phoenix ad blog

[Photo by John-Morgan]

Today’s post is from a guest author, Bill Woodward, Director of Corporate Communications for SunCor Development Company.

Why does everybody call it the “client side” and the “agency side”?

I thought we were all supposed to be working together as a team.

Haven’t we all been in situations where disagreement, ego or confrontation has resulted in opposing camps taking sides in yet another episode of Client vs. Agency.

That ain’t teamwork.

As a vendor, I have endured the pontification of the know-it-all client who made me wonder why he even hired an agency to begin with. As a client, I have endured the condescending arrogance of the award-chasing creative director who wanted to burn up my budget to bankroll the work that he wanted to use as the platform for his next career move.

Who needs all the drama?

Aren’t we supposed to be working together as partners to solve problems, creating win-win-win situations, making money and having some fun?

Clients have their reasons for asking for things that agencies sometimes don’t want to do. Agencies have reasons that they propose things that some clients would never do. But that’s part of the glorious challenge—trying to figure out how to talk to our teammates before we can go out and talk to our audiences.

Healthy debate, rational discussion, seeing things from different viewpoints and some good ol’ disagreement can be good for the cause.

But the lexicon of “sides” has never made sense to me. There aren’t “sides” in a healthy client-agency relationship.

Perspectives, yes. Experiences, yes. Positions, yes.

If it feels like your client-agency relationship is one where everyone is taking sides, regardless of which side you’re on, it’s probably time to start thinking about moving on. Because that’s where you’re headed eventually, anyway.

Meanwhile, I’m often asked whether I prefer working on the “client side” or “agency side.”

I have had the wonderful opportunity to do both, several times, throughout my career. And if you’re any good at this marketing communications thing, I really don’t think there’s much difference.

Successful communicators are creative, up to speed with the latest technology and good writers—even if it’s internal e-mail and correspondence with colleagues and not breakthrough ad copy that you’re writing. We all know how important it is to multi-task, to be well-informed, and be respectful, honest, enthusiastic and accountable.

I do believe that the opportunity to learn more skill sets on a faster track occurs in the agency business. If you don’t produce, you don’t survive. There’s nothing like pressure, a daily adrenaline rush and a little fear to help people assess whether they’re cut out for the communications business. And the entrepreneurial eat-what-you-kill mentality that successful agencies foster is a missing link in a surprising number of private business and corporate cultures.

Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned in the business have come from corporate jobs, yet if I were going to advise someone about where to gain the most experience in the fastest way possible, I’d steer the person to an agency setting—not the “agency side.”

Then, after getting a taste of the business, I’d urge the person to look for a job that was creative, team-oriented, challenging, fulfilling and financially rewarding in either the agency business or in private industry—wherever it’s possible to work as part of a great team.

So, which side are you on?

Bill Woodward is a marketing communications professional with 32 years experience working in-house for three of the largest employers in the Valley, serving as the VP of public relations at two of the largest ad agencies in the Phoenix area, eating what he killed as the principal of his own PR consulting firm for eight years, and covering the news as a reporter and radio talk host for eight years.