At what point do you tell your agency exactly what to do?
This is the on-going dilemma in any advertising development process.
I think that there are a few times that you do that and these include:
(1) When you have a great and really big Creative Idea, and they are being too precious about the detail in the execution.
Big Ideas are the key, and that is what an agency are there for. That is what you really are buying as if you could do it then you would (and should) be in an agency and not a client. The thing that agencies are there to do is to develop and sell are big ideas.
The problem is you are there to sell shed loads of products and are taking the immediate risks. This is when you agree that you have bought the idea, but you will insist on a whacking great pack shot so people can see what they should be looking out for, that you will spend more time on how the product works and why it is better than others - and you will want more time on the demo. You are not making art, you are making an ad.
But make damn sure you have a big idea and a strong execution before you start telling them what you want to do within in. If you screw that up you will really have nothing.
(2) Only when you are really clear about who is making the call
One major problem is that clients tend to develop creative with layers and committees. You have to be really clear about who decides and who tells agency what they need to do. The President may have ideas but are they the one to tell the agency what to do or add. If you are not clear you will end up with a Mir Space Station - that had all sort added and put on ... and finally was let to drift into the atmosphere and be destroyed
Any others?
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1 comment:
Another way to look at this situation is to focus on "how" you do it rather than "when". We all know that business pressure builds, and when your back is truly against the wall everybody gets to have ideas that deserve to be considered and built on.
For me the trick is to be very clear about what you are saying and to not beat around the bush. Just be straight and say "this is what we are going to do unless anybody has a better idea". Nine times out of ten this kind of direct approach does inspire the agency to come up with the goods and everybody wins.
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