Are you completely satisfied with your agency?
Having worked both on the agency and client side, here are some thoughts on how to get the most from your agency.
Provide all the parameters up front
There is no point in withholding information to gain a better hand. Such activities cause more inefficiencies than true economic gains. Just provide the actual scope, timing and budget at the outset. Even if you don’t have specific numbers, you more than likely have a range. Set expectations early to prevent wasting anyone’s time.
Don’t play games.
A corollary to previous is to simply be straightforward from the very beginning. If you only have a Honda budget, don’t pretend that you’re looking for a Bentley. Agencies can be creative even with low budgets, but you need to be up front about it.
Give them the tools they need to create important work
Generic target audiences. Ambiguous goals. Hollow messages. Torpid call-to-actions. How can anyone create meaningful work from meaningless messaging?
Don’t let technicalities corrupt great creative
As a brand manager, you intimately know more about your product than anyone else will reasonably perceive. Don’t get hung up on technical inaccuracies. You’re not there to poke holes. You’re there to keep the boat sailing. Rather than trying to highlight slight missteps, find ways to address them while still keeping the intent of a great concept.
Demonstrate that you trust them
That’s not to say you approve everything they present. Nor does that mean that you need to turn a blind eye to glaring departures in your original strategic intent. However, every creative needs to believe that you’re not simply trying to undermine the work with inane predilections and preferences. They need to believe your goal is to create the most effective creative product too. Show that you respect what they do and look for ways to plus up the work, not just adjust and level off.
A provocative thought… Pay them 10% more than what they say their services are worth
I can’t say for certain that this would work. But here’s my thinking. If you pay an agency a little more than what they think they’re worth, they’ll work twice as hard for you. But if you try to nickel and dime them and pay them 10% less, they’ll end up, in the long run, putting in half as much effort. Showing you’re a true partner and showing appreciation for what they do makes an agency throw the best people to work on your business, resulting in better quality work.