Marketing Magic: The Hallmarks of a Strong Agency-Partner Relationship 

 
The single best predictor of success in our business, especially over the long term, is the quality of the agency-client relationship. Sure, you need to produce great results. But time and again – in my experience and as our agency’s seen in nearly three decades – the foundation of everything lies in the human-to-human relationship.

And that’s going to be increasingly important as automation and AI allow us to deliver ideas, copy, visuals, reports, etc., faster and better ways.

So what are the keys to building productive agency-client relationships? It’s a shared commitment built on the notion that we can be better together. Following is a look at the elements that we think are most important.

Our Role & Responsibilities 

As an agency partner, we play a significant role in fostering  this dynamic: 

• Commitment to Your Success: It’s our job to learn your business inside and out. Your mission. Your vision. Your people. But it doesn’t stop there: your industry, your competition, and market news and trends that can impact you are equally important. We must constantly strive to see around corners, to stay informed and keep you informed.

 

• Right Systems and People: The right systems and the right people are the engines that drive results. These two go hand-in-hand. A well-defined process that ensures both sides get what they need + a collaborative team of people with expertise and synergy (and who care about their partners professionally and personally)  = the foundation of success.

 

• Communication is Key: Keep clients informed with consistent, transparent communication. Get to a point where you answer their questions before they ever ask them. This means regular check-ins, timely responses, and process updates. Open dialogue allows us to navigate challenges and celebrate victories together. This is especially important at the beginning of a partnership, particularly when establishing expectations, process and success metrics.

 

• Embrace Creativity and Enthusiasm: Our industry is built on creativity. As marketers, we thrive on using our imaginations and infusing our emotions in our work. It’s what makes most of us tick. We infuse as much of this into solving our partners’ challenges. We hate boring and love ingenuity. We’re passionate about your brand and constantly think of ways to innovate and uncover new opportunities.

 

• Hard Work: If there’s one thing I learned from my time as a competitive athlete, it’s that hard work wins. We pair that work ethic with strategic smarts. Our partners invest in us, so it’s our job to give them our best effort day in and day out. Partner success is agency success. 

The Client Side of the Coin

Just like any successful relationship, a strong agency-partner bond requires effort from both sides. Here’s what we’ve seen from our most effective partners:

• Trust and Transparency: It’s fair to say that these two elements have been central in our best work, our best relationships. Partners who trust us enough to share everything they can, including confidential information with them, give us the tools and perspectives that enable us to develop the most insightful and impactful initiatives.

• Partners in Progress: We like to talk about how we view ourselves as an extension of our client’s teams. Not just taking orders, but part of the process of delivering success. It’s a nice talking point, but there’s an enormous truth to this. When part of the team, when not held at arm’s length, there’s a forced multiplier effect to what we can achieve.

• Constructive Feedback: Honest communication is vital. Open dialogue, alternative perspectives and constructive feedback can fuel creativity and innovation. “Good friction” can be just that – good – if managed in the right way. As in any relationship, evaluation, feedback, constructive criticism are at the heart of improvement. And that’s what’s truly important – not just what happens today – but are we working together to continue to get better.

• Active Engagement: Marketing partnerships aren’t a “set it and forget it” deal. It’s like a marriage that requires constant input and involvement.. (No ghosting here). Strong marketing partnerships are two-way streets, not one-way investments, that thrive on regular communication, active participation and a shared commitment. In fact, our most unsuccessful relationships have a common denominator – an unwilling participant in achieving success.

• Respect: Respect goes a long way. This includes valuing our time, prompt payments, honoring commitments and deadlines, and acknowledging the value we bring to the table, including our agency relationships and media expertise.

Our founder, Fred Conover (the “C” in CTP), recently said it best at the agency’s 28th anniversary: “We’re in the people business.” Success hinges on what truly makes us human: relationships.