How Madison Avenue Got the Flu, and What Brand Advertisers Should do About It
Download a print-friendly version here How Madison Avenue got the flu, and what brand advertisers should do about it. The world of Madison Avenue is sick of being sick, literally. It all started with a fever a decade ago, fueled by disruptive media fragmentation, AdTech and digital innovation, the unstoppable rise of procurement in client/agency […]
20 Effective Ways Brand Advertisers Can Master the Art Form of Providing Thoughtful, Productive Feedback to Their Agency Partners During Creative Reviews
Download a print-friendly version here Make The Logo Bigger! Asking the agency “Can you make the logo bigger?” after its presentation of a new creative idea is the equivalent of asking your spouse “What’s wrong with you?” or “Why do you never do what I want?” The conversation is likely to steer in the wrong […]
What do Great CMOs Have in Common?
Download a print-friendly version here Great CMOs are amazing partnership builders. They create strong, long-lasting agency relationships that deliver unmatched work and results. By Bruno Gralpois Author/Speaker, Thought-provocateur, amplifying partnerships to create transformative value The advertising industry is known for its vast number of glowing award ceremonies that celebrate agency and advertiser talent alike, […]
Discover the Seven Secrets Behind the World’s Most Successful Client/Agency Relationships and What They Share in Common
Download a print-friendly version here Here’s to the crazy ones. The round pegs in the square holes. Transcript: “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status […]
Common Mistakes Advertisers Make With Their Agencies and What to do About It
20 Proven Ways to Drive Your Agency Crazy In “Love Is Dead,” I highlighted proven best practices that set apart highly successful relationships from failed ones, based on the hundreds of relationship and performance evaluations we conducted. Similarly, a number of client behaviors guarantee you will fail your agency every time. Those who believe that […]
What Will You Get Your Agency for the Holidays? The Gift of Stronger Partnerships
Download a print-friendly version here Thinking outside the gift box… The holidays, a time of both deep reflection and high festivities, are right around the corner. We pause near the end of each year to celebrate those around us, those we love and depend on, and to acknowledge their importance in our lives. In business, […]
How to Improve Client/Agency Evaluations and Achieve Greater Accountability
The 8 Critical Obstacles: Traditional ways of conducting agency evaluations are no longer working. Old-fashioned evaluations are no longer providing clients and agencies the insight needed to manage their partnership effectively. To move towards 100% mutual accountability, these partnerships demand better data, greater insight and more actionable information that can enhance their work relationship. Here’s […]
What Great Clients do to Turn Their Agencies Into Powerful Growth Engines
What Will Make You a Kick-Ass Client Are you the kind of client that agencies desperately want to acquire and retain? Do you know what it takes to be a great client? In “Think Different,” I emphasized the unique qualities industry leaders like Apple exhibit with their agencies to get outstanding work. In “How Clients […]
The Uneasy Truth About Being a Client and What It Means to Building Lasting Partnerships in Today’s Cut-Throat Environment
Confessions of an Ex-Client I’d like to confess. Actually, I have multiple confessions to make. Four to be precise. No worries. This is not a remake of “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” (2002), so they won’t keep you up at night. But if you’ve ever been a client, you too would have much to say. […]
Top 5 Client Qualities That Contribute to Better Work and Long-Lasting, Productive Partnerships in the Era of Client/Agency Speed Dating and One-Night Stands
Download a print-friendly version here “L’amour est-il mort?” (“Is Love Dead?”) French writer, poet, aristocrat, journalist and pioneering aviator Antoine de St-Exupéry once said: “Aimer, ce n’est pas se regarder l’un l’autre, c’est regarder ensemble dans la mêm direction.” (Translation: “Love doesn’t mean gazing at each other, but looking, together, in the same direction.”) Applied […]
4 Common Myths That Keep Even the Best Advertisers From Turning the Mania of Client/Agency Relationships Into Screaming Brilliance
Download a print-friendly version here Admit it: We are all Maniacs! Most of us are maniacs. If you read this, it probably means you are too. If you are in a leadership role in a Fortune 500 organization, or support one, chances are you are challenged to keep up with the rapid transformation of the […]
Top 5 Ways Brand Advertisers Can Foster Real, Sustained Collaboration Between Their Roster Agencies and Create Better, Faster, Stronger Work…Together
Download a print-friendly version here How Marketers Can Get Their Agencies to Collaborate The first part of “Ménage à trois” comes from the Latin mansionem, “dwelling,” and old French word that meant “management of a household.” The concept of managing and orchestrating a carefully assembled roster of agencies has been particularly popular among brand advertisers […]
