Takes Two To Tango

So, what does it take to make a campaign successful?

The Big Idea. 

Of course, yes. It all starts with it. It’s a seed, which when nurtured well, blossoms into a great campaign. Without it, in my opinion, a campaign is akin to a headless chicken, struggling to navigate its way through a maze of ‘Likes’ and ‘Shares’, in today’s digital age.

But there’s yet another important factor (if not more important) than the above, that has the power to determine the fate and success of an ad campaign. 

The all-important partnership. The “secret ingredient” that can do wonders. 

It’s the partnership between the agency and its client. In fact, I choose to call a client, a ‘partner’ as he/she's an equal partner in the journey of the ad or the campaign. An equal stakeholder, and as much a brand custodian, as the agency. So, let’s call this relationship, a partnership. 

The dynamics of this partnership have a powerful sway over the future and fate of a campaign. Just think of it, what good is a brave idea or a great ad campaign if the client doesn’t believe in it? Or he isn’t brave enough to say a ‘Yes’? In such a scenario, there’s a high possibility, this campaign might not even see the light of day. 

In my years of experience, I’ve seen that a client’s faith in its agency and its work can have a huge impact on the agency’s fortune and success. This faith is sacrosanct and can determine a brand’s long-standing relationship with the agency. 

Case in point, the relationship shared by Nike with its long-standing AOR, W+K. Over the years, Nike commercials are one of the benchmarks in creative audacity. With each work of theirs, the brand seems to take a leap of creativity. While we applause and share their work on social media platforms, the agency, Wieden + Kennedy also deserves a salute. Such great work is a culmination of a great partnership the agency enjoys with Nike. 

Another example I can think of (and also my personal favourite) is the work by Burger King in recent years. Be it the “Burning Stores” Campaign, “Burn That Ad”, “Moldy Whopper”, the list is long and impressive, with a “Why didn’t I think of it?” kinda feel to them. The agency, DAVID, was behind these memorable campaigns. But equally important was the marketing department at Burger King, who had that unshakable confidence and trust in its agency partner. This immovable trust injects confidence in the agency, which is being reposed by the agency through its inspiring work. 

So, what builds this partnership?

Firstly, absolute transparency and honesty between the two parties involved. The best partnerships have transparency on both sides. When it comes to client-agency communication, complete honesty is the key. The agency should be brave enough to tell a client if a particular idea or concept will be detrimental to the brand’s future, rather than simply accepting it just because the client might be upset. This ‘Always-nod-Yes’ approach can have long-term devastating effects on the brand and the agency-client partnership. 

Secondly, regular communication is of vital importance for this partnership to thrive. Nothing is more upsetting for a client than not hearing from the agency of a fairly regular basis. The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to get the client involved in the process, so a trust is developed between the two. This also allows for a scenario where early changes are made rather than when the work is done. This saves time, effort and disappointment later. 

Thirdly, for an agency, it’s very critical that it understands its client’s business. Because if you don’t understand your client’s business, how will you solve his marketing and communication problems?  So, an agency should put its time and effort in knowing and learning about its client’s business. This is a priceless investment. 

Honest and pointed feedback is another key element in building this partnership. With due respect to all my clients, in India, I’ve heard feedbacks such as “Mazaa nahi aaya” (This idea / work isn’t exciting), “This isn’t working”, “Give us more options”. Such feedbacks don’t do justice to the hard-work put in by the agency, nor does it do any good to the work done. Hence, honest, pointed and clear feedbacks are absolutely critical. They help in eliminating the miasma of doubt and confusion.

And lastly, in my opinion, the most important factor is the bar set by the agency and the client for their work. The quality of work is a reflection of the agency and the client who have set the bar at a certain level. In the above two examples, I’m sure, both the agency and the client have raised the bar when it comes to the quality of work. There’s no room for mediocrity and dullness. It’s easy to create dull and mediocre work. But it takes a  brave client to say “Yes” to a brave idea. Because these are the same brave ideas that keep our faith in creativity alive.  

And in this partnership. 

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