Motivate Your Advertising Agency for Better Work
by Jim Avery BIO AND CONTACT INFO
An advertising agency can be your best marketing friend or your most grueling everyday challenge. There are advertising agencies that want to help you to develop the best possible marketing plan, with little apparent regard for the agency's income. There are also agencies that will only recommend advertising that is "creative". And, there are advertising agencies that will give you anything you want. There is a place for each of these types of agencies, but most banks will be better served by an agency that seeks to be a marketing partner. You wouldn't want a business partner that did everything you said, nor would you want one that would not take criticism. The same is true of your advertising agency, as your marketing partner.
It will be easier to deal with an advertising agency if you understand the motivation of the advertising agency. Generally, there are two reasons why an advertising agency will be interested in your business. Either they can make a profit directly or they can showcase the advertising that they will create for your company and use it to attract other advertisers from whom they can make a profit. The advertising agency will then make a profit from your business either directly or indirectly. That's good. You should encourage the agency to make a profit. If they do not, they will lose money and become disinterested in your business. Good compensation will generally create motivation to do good work. Each advertising discipline within the advertising agency can be motivated in different ways.
Advertising creative people gain more responsibility, prestige and money by the quality of their portfolio and the awards they win. If you allow them to create new, fresh and clean advertising they will work through lunch, dinner and the night to come up with break-through advertising for you. If, on the other hand, you choose to futz with it over and over again, they will lose interest. That does not mean that you should simply accept whatever is presented. Among other things, you should make sure that the advertising is on strategy and that it will accomplish the objectives. When directing the creative people, you may simply need to help them to understand the dynamics of the banking business. But, once they understand what is needed to drive the business, allow them to maintain the integrity of their work. Clients generally get the quality of advertising they deserve.
I once worked with a client who was accepting everything I recommended. This is not common. I was the supervisor on the account. Finally, I asked the marketing director why everything was approved. The answer was simple, he explained that the Agency was hired because of its capabilities. "We will evaluate the agency at the end of a year. Until then we will do everything you want us to do. If sales are up at the end of the year, you will keep the account." That is the ultimate motivation for an account person. Not only did this client carry Teddy Roosevelt's 'big stick', but they gave me an opportunity to implement my ideas and succeed through my hard work. If I was successful I would be promoted. If I failed, I would be fired. That is a pretty good philosophy for dealing with any agency.
The agency management is generally motivated by profit. The creatives are motivated by being allowed to create good work. The account people are motivated by being able to implement their ideas. This is also true of media and research, the other business oriented disciplines within the advertising agency.
Everyone in an advertising agency is also motivated by security. This is more clear in the negative. A friend of mine works for a major New York advertising agency. His client was bought by another company. Everyone knew they would lose the account. The issue was when. Morale was terrible. People were simply doing what was required of them. There was no push, no desire to succeed. Make sure your advertising agency is secure in their professional relationship with you.
The best possible advertising agency is the one that already knows your business, will develop advertising that maximizes your opportunities, and makes a decent return on their investment. Usually, that means your current agency is the best agency you can find, they know your business better than any other agency, which means they already have an investment in your business. The key is to motivate them to do the best work possible for you through a good professional marketing partnership.
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