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On the
website of my agency, we claim that we aren’t self-serving or client serving,
we are consumer-serving. Let me start by saying this is absolutely true. I
stand by this statement. I wrote this statement. Now let me also say that it’s B.S.
Still
there? Wow, thanks for sticking around now that I’ve basically told you that I
am liar. I guess it’s time for some explanation.
We pride
ourselves in having an intimate knowledge of our audience, their needs, wants
wishes, behaviors (yadda, yadda, yadda). So when we dig deep into strategy and idea
creation we claim to be the experts in breaking through to the consumer and we
are great at it. Chances are, if you’re reading this you are, too. But in order
for our messages to even reach the consumer, there are a few other “audiences”
involved in creating great work.
The truth
is, everyone working in this business has to reach many audiences before they
talk the consumer. For example, if you are a copywriter you pride yourself in coming
up with great ideas, you already know how to talk to consumers and you know how
to break through to them. But, before your ideas can get anywhere near
consumers, you’ve got those dreaded “approvals” to go through, right? Another
way to look at this is that you’ve got at least six “audiences” to get through.
Your art director partner, your creative director, the account people, the
client and let’s not forget the client’s audience (e.g. their boss, board of
directors, etc.), then ultimately and hopefully the consumer. Assuming for a
moment that you work for an amazing shop that respects what you do and seldom
pushes back on your ideas, there are still two major audiences between your
idea and the consumer, your client and your client’s audience. Your client’s
audience, by the way, will likely make or break the success of any idea
(actually, any agency.)
Think about
the client and boss dynamic for a moment. Your client (most likely a marketing
director) gets paid to understand consumers and all that “creative stuff.” No
one else in his or her organization really needs to bother with it. So, he or
she often times is proving to her boss why the marketing department (and the ad
agency) even exists. It’s a tough job, full of scrutiny, constantly proving oneself
to a layer of people above them, be it a president, CEO, board of directors, or
an entire group of stakeholders sometimes all of the above. Now, think back to
a time a groundbreaking idea was killed for some reason that you know wasn’t
about the consumer. Whatever you were told, you knew that work would have been
amazing if it were produced. Did you pay attention to all the audiences
involved in that approval process? I bet if you did, you’d find something along
the way that had nothing to do with the idea or the consumer. One thing that’s
certain, you won’t be told the real reasons for these changes, especially if
they have to do with your client’s boss. So what do we often do as an agency? We
get our client on the phone try to talk them out of their changes by giving our
best “The consumer is going to love this!” spiel.
Next time
this happens, stop and take a deep breath. Are you making your client’s life
harder than it already is in this moment? You may be telling them something
they already know.
I believe
that you have the magical ability of getting in the head of your consumer, so
get in the head of the audience that is getting in the way of that consumer, because
if you don’t, you’ll push them hard enough to stop listening. If you have ever seen
the sign “I’m a designer not a f*cking screwdriver” and related to it, I hate
to break it to you this isn’t always a client that doesn’t “get it.” Sometimes
it’s a client or boss that doesn’t want to hear it from you right now. It’s also
an audience you have lost.
Don’t get
me wrong, I’m not telling you to start saying yes to every request from your boss
or client. But, if your work is great and you want it to see the light of day,
you need to think about the other audiences you are surrounded by first. Put
your talent where your mouth is and get into the mind of your creative
director, account director, marketing director, client or your client’s boss. You’ll
find you have an uncanny ability to recognize changes that come through having
nothing to do with you or your work. But even more importantly, you’ll
recognize the right time to roll up your sleeves and fight for it. And guess
what, this time your audience, whoever they may be, will actually listen.
Brantley Payne is VP/Creative Director
Glass Agency Sacramento California.
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