My mentor always used to say to clients, "You wouldn't tell a plumber how to do his job, would you?" To which the client invariably answered, "well, no, I don't know how to do a plumber's job." To clients that really trusted him he'd follow up with, "well then why are you trying to pretend you know how to do my job?"
Seems like a simple concept, right? Yet somehow, no matter who we're dealing with, there's always some member of upper management that thinks he/she is God's gift to advertising. And EVERYONE thinks they know enough to give their $.02 on what they think is right. The truth is, they usually only know enough to be dangerous to their company's marketing program. I'm not naming names by any means, but trust me, it is true and it's a reality many of us agency folk deal with all the time.
My only message with today's blog (other than an opportunity to rant) is that if you're going to hire an ad agency, make sure it's one you trust. And trust in them enough to do their job without telling them how to do it. It will lead to more effective and brand building marketing efforts for your company. Promise.
Garret Ohm
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1 comment:
Ahh, the inevitable "Make my logo bigger" client. I'd like to have that kind of client but with the type of relationship where you can call them out on it. You know, just say, "Ummm...no, you're actually completely wrong."
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