what clients think 2017 - pixooma · 02| what clients think 2017 up to the light up to the light is...

© UP TO THE L IGHT

WHAT CLIENTS THINK 2017A report based on 455 client interviews conducted on behalf of design agencies.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

http://www.uptothelight.co.uk/

© UP TO THE L IGHT02| WHAT CL IENTS THINK 2017

Up to the Light is the leading provider of Client Surveys to the UK design industry. This is our fourth ‘What Clients Think’ report and we are delighted that the report has rapidly become a definitive annual barometer of the client/agency relationship.

The 2017 report is based on 455 client interviews that Up to the Light conducted during 2016. All the interviews were commissioned by design agencies who recognised that interviews provide richer and more useful information than online surveys.

Names of the individual agencies and clients involved are confidential. However, we can share some interesting statistics when looking across all 455 interviews. As in previous years, it is a fascinating snapshot of the client viewpoint and provides important pointers for how agencies can strengthen their client relationships.

The report is divided into 3 sections. Firstly, ‘Client World’ looks at bigger picture client concerns and issues. Secondly, ‘Winning Clients’ looks at agency new business activity and pitching. Thirdly, ‘Retaining & Growing Clients’ covers client service and client development issues.

1. INTRODUCTION


INTRODUCTION

All the design agencies commissioned Up to the Light to conduct a Client Survey with their key clients. The purpose was to monitor the health of their most important client/agency relationships.

Specifically:

- Understand current perceptions of the agency’s strengths and weaknesses.

- Understand which boxes clients are putting them in, whether fairly or unfairly.

- Provide a better understanding of client needs and concerns.

- Identify client development opportunities.

- Highlight client service measures that can improve the relationship.

- Spot any problems early so that they can be dealt with proactively.

- Understand how they are compared to competitor agencies.

- Provide an assessment of client perceptions across areas such as creativity, value for money, ability to add value, proactivity, effective listening and commercial awareness.

- Understand how clients see the market more generally – trends and concerns.

- Assess the levels of client loyalty.

The design agencies cover every discipline and range in size from 5 employees to over 100.

About the agencies


INTRODUCTION

The 455 interviews are across a very broad range of clients – different industries, UK and international, business to business, business to consumer, not for profit.

Different areas represented include:

- Food and drink manufacturers

- Fashion retailers

- Other high street retailers

- Supermarkets

- Department stores

- Government

- Higher education

- Financial services

- Pharmaceuticals

- Health care

- Charities

- Automotive

- Professional services

- Hi tech/software

Job titles of people interviewed range from Chief Executives and Board Directors of major organisations to Brand Managers. However, they all have responsibility for buying design and have a relationship with a design agency. Most interviewees are responsible for day to day dealings with the design agency, whilst some have a more senior overseeing or ultimate responsibility role.

About the clients


INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

About the interviews

All the interviewees were first asked by their design agency for permission to be interviewed by Up to the Light on their behalf.

Many clients are now used to taking part in such an exercise and are impressed that their agency is taking the trouble to conduct an independent Client Survey. Consequently, they take time to give considered answers and most interviews last 30-45 minutes. Some are considerably longer.

All 455 interviews were conducted on the telephone. The statistics in this report are based on a core question set that was used across all 455 interviews, rather than bespoke questions that we use to probe issues specific to a particular client/agency relationship.


CLIENTWORLD

07| WHAT CL IENTS THINK 2017

CLIENT WORLD

© UP TO THE L IGHT

OF CLIENTS EXPECT THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT TO BE TOUGHER THIS

YEAR THAN LAST YEAR

Clients’ answers were influenced by factors such as Brexit uncertainty, increased downward pressure on budgets and

intense competition in most markets.

OF CLIENTS STATED THEY ARE UNABLE TO GIVE AS MUCH CONSIDERATION TO

LONGER TERM BRAND BUILDING AS THEY WOULD LIKE

Pressures on clients for quick wins and short term results seem more intense than ever.

88% 67%

1.1 Wider issues


CLIENT WORLD

52%

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OF CLIENTS BELIEVE THAT ‘DIGITAL’ IS NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD AND

SUPPORTED AT BOARD LEVEL IN THEIR ORGANISATION

Many marketers are still frustrated by a perceived lack of digital understanding at the most senior level in their organisation.

1.1 Wider issues


CLIENT WORLD

What are the biggest overarching client concerns?

Budget squeezingThe need to ‘do more with less’ is a familiar theme across the interviews. There seems to be no let-up in the general pressure on budgets.

Increasing competitionAlmost every client views their market as intensely competitive. They may be concerned about a more agile competitor, new market entrants or a more demanding, price conscious customer. Whatever the particular situation, the message is that no market stands still.

The need to stand outA consequence of increased competition, ‘noisy’ markets and less attentive customers is that it becomes more challenging for brands to stand out. As ever, agency ‘creativity’ has an important role to play.

1.1 Wider issues


CLIENT WORLD

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OF CLIENTS VIEW ‘GOOD DESIGN’ AS A VERY IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTOR TO

BRAND SUCCESS

Most clients readily accept that design is a potentially powerful tool in the marketing armoury.

OF CLIENTS PERCEIVE THE CREATIVE STANDARDS OF UK DESIGN AGENCIES TO

BE ‘VERY HIGH’

As in last year’s report, most clients acknowledge that there is a lot of really good work being done and that it is not difficult to select an

agency that will do a good creative job. Therefore, other selection factors come heavily into play. The work doesn’t speak for itself!

87% 86%

1.2 The ‘reputation’ of design


CLIENT WORLD

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OF CLIENTS BELIEVE THAT THEIR DESIGN AGENCY IS ‘IN THE BOARDROOM’

‘In the Boardroom’ means that the agency has a reputation at the client that goes to the top and has some good Board level

relationships at the client organisation. While design is viewed as important, agencies struggle to influence clients at the very highest

levels, especially when compared to management consultancies and advertising agencies.

1.2 The ‘reputation’ of design

6%


CLIENT WORLD

Many clients expressed a degree of cynicism about the following words and phrases:

‘Integrated’

What does it mean? So many agencies say it but hardly anyone actually delivers it. It seems to have become a devalued word.

‘Full service’

In clients’ eyes there are very few agencies that are truly ‘full service’. Clients are generally very critical of agencies that over claim, preferring them to be honest about their core competencies.

‘Digital’

This is a very big, umbrella term. More or less every agency claims to offer ‘digital’ but being a digital specialist is altogether different. Most clients seem to favour digital ‘specialists’ for more involved projects.

‘Storytelling’

Nothing wrong with the principle of ‘brand storytelling’ but it’s something that a lot of agencies now talk about. It seems to be part of design agency lingo. For some clients, the phrase is becoming a little trite.

1.3 Agency jargon


WINNING CLIENTS


WINNING CLIENTS

2.1. The agency website

Clients tend to take a fairly functional view of the agency website. There is a general dislike of anything overtly clever or flashy that gets in the way. For new business purposes, the agency website is about the fast extraction of useful information.


WINNING CLIENTS

OF CLIENTS BELIEVE THAT MOST AGENCY WEBSITES FAIL TO COMMUNICATE THE

AGENCY’S DIFFERENCE

In clients’ eyes, there are a mass of largely undifferentiated, generalist design agencies.

OF CLIENTS WANT A WEBSITE TO QUICKLY SHOW THEM WHAT THE

AGENCY IS BEST AT

The agency positioning is important but clients also need to quickly cut through to core competencies. What does this agency do, what is it best at? That doesn’t necessarily mean a shopping list of services. It’s

about clients being able to say, ‘This is where that agency excels.’

68% 90%



WINNING CLIENTS

OF CLIENTS BELIEVE THAT WEBSITE CASE STUDIES LACK BUSINESS CONTEXT

Most clients look at case studies seeking the answers to strategic questions, rather than wanting a general impression

of agency flair and creativity.

OF CLIENTS FEEL THAT MOST AGENCY WEBSITES FAIL TO ANSWER THE

QUESTION, ‘WHAT ARE THEY LIKE TO WORK WITH?’

A difficult question for agencies to answer on a website but it is something that clients tend to probe once initial questions about

credibility and relevant experience have been answered.

57% 48%



WINNING CLIENTS

Our interviews reveal that agency activity on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram is largely irrelevant for clients, and that these platforms are mainly communicating to employees and industry peers.

OF CLIENTS CLAIM NOT TO FOLLOW THEIR INCUMBENT AGENCY ON

SOCIAL MEDIA.

Clients usually say they are ‘too busy’ to do so.

94%

2.2 Social media


WINNING CLIENTS

OF CLIENTS CLAIM NOT TO FOLLOW ANY DESIGN AGENCY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

The chances of a client following an agency that they are not currently working with are very slim.

96%

2.2 Social media

OF CLIENTS CLAIM TO BE ON LINKEDIN AND TO USE THIS PLATFORM

LinkedIn appears to be far and away the most useful platform for business development purposes.

97%


WINNING CLIENTS

OF CLIENTS LIKE TO ‘DISCOVER’ A NEW AGENCY RATHER THAN FEEL ‘SOLD TO’

How can agencies attract clients to them rather than conventional ‘selling’? This represents the need for a dramatic shift away from

credentials based ‘selling’ to knowledge sharing.

NEW BUSINESS APPROACHES EVERY DAY

This is the average number of new business approaches that clients are fielding each day from agencies of different disciplines.

An increase on last year.

81%

2.3 New business activity

17


WINNING CLIENTS

OF CLIENTS ‘HATE’ COLD CALLS FROM AGENCIES AND NEW BUSINESS

COMPANIES

Most clients now associate their landline telephone with unsolicited sales calls.

OF CLIENTS SAY THEY ARE ‘TOO BUSY’ TO SEE SPECULATIVE AGENCY

‘CREDENTIALS PRESENTATIONS’

Clients are generally too busy to window shop. Conventional ‘credentials presentations’ are becoming outmoded. After all, most of this information is probably available on the agency’s website.

92% 79%



CLIENT WORLD

1.1 Wider issues

Top 3 reasons why clients see speculative agency presentations

A ‘speculative’ presentation is stimulated by an agency that the client is not currently working with and where there is generally no direct link to a specific project.

‘They’ve talked to my customers’Primary research with a brand’s customers is difficult to resist. The choice of subject area is key as many clients already have market research at their fingertips.

‘They’ve just done a really relevant project’ The agency may have just addressed a very similar challenge or worked with a brand that is in some way close to the client’s situation. Of course, there is an agency skill in how to make a particular project truly relevant to a potential client.

‘A specific view on my brand’Surprisingly few new business approaches by agencies are totally brand specific. In other words, ‘We’ve noticed this problem or issue about your brand…’ These approaches naturally take more time and preparation, but this research shows that they are easily the most effective means of starting a dialogue with a potential new client.

Trends, consumer and market observations also serve as more effective door openers. By contrast, purely credentials-led approaches are generally falling on deaf ears.


WINNING CLIENTS

OF CLIENTS PREFER TO TALK TO AGENCY OWNERS/PRINCIPALS RATHER THAN

‘SALES PEOPLE’

Is this an argument against job titles such as ‘Business Development Manager’ which tend to turn clients off? It is also a reinforcement of

what we all know to be true – the best people to sell a business are its owners/principals.

OF CLIENTS FIND AGENCY CASE STUDIES NOT AS HELPFUL AS THEY WOULD LIKE

THEM TO BE

Typical client complaints are that case studies can suffer from a lack of business context or that they are not properly tailored to demonstrate

relevance. Too many agency case studies feel ‘off the shelf’.

66%


64%


WINNING CLIENTS

OF CLIENTS WITH AN AGENCY ROSTER OR ‘PREFERRED SUPPLIERS’ LIST ARE

PREPARED TO BREAK AWAY FROM IT

For the right agency with the right experience and expertise.

72%



WINNING CLIENTS

OF CLIENTS BELIEVE THAT A PITCH IS GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE FOR HIGH

VALUE PROJECTS

As in previous reports, the vast majority of clients consider a pitch to be ‘best practice’ and a matter of straightforward ‘due diligence.’ It is important to note that this statistic applies to ‘high value’ pitches. The

definition of ‘high value’ differs depending on the market.

OF INCUMBENT AGENCIES HAVE A CHANCE OF RETAINING THE BUSINESS

ONCE A PITCH HAS BEEN CALLED

This figure is for bigger pitches which are part and parcel of a fundamental review of the brand’s approach, rather than

for smaller projects.

99% 33%

2.4 Pitching


WINNING CLIENTS

AGENCIES THAT HAVE NOT MET THE CLIENT FACE TO FACE BEFORE THE PITCH

PRESENTATION ONLY HAVE AN 8% CHANCE OF WINNING

If you can’t meet the client face to face before the pitch, then is it worth pitching?

OF CLIENTS WOULD NOT EXPECT TO PAY FOR A CREATIVE PITCH

A similarly high percentage as last year. Many agencies seem willing to free pitch when the carrot is big enough, despite what

they may say publicly.

68%

2.4 Pitching

8%


WINNING CLIENTS

The top 3 concerns about selecting a small agency. Things that a smaller agency may have to counter in a pitch:

2.4 Pitching

‘They will be too stretched’

A concern that a smaller agency may not be able to cope with a high workload.

‘Too dependent upon 1 or 2 key people’

What happens if a key person leaves? Is there enough depth in the agency?

‘Client service will not be as organised’

The smaller agency’s approach to account management can feel less buttoned down. Will this involve more work for the client?


WINNING CLIENTS

The top 3 concerns about selecting a large agency. Things that a larger agency may have to counter in a pitch:

2.4 Pitching

‘Their approach is less flexible’

There can be a fear that the client will have to work to the large agency’s agenda and rigid processes.

‘Will they really care?’

Will the client be important to the larger agency or just another client? Will senior, experienced people be working on the business in a consistent way?

‘Will they keep surprising me?’

The bigger agency can often be reassuring in terms of experience and credentials, but is there something a touch more formulaic and predictable versus the smaller agency?


WINNING CLIENTS

The top 5 reasons why agencies win pitches:

2.4 Pitching

‘We feel we can work well with them’ It is often the softer factors that win pitches. Will they be good to work with? Are they enthusiastic but still consultative? Are they strong individuals who will work well as a team?

‘They get it’ This is a much-used phrase about agencies in pitches, used either positively, ‘They get it’ or negatively, ‘They didn’t get it.’ Agencies that ‘get it’ understand the client’s anxieties. They are able to interpret and move the brief on, not simply replay it. They understand the project’s complexities and challenges, but have an ability to express these in a simple, clear way.

‘The best creative approach’ The fruits of ‘they get it’ are creative concepts that nail the brief but also often transcend initial expectations at brief stage.

‘Delivery’ Sometimes an area that agencies fail to sufficiently cover. ‘Delivery’ is the area of biggest potential client embarrassment. There is usually one person on a pitch panel who has had a ‘bad experience’ with an agency. This is usually around client service or production, rather than thinking or creativity. They are waiting for reassurance.

‘Extra effort’ The winner put in that extra effort’ is a frequent comment. This could be a more rigorous competitive review, conducting more research with customers, site visits beyond the obvious flagship destination or more work to bring a recommended creative concept to life across different channels and formats.

First:

Second:

Third:

Fourth:

Fifth:


RETAINING & GROWING CLIENTS



3.1 Client expectations

Clients were asked for the main expectations of their design agency. These are the top 5.

First:

‘On time and on budget’

Perhaps not the most exciting expectation but a vital one for clients. Like last year’s report, ‘on time and on budget’ comes above ‘creativity’ as the primary client expectation. Failing to deliver on time and on budget has the potential to cause the client far more aggravation that mediocre creativity.

Second:

‘Challenge us’

Most agencies constructively challenge at the start of a relationship but it can be difficult to maintain this as the months go on. Clients are quick to spot when their agency starts to fall back to a more reactive, ‘brief taker’ position. Constructive challenge helps transform good client/agency relationships into excellent ones.

Third:

‘Consistently high quality creative work’

It is perhaps surprising that creativity is only third on the list. This may reflect the fact that, to some extent, high quality creative work is a given. The word ‘consistent’ is important. Clients prefer a reliable, consistent high standard to peaks of genius accompanied by dips in quality.

Fourth:

‘Teamwork’

This isn’t just about the agency’s ability to work well with the client. It is also about the ability to work harmoniously with other agencies as part of a bigger team. For many clients, this is becoming an increasingly important consideration.

Fifth:

‘Brand and market understanding’

Most design agencies know as much as they need to know in order to engage with the project and answer the brief. However, clients are often conscious that more knowledge would enable the agency to be more proactive and more credible when proposing ideas.



© UP TO THE L IGHT

OF CLIENTS BELIEVE THAT THEIR DESIGN AGENCY ‘REGULARLY EXCEEDS’ THEIR

EXPECTATIONS

Clients were asked to describe their top expectations of the agency and then to what extent these expectations are met. Whilst ‘regularly

exceeds’ is a low percentage, it is important to note that their expectations can be quite broad ranging and encompass different

aspects of the relationship. If their expectations only referred to quality of creative work, then this figure would be much higher.

3.1 Client expectations

14%



© UP TO THE L IGHT

OF CLIENTS STATED THAT THEY ARE ‘UNDER SOME PRESSURE’ TO REDUCE

AGENCY COSTS

Downward pressure on agency costs continues and the need for agencies to ‘work more efficiently’ was often mentioned in

these interviews.

OF CLIENTS BELIEVE THAT AGENCIES ARE NOT FLEXIBLE ENOUGH ON COSTS

There is a certain amount of cynicism about agency inflexibility on costs. Some clients complained of a ‘one size fits all’ approach to fees where agencies are unwilling to recognise that different types of work

command different fee levels. Others expressed frustration with the typical ‘counting hours’ agency model.

88% 49%

3.2 Costs



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OF CLIENTS SAID THEIR AGENCY HAD ‘SOMETIMES’ EXCEEDED THE AGREED

BUDGET

Many of these clients were quick to admit some responsibility for this. After all, clients can change their minds or make demands that

have an impact on costs. A smaller group, approximately 15%, laid the blame more firmly at the agency’s door with tales of ‘creeping fees’

and requests for more money that came as a ‘nasty surprise.

OF CLIENTS CONSIDER THEIR DESIGN AGENCY TO BE ‘GOOD VALUE FOR

MONEY’

These are clients who gave an unqualified ‘Yes’ to a question about whether their agency is good value for money. This is encouraging,

given that many clients feel ‘under some pressure’ to reduce agency costs.

40% 55%

3.2 Costs



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OF CLIENTS CONSIDER THEIR DESIGN AGENCY TO BE GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY

‘IN PART’

There are a range of ways in which these clients qualify their answers.

39%

3.2 Costs

Some examples include:

• It is very difficult to quantify value for money where design is concerned.

• It may be slightly too early in the relationship to judge value for money.

• A particular service seems disproportionately expensive.

• A general lack of agency flexibility in their approach to fees.

• Competitors are perceived as being cheaper.

• An agency’s weaker account management means that the client is having to devote a disproportionate amount of time to the relationship.

• An agency is struggling to fully understand or crack a particular challenge, requiring re-briefings and extra time.

It is also worth noting that some clients may be unwilling to give an unqualified ‘Yes’ on value for money because they want to keep the agency ‘on their toes’ in some way.



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OF CLIENTS BELIEVE THEIR AGENCY TO BE ‘A LITTLE EXPENSIVE’ VERSUS OTHER

AGENCIES

This is often a subjective measure. Clients tend to believe that their agency is ‘a little expensive’ versus other agencies regardless of

whether they have done any recent cost comparisons.

79%

3.2 Costs



© UP TO THE L IGHT

OF CLIENTS SEE THEIR DESIGN AGENCY AS A ‘PARTNER’ RATHER THAN

A SUPPLIER

The rest see their agency as either a supplier or part supplier, part partner. To be considered a full partner is perhaps more difficult than some agencies realise. The largely project based nature of the design industry can make this objective challenging. Also, for some clients, merely answering the brief and doing a good job will always equal a supplier relationship. They are seeking a level of agency proactivity

that goes beyond the project in hand.

OF CLIENTS BELIEVE THAT THEIR DESIGN AGENCY SHOULD ASK MORE QUESTIONS

Asking questions is a good habit. Agencies frequently ask lots of questions at the beginning of a relationship but this is sometimes not sustained. Continued questions show interest and enthusiasm. The knowledge gained can also stimulate proactive ideas and effective

client development.

72% 44%

3.3 Client service



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OF CLIENTS WHO HAD A WEAKER OR MORE VULNERABLE RELATIONSHIP WITH

THEIR DESIGN AGENCY CITED CLIENT SERVICE ISSUES AS THE MAIN REASON

A similar percentage to last year’s report. Once again, it is the nuts and bolts client service issues that are to blame, rather than

quality of creativity or thinking.

87%

3.3 Client service

Examples include:

• Budget management – failing to flag things up early.

• Too slow to reveal problems or attempting to ‘hide’ a problem.

• General sloppiness – late for meetings, not prepared.

• Haphazard – no contact reports, client has to chase, ‘last minute’ feeling, poor communications.

• Too passive – not driving things, supplier not partner mentality.

• Making it hard work – choosing the wrong battles, overly defensive, stubborn.

• A clash of personalities/styles.

These examples are often viewed as deterioration from an earlier point in the relationship when agency keenness and commitment was deemed to be higher.



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OF CLIENTS REFERRED TO AN AGENCY ‘MISTAKE’ THAT HAPPENED OVER

A YEAR AGO

Clients seem to have a long memory for mistakes and shorter memories for great creative work. Most ‘mistakes’ concern client

service and production issues.

OF CLIENTS WOULD LIKE AGENCY CONTACT REPORTS AND UPDATES TO BE

SHORTER AND SHARPER

Clients tend to value conciseness in written communications.

34% 38%

3.3 Client service



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OF CLIENTS ‘LOOK FORWARD TO MEETINGS’ WITH THEIR DESIGN AGENCY

An encouragingly high percentage. It seems that a meeting with their design agency really is a fun part of the client’s day or week.

OF CLIENTS BELIEVE THAT DESIGN AGENCIES SUFFER FROM A HIGH RATE OF

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT CHURN

A good account manager leaving an agency is an inconvenience for the client, and can sometimes be extremely disruptive. There is

a re-investment of time required to bring the replacement up to speed, as well as getting to know a new personality.

88% 41%

3.3 Client service



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OF CLIENTS HAVE EXPERIENCED A POOR HANDOVER WHEN A MEMBER OF STAFF

LEAVES AN AGENCY AND A NEW PERSON STARTS

Clients appreciate that people leave agencies but are very sensitive about how it is handled.

49%

3.3 Client service

Typical client complaints include:

• Not informed early enough that someone is leaving.

• No contact from someone senior at the agency to inform them about the change.

• The new person just turns up at a meeting without previous proper introduction.

• Inadequate briefing of the new person by the agency and taking too long to get the new person up to speed.



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OF CLIENTS PREFER THEIR AGENCY TO BE AMBITIOUS FOR MORE BUSINESS

Why? Because agency ambition signifies a certain cultural dynamism, a get up and go mentality. While most clients react badly to pushy,

‘selling’ activity, they still like to feel that their agency is keen to grow more business. Clients are quick to point out when an agency feels a

touch sleepy or passive in this regard. It can suggest a deeper malaise.

OF CLIENTS HAVE BEEN ‘IRRITATED’ BY AGENCY ATTEMPTS TO WIN MORE

BUSINESS

How agencies go about client development is crucial. It is a sensitive process and clients do not like agency ambition interfering with the project in hand. Great client development is about building trust and

adding value, not ‘upselling’.

67% 40%

3.4 Client development



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OF CLIENTS COULD NOT REMEMBER VISITING THEIR AGENCY’S WEBSITE

As in our previous reports, the agency website continues to be a missed communication channel for current clients. The most popular

reasons for clients visiting their incumbent agency’s website are to check contact details, show a colleague their agency or check out

their own case study.

OF CLIENTS RARELY OR NEVER READ THE AGENCY NEWSLETTER OR CLAIM NOT TO

RECEIVE IT

The agency newsletter has become ubiquitous and they are generally failing to win client attention. There is some evidence that

printed newsletters work better than e-mailed ones. They have greater longevity and clients can put them in their bag to read on a train

or flight.

89% 46%




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OF CLIENTS BELIEVE THAT THEIR DESIGN AGENCY COULD PROVIDE MORE ADDED

VALUE COMMUNICATION

Most clients are locked into a relatively narrow world of their particular brand and organisation. As consultants, agencies usually have

experience of many different brands and markets. Clients are generally keen to tap into this knowledge and want their agency to ‘be our eyes and ears’. Many agencies are good at talking about their own success

but less good at sharing knowledge.

OF CLIENTS ARE NOT AWARE OF THEIR AGENCY’S FULL SKILL SET

An improvement on last year’s report. Clients like to put agencies in particular boxes. Some are fair and others inaccurate. Independent client interviews continually reveal how relatively unaware agencies are of these perceptions because they are rarely voiced directly to

the agency.

77% 46%




Top 3 client fears about working with design agencies:


First:

Will they need to be ‘micro-managed’?

A big part of the agency’s role is to make the client’s life easier but any need for so called ‘micro-management’ of agencies has the potential to severely disrupt a client’s time. Agencies are expected to ‘get up to speed’ more quickly than ever.

Second:

Will they provide workable creative solutions?

Clients are looking for solutions that answer the brief and move things on, but are often operating within certain corporate parameters that they claim agencies sometimes don’t fully understand. For many clients there is an ever present nervousness around the workability of what agencies present.

Third:

Will they grow too fast and lose what makes them special?

Clients generally like their agency to be successful. However, at the same time, they are often wary of agency growth. Clients are quick to share anecdotes of how a particular agency lost its core appeal and specialness in the pursuit of growth.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Up to the Light is the leading provider of client surveys to the UK design industry. The consultancy offers expert, objective and experienced advice for marketing services agencies and professional services firms. The consultancy’s approach is to challenge ingrained assumptions and offer more effective, insight-led thinking.

Services include:Client SurveysBusiness development strategyPitching adviceBusiness differentiationTraining & workshopsBrand strategy for clients in partnership with agencies

Up to the Light Ltd.Citibase Brighton95 Ditchling RoadBrighton BN1 4ST

T +44 (0)1273 573806 E [email protected]

www.uptothelight.co.uk



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