Whether you work with a full-service advertising agency or have an in-house marketing team and creative department one thing is certain. There are ways to ensure the best possible results. Chief among these ways lies the challenge of being the best client you can be. Which is just as hard, if not harder, than being the best agency.
In truth, great creative advertising solutions are born of great agency/client relationships. They are the result of trust, discipline and bravery on both the part of the client and the agency. No longer is it practical to expect results from a distance. Working closely with your agency or marketing department is one of the keys to success.
Establish clear objectives - Goals are broad. Objectives, on the other hand, should to be specific, measurable, action oriented, realistic and time-specific. Anything less and all efforts to achieve a specific outcome are typically in vain.
Maintain focus - Most businesses have more than one problem that can be solved with communication. Rarely, however, can one initiative solve any more than a single problem. For the best ROI stay focused on a singular objective.
Collaborate - Involve your advertising/marketing partner in the business, not just the advertising. This helps keep knowledge gaps to a minimum and allows for perspective on any number of matters. More perspective equals better solutions in the end.
Be open to feedback - Nowhere is constant change more prevalent that in the realm of marketing. The rate of change is so fast, in fact, that what is a good strategy one day could become passe the next. Being open to varying approaches makes adaptation much easier and can lead to more innovative solutions.
Learn while doing - You can’t learn to ride a bike by research alone. Or by talking about it, for that matter. The only way to get good is by getting on. Similarly, the best way to come up with creative solutions to business problems is by doing things, not by talking about it.
Great marketing ideas are born of a delicate balance between order and chaos. By adhering to these rules of engagement, you can make the process of creative business problem solving both effective and rewarding for you and your creative team, whoever and wherever they may be.
