The Three “T’s” for Success

When you’ve been in the ad biz for as long as I have, a number of fascinating relationship dynamics start to emerge. For instance, the understanding that change – in priorities, in strategies, in technologies – is inevitable. Or the realization that good ideas can come from anyone, anywhere, anytime, and you need to be ready for them.

But perhaps the most important idea is understanding that agencies and clients are on the same team, with the same goals. In my experience, that’s the key to any good client-agency relationship.

In fact, if the relationship is built on that understanding from day one, the advantages are enormous. All of the sudden, everyone is working within the framework of a strategic partnership. Clients have an outside advocate fighting for their best interest and managing their marketing efforts.

People are skeptical by nature – perhaps more now than ever before – and that’s a good thing. Demand proof. Show, don’t tell. Consumers think this way, so why shouldn’t clients?

So what are the keys to a good client-agency relationship? What makes the best relationships work? Here are three things that seem critical to the client-agency dynamic. Certainly not an end-all, be-all list, but if these things are done well, it’s a great foundation for success.

• Trust – It’s critical that clients and agencies trust each other, understand they are on the same team and have the same end goals.
• Transparency – Successful relationships only work with full and open communication and transparency. Imagine any other service-based industry where only a portion of necessary information is shared? Not a good recipe for success.
• Tracking – One thing that can help any relationship is knowing it’s working. It’s no different with marketing. Tracking executions and making the necessary adjusts is a key to any successful marketing campaign and client-agency relationship.

From tdg’s perspective, we’re always excited to take on any new business and come up with a great solution that produces results. If that’s something that might interest you, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Written By:

Chad Blair

Director of Accounts

I am the Director of Accounts at tdg. In short, my job is to make sure our clients are well taken care of. I also lead much of our strategic marketing and creative efforts on behalf of our clients. Outside of work I enjoy being active, building things and spending time with family.