• by Mike Robertson , September 6, 2011

Many of us are familiar with the situation, however it unfolds, that a meeting of the minds that once seemed so promising is now marked by encounters fraught with tension and uncertainty. Experts -- even non-experts -- will tell you these are signs of a troubled relationship. So why do so many of us stay?

It may not be clear to you at this point, but I'm referring to dysfunctional agency/client relationships, and it's probably safe to say most of us have been there -- on either side. It's far too common in our industry, and it adversely affects everyone and everything involved -- including the work itself.

Scientific research reveals that stress and fear literally inhibit higher reasoning and put people into survival mode. Think about it: you probably don't contemplate higher, more involved concepts while you are harboring concerns about the organization on whose behalf you toil. These stressful agency/client relationships create an environment of fear and anxiety, and as a result, careful analysis is stifled -- and performance is diminished.

As agencies and clients, our goal should always be to work together to form relationships based on respect and appreciation. If that sounds too touchy-feely for the fast-paced world of advertising, just look at it this way: An environment conducive to good analytic thinking delivers results. And that can only enhance the bottom line.

A symbiotic relationship between agency and client is key to achieving success. But what does that really mean? At our firm, we've adopted some principles for how we work with our clients. They emanate from an agency perspective, but can be applied in both directions.

Listen. As an agency, you are charged with media planning and buying that will drive superior return on investment. As a client, you are responsible for the growth and well-being of your company, and to accomplish this, it is important that your goals and objectives are clearly communicated and understood.

It may seem obvious in a partnership like this, but both parties come to the table with their own expertise -- the client on how to run their business, the agency on how to promote it. Through listening, understanding and a true sense of cooperation, the parties can use their respective talents to work together to grow it. Only through listening will each be heard.

Never judge. "There's no such thing as a bad idea." It's a popular expression, but for good reason: listening to an idea without judgment can open you up to new learnings. Indeed, even a supposedly "bad" idea can trigger an epiphany. It is important to always remember that just because you don't respond to a particular concept doesn't mean that it doesn't contain some nugget of insight. Get serious about the numbers. It's called accountability, and without it, the relationship will undoubtedly suffer. Attaching some level of quantifiable accountability provides an enormous amount of peace and mutual respect within a partnership. It removes the mystery for both sides and establishes concrete criteria by which the campaign will be measured and its success judged. Then both parties -- agency and client -- can be answerable to the results.

Advertising is about growing a business, so ultimately, it's the numbers that determine success. In our experience, "return on integrity" -- the principle that guides mutual respect -- also drives the other flavor of ROI.

Commit to mutual advocacy. I have seen too many agency/client relationships in which the dynamic has soured. The goal should always be one of mutual advocacy. Because our firm is ROI-driven, our success is directly linked to our clients' success. This symbiotic relationship drives more than success; it also fosters respect.

All of this matters because effective advertising must touch consumers at an emotional and spiritual level, whether on the creative or the media side of the ledger. And I strongly believe that this cannot be achieved if the advertisers themselves, the client and the agency, are not connecting at some level with each other.

A good example of this in action is Priceline.com -- an iconic brand that helps the traveling public find seats, rooms and experiences. Flash back more than a decade. There were few things that were more daunting than booking a vacation or handling a last-minute business trip, except helping an online travel startoup achieve enormous traction in record time.

To connect with Priceline's target audience, we needed a campaign that used traditional media to catapult the brand into a "household name" with positive ROI -- and then maintain that. And we have year after year.

As a result, well into its second decade, Priceline's brand continues to grow. The company has built a sustainable brand through an advertising campaign that positions it as a business partner for smart travelers. But that successful campaign started with an understanding at every level -- from agency to advertiser to customer.

The work is simply not worth your effort if you don't care deeply about your clients' businesses.