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, […]

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 […]

Managing (Agency) Mania

Featured on AdWeek: — Read AdWeek’s published article — If it’s news to you that the client/agency model has been in flames for years now, there’s also this new thing called the Internet that you might want to know about. Of course, there’s a big difference between just saying that the old setup is shot […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

Committing to Reciprocal Feedback Before Making Agency Review Decision

Download a print-friendly version here Le Divorce I’ve been told all my life that everything sounds sexier in French, from ordering wine from the Bordeaux region at the dinner table to whispering “c’est la vie” after missing a connecting flight. Almost everything I might add. There are some words that, no matter the pronunciation, still […]