evolving role of creativity.2Focus as much on interpersonal communication as we do mass communication.1

Relationships take work. !

But doing so will lead to more Cannes-worthy work.

GetNakedAtCannes.com