I was very much taken by this post by Mike Arauz. It spoke to me. In fact it spoke to the reason that I joined a specialist digital agency after 19 years in advertising. Mike talks about how digital technology lets you do clever tricks. And about how ad agencies …
I’m in two minds about this old giving-clients-what-they-need-not-what-they-want adage. On the one hand it appeals to the image we agency types like to project of being top-table, C-Suite, trusted adviser consultant types. On the other I shy away from the intellectual arrogance that it implies. I suspect that many clients …
This book moved me. I read a lot and derive some form of pleasure from the vast majority of books. But to be moved is unusual. This book made me reconsider my views on an important contemporary issue. This book made me laugh on several occasions. Particularly the exchange early …
For dramatic effect in this post I’m going to say that there have been two attitudinal moments of truth in my career to date. The first was learning and embracing the art of delegation. The second was dropping the lead agency mentality that had been instilled in me after 18 …
Some time back I had a visit from the then managing director of Seychelles Breweries. He was an ex-pat Scot looking to return to Edinburgh. Now I myself relocated from London to Edinburgh for a better quality of life but, as you can appreciate, his motivation for a move wasn’t …
A client apologised for the internal politics of their organisation the other day. But it really wasn’t a problem. Because the nature, the source and the implications of those politics were being explained in detail at the outset of a project. Politics are only ever a problem when they are …
Three little words. Not those three little words. These three little words. “You’re the experts.” When a client says these words and means them, they might as well have said “I love you”. They might as well have said “I love you” because “you’re the experts” has a powerful emotive …
A sure sign of a strong client relationship is if you find yourself being described as a “good listener”. It is an attribute to which clients attach great value. That’s because there’s more to good listening than meets the ear. Good listening is as much about the culture of the …
90% Tigger, 10% Eeyore. I reckon that’s about the optimal makeup for a digital agency bod. I like Tigger’s can-do attitude and his natural willingness to do then learn. “Mobile apps? Woo hoo! That’s what Tiggers do best!” “Innovative mash-ups? Oh boy oh boy! That’s what Tiggers do the best!” …
Innocent sent me a letter. In fact they sent my 5 year old daughter Madeleine a letter. Actually they sent her two letters. Madeleine eats loads of vegetables but hasn’t quite got her head round the whole fruit thing just yet. Innocent Smoothies for kids are the exception to that …
