This is a harrowing piece of film which reveals the brutal break-them-down-and-build-them-back-up approach being used by some social media agencies and consultants to get traditional advertising clients to lose the message based, paid for interruption mindset and embrace conversation. For “save American lives” read “join the conversation.” For “let go …
Most Americans can’t get their heads around cricket. In return, like many British people, I’ve never managed to get my head around American football (NFL). However, I do like one aspect of that otherwise arcane game. I like the bit where one side is attacking (offence) and the defending side …
The first rule of Pitch Club is that you most definitely DO want potential clients to talk about your presentation afterwards. And they’re more likely to do so if they can actually remember what you said. We’ve all been there. You attend a presentation. Someone who didn’t attend asks you …
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 …
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!” …
For anyone who bought what I wrote about not selling, this is a more narrowly focused follow-up about the implications of a not selling philosophy for the presentation of ideas to clients. On the one hand how do you satisfy the pressure from the agency to sell do the idea …
Nobody likes being sold to. Being sold to reduces that chances that you’ll actually buy. So creative teams that urge account people to “sell” their ideas are misguided as well as patronising. When it comes to helping great work see the light of day, the role of smart account management …