In this new era of technology that works in almost every industry you can think of, it’s safe to say that more traditional fields like advertising have had to adapt. While some of these agencies weren’t up to the task, others morphed into world-class media agencies and used the power of technology to their advantage. This, in turn, allowed the companies that hired them to excel as well.
Regardless of the time, however, one of the main points of contention between clients and advertising agencies has been the lack of communication. Customers feel out of the loop and uninformed about the plans and strategies they paid for, and this never bodes well for anyone. Clients lose faith in their advertising agencies and these agencies begin to lose clients.
The reason for the secrecy may be that these agencies do their best to maintain proprietary control over how they do business. After all, if the client can do the same job or if a competitor had knowledge of this information, any advertising media agency would be in real trouble. Still, this does not satisfy the idea that an ad agency decides to maintain a proverbial wall between itself and a client. What gives?
If you are a company that wants to know a little about what media agencies know, but you are not being too frank, here is a little 411:
They change as much as customers – Being in business is difficult for clients, which means advertising media agencies must stay ahead of the curve to get you where you want to go. As business ebbs and flows for you, it changes for them too. They have better poker faces.
The human touch is vital to your existence – Although the technology momentum is strong, agencies do their best to keep the human connection front and center in everything they do. It is when this focus is lost that relationships fall apart.
Technology is a high priority – If you are in the media, you need to know everything about devices, platforms, the Internet, social networks and everything else. Clients rely on this knowledge to take them to the top.
The media is a blur – This is where things get a little weird. The definition of media has changed so much in recent years that knowing what the media stands for can be difficult. In many ways this can be advantageous because if the media is blurry, the way it is used can also be unique and diverse.
Opportunity versus advertising – The agencies know it and so do you. Advertising will focus more on what kinds of opportunities can be created rather than just getting the word out about your business. Whether it’s the agency or your client, if there are no opportunities to explore, you may be sunk.
Advertising media agencies are without a doubt the way the advertising game is played today, and if you want to keep up with the fast-paced world of business, your company must know the ways of these agencies. That said, it is important to know that they, too, derive their own existence from the very resources whose depths they probe for their business. As such, it benefits both agencies and their clients to maintain a strong relationship with open communication and understanding.