Across TV, print to interactive, there sure is a lot of badly executed advertising that still makes the media buy. I think this mediocrity it’s definitely the result of an incompetent client. Or agency.
Most ad men and women know that more often than not, clients reject the most exciting creative vision presented by the agency. Is it because the agency doesn’t get the client, their brand, services or products? Or could it be that the client just doesn’t appreciate or is to dim to recognize great ideas and fresh thinking?
In case of the former, these agencies should go out of business. How can an agency promise to deliver great work that connects with the target audience, when they don’t even ‘get’ their own client?
Another agency fallacy is delivering self-indulgent work that makes them look good, rather than meeting the client’s goals. My advice: Go be frustrated artists somewhere else!
As far as the 'incompetent client' theory goes, it definitely has some merit. If an agency is retained to deliver the best thinking and creative money (read: the budget) can buy, why wouldn’t the client take their advice? Well, that’s the client's prerogative. However, an agency should keep in mind that failure to get acceptance for an idea, is also a failure to sell the idea to the client.
Still, sometimes it just seems that nothing can be done to make the client see the light and great ideas go to rest on an account executive’s hard drive. While the agency has to rationalize their decisions, the client’s doesn’t, which sometimes leaves me wondering what the client was really thinking. However, being enigmatic is their right; they’re paying the bills after all. But, what was the client really thinking?
Having been on both sides of the table, I do have some ideas.
How about you?
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