Breaking Good: The Importance of Chemistry Between Client & Marketing Agency
One of the great elements of Breaking Bad was the premise of a chemistry teacher turning into a meth-dealing kingpin. But the irony of the show is that when taken as a whole, Walter White (aforementioned chemistry teacher) had a horrible working chemistry with almost everyone he worked with. This could be why his empire, though incredibly successful in making money, was ultimately unsuccessful in creating a sustainable enterprise that could carry on after Walt. Poor chemistry leads to poor results, and this is especially true in the world of marketing.
Recently, Response conducted a survey to help us better understand how we’re performing as a marketing agency in the eyes of our clients. We were initially surprised by a couple of findings, particularly when it came to the question of what is most important to prospective clients when deciding to partner with a marketing agency. Chemistry was the top ranked answer, with a whopping 87% of respondents claiming chemistry was “very important.” This was the top ranked answer, beating out answers such as “portfolio,” “cost,” and “referrals.”
Think about that; decision makers valued chemistry over demonstrated work, budgets, and the advice of colleagues.
Finding True Client – Marketing Agency Chemistry
When defining chemistry, allow me to use the analogy of a pair of dancers, one hip-hop, and one salsa. Individually, both are great dancers, but together, they clash. They may find difficulty incorporating the other’s style into their own. The types of music they dance to are foreign to the other. In short, they can dance, but they can’t dance together.
This is the same with relationships between clients and marketing agencies. Any marketing agency worth anything will produce great work that’s on time and on budget. But it’s the chemistry that builds the relationship and fosters positive growth.
How We Define Chemistry As It Relates To Clients and Marketing Agencies.
Chemistry between a client and marketing agency is being in tune with what your partner is really asking of you. If a client asks you to push the envelope, it’s knowing how far you can go, what they’ll respond to, and what their internal team will react to. If they’re asking for ideas, do you know if they really want fleshed out ideas, or just a few starting points? Do they like seeing big ideas, even if they go beyond the budget, or will they only react to things they can do?
Chemistry is having the ability to anticipate client needs. If a client says they’re launching a new product, is it second nature to know what is expected of you, and how best to mobilize? If news drops relating to your client’s brand, are you tuned in and ready to respond? Can you guess what their reaction would be to this news before you even speak?
THE IMPORTANCE OF CHEMISTRY IN CLIENT-AGENCY RELATIONSHIPS.
Chemistry is understanding the working style of your partner. Do they need everything explained in detail or do they appreciate broad strokes? Do they like only receiving finalized versions of work, or do they want to see every step in the process? Even something as simple as knowing whether they like PDF files or PowerPoint presentations can add to a relationship.
The fact is that chemistry is something that can be immediate or developed over time, but is always present in the most successful relationships. If clients and their marketing agencies are aligned in such a way that each can anticipate the needs, questions, and necessities of the other, you’ll find the process of creating great work is far easier and more effective. Which is great, because as Walter ultimately taught us, a lack of chemistry can lead to a rather spectacular downfall.