Shorten the Lines of Communication with Clients
May 29th, 2008 by Rich Scaglione
Communication between clients and marketing agencies can sometimes work like a game of telephone.
The client CEO gives direction to a marketing VP, who passes it along to an agency account manager, who meets with a creative director, who finally assigns the project to a writer, designer or art director, the people who will actually do the work.
By the time the original message gets to the end of this long line, it can be completely lost in translation. Throw a few more intermediaries into the mix, and it’s a wonder any good work gets done at all.
This dysfunctional system, which has been in place forever in our business, is a symptom of the traditional division of labor between creative and account people.
Account people (the well-attired logical left-brainers) are supposed to interact with clients and manage their accounts. Creatives (the funky, rebellious right-brainers) should be kept out of view as they incubate ideas. I worked at one agency where the creatives were banished to the basement, commonly referred to as the “Pit of Snarling Dogs.”
Funny thing, though. Most of those “snarling dogs” were actually nice, smart, organized, strategic and well-groomed people who I wouldn’t hesitate to bring up from the “pit” to participate in client meetings.
The point is, good left-brain thinking is not limited to the suits. Just because you are creative doesn’t mean you can’t think and work like a good account person. There are truly talented people who can do both — exceptionally well.
And their dexterity can greatly improve the agency/client relationship.
Let’s go back to our game of telephone. What if all the unnecessary layers of communication were peeled away? What if the people responsible for the creative could work directly with the client’s marketing VP? Or better yet, the CEO? What if they could ask questions, observe body language and get a first-hand sense of what is truly important to the ultimate client decision-maker?
The client gets better, quicker creative solutions, that’s what. All without being charged extra for an account manager’s time.
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About the author: Rich has worked as both a copywriter and an account manager in his career, which has included stints at Ericson Marketing Communications, The Buntin Group and David Paine + Partners, all in Nashville. He is a recent addition to Locomotion Creative, where art directors and designers have been successfully managing accounts for the past 10 years.
