That’s not what the client asked for. We know more than the client about the consumer. (That’s why we’re agents, not vendors.) It’s more important to meet the needs of the consumer than meeting what are sometimes the internal political demands of the client.
It’s due ASAP. Is it really? Or is it due because you’ve scheduled a client meeting prematurely? When will the work run? Can we have an interim meeting to show them what we’re thinking without spilling the beans?
They want last year’s work re-skinned. I suppose that’s ok, since nothing in the world, or nothing their competition is doing has changed since last year.
You didn’t hit every point on the brief. The brief was a client agenda—a negotiation, not a communication. This is too much information for our audience to take in.
We have to show it to low-level clients first. We show work to people who can both approve and disapprove. Not to people who only disapprove or people who try to improve.
Use stock photography. So we will stand out in the same way everyone else does. Do you go to a restaurant and ask for canned and frozen ingredients?
It’s only online content. You have one brand. Not an online brand and an offline brand. The same principles and integrity you demand from your traditional agency must be applied to content. Is the work on brand? Does it impart useful information? Is it brilliantly executed? Is it interesting, watchable?
My favorites are the ones who start every sentence with "The client said..."
ReplyDeleteGeorge,
ReplyDeleteNo insulating layers of red-tape here, so I see the client directly. (The work's a bit different, but the name of the game is the same, growing their biz.)
We get:
Can you do this for less? [If we could, we wouldn't bother invoicing you, we'd just let you throw money into the cage when we look hungry to you. For less, you're gonna get... less.]
My husband/ dog/ dead-mother-in-law doesn't like it. [Note to self, invite dog to initial consult and require his pawprint at all stages...]
My brother/ nephew/ infant son does it differently. [Yet you hired us? Hm.]
It's too modern for our customers. They like things they way we always did it. [And here I thought broadening your reach was why you called. Hm again.]
My all time favorite was "I know I invited you to write a proposal, but I can't do it. I just bought all new sofas."
Well, I hope they make your sales go *zoom.*
Regards,
Kelly