Agencies obsess over clients. The obsession is not reciprocal. Dacre’s Alex Dixon makes the point.
We often make the mistake of believing they are. Because as agencies, we’re constantly thinking about them.
Toeing the line between over- and under - servicing. Running forecasts. Burn reports. Deciding which service line to push next.Which awards to enter them in. Which panel to get them on.
But too often, it’s about what we want from the relationship, not what’s best for them.
This is why pieces like Rory McEntee’s recent ‘I ditched my creative agency for AI and, yes, I’m sleeping just fine,’ sting a little. McEntee, CMO at GymNation, admits he’s getting better results from AI than he ever did from agency partners. Whether you agree with him or not, the point is clear: clients are not romanticising agencies. They are focused on outcomes, speed, and value. And if we fail to provide those, they will find other ways.
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The reality is that clients are busy figuring out how to grow their business.
Not singing our manifestos. Not poring over our case studies. Not presenting our campaigns to their friends and family.
They’re shifting budgets, fending off cuts, managing politics, and juggling demands from other departments. All while worrying about share price. Fighting the constant battle of proving what marketing delivers back to the business versus what it costs.
Being a marketer right now is tough. Really tough.
So when we get annoyed that our big creative idea doesn’t get signed off, or our strategy doesn’t land. When we’re frustrated that things aren’t done “the right way.” When briefs are pulled, responses delayed, and we’re stuck in stakeholder loops.
It’s not personal. It’s business. And business is messy. Change is constant.
We also talk endlessly about which agencies are set up to win. The “death” of the holdcos. The rise of the indies.
But honestly?
Clients don’t care about our problems. They have their own. And they want them solved by people who get it. Who don’t mess them around. Who don’t overcharge.
They want value. And that has many definitions.
The real question is: how can we be relentlessly useful?
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Not by giving things away for free. Not by being order-takers. That’s bad business. But by truly understanding the micro and macro pressures our clients face. By making their lives just a little easier. By offering considered, thoughtful advice that is actionable. By bringing a fresh perspective. A new way of seeing.
Helping them reach the heights they are aiming for.
That is value.
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It is psychology, creativity, economics, technology, and emotional intelligence all wrapped into one.
That is how we move from a time-based model to a value-led one.
But first, we need to understand what value means to our clients.