Get the Most Out of Your Ad Agency

Instead of thinking of your advertising team as an outside vendor, treat it as a partner, argues columnist and advertising veteran Steve McKee

by Steve McKee

Few relationships in the business world are as rewarding, or as rocky, as those between advertisers and advertising agencies. There are many reasons, from the inherent subjectivity of the business, to the stereotypes portrayed in shows such as Thirtysomething and MadMen, to the generational gaps that often exist between clients and their ad firms. But one thing is certain—when the relationship goes awry, making a change (BusinessWeek.com, 8/15/07) can be an expensive proposition.

It's far better to make the marriage work. And just like real marriage, it's less important to find the right partner than it is to be the right partner. Over the course of more than two decades in the ad business I've observed a handful of client characteristics that seem to result in the best work and the happiest client-agency partnerships. I humbly offer a handful below.

Start with trust. To do great work, an advertising agency must be informed. It must know everything it can about a client's business, from sales and margins to strategies and plans. It's important to treat an agency as a strategic partner—an extension of your marketing department—and not just a vendor. This includes sharing results—nothing is more demoralizing than working hard on a project and not knowing how it turns out.

But sharing information is only half of the trust equation. The other half is having faith that your agency knows what it's doing. You no doubt hired your agency because you were impressed with its good work for other clients. If you want the same you have to give it room to ply its craft.

Give them your time. If your company was facing a multimillion-dollar lawsuit that could forever alter its ability to operate profitably, you'd make time for the lawyers. An ad campaign isn't a lawsuit, but the stakes are the same in terms of potential impact. Don't just hire an agency and expect it to perform magic. Be willing to do the heavy lifting from your end to ensure it's informed, prepared, and set up for success. Be open and honest with your agency, communicating your needs and goals clearly. Make time for the agency, answer all of its questions, and allow it to immerse itself in your business.

Value risk. For advertising to be attention-getting, it has to be different. And anything different is risky. In every other avenue of your business you know reward is associated with some level of measured risk. If you want advertising that looks like your competitors', you don't even need an ad agency. But if you want to lead the category, you're going to have to do something that, at least from the outside, appears risky.

Good agencies aren't reckless. They have a sense of what risks are appropriate and how to mitigate them. But they can only do it for clients who value the benefits of a little calculated risk-taking. Of course, the risks you and your agency take won't pay off every time. If your agency knows as long as it's acting in your best interests it's O.K. to make a mistake, it will treat the responsibility you give it with great care.

Keep your eye on the big picture, not the small print. Some ads will be better than others, and others may downright flop. But if your focus remains on the overall trajectory of your brand you'll learn that for every "one step back" there will be two or three steps forward. If your agency knows you're committed to it and you're in this together, it'll do anything to make those risks pay off.

Reserve judgment. Remember what you thought the first time you saw a Ford (F) Taurus? I thought it was the ugliest thing I'd ever seen. Its time has now come and gone, yet for several years it was America's best-selling car. Sometimes ideas and designs that will one day be widely accepted are at first glance a shock. Reserving judgment may be the hardest part of the creative development process.

If you see something you like, say so.