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Advertising and Promotion (MKT621)
VU
Lesson 31
CLIENT ­ AGENCY RELATIONSHIP
OVERVIEW
In this lecture the requirements of a good client and its relationship with agency will be further
explained. On the other hand the basic requirements of holding on to clients will be discussed.
It will be further apprised that basically an agency is always walking on a tight rope however, if
it is naturally and insecure agency then it should expect rough passage.
HOW TO KEEP CLIENTS (10 Ways):
In order to convince the client of an agencies proficiency and command over the understanding
of the client's requirement it is essential that the agency should and sure proper service,
creative campaign ideas and the launch of campaign based on various aspects of market and
target audience. In this regard there are ten ways to achieve this effectively.
1.
Devote your best brains to the service of your clients.
2.
Avoid hiring unstable, quarrelsome executives.
3.
Avoid taking on clients who have a record of firing agencies regularly.
4.
Keep contact with your clients at all levels.
5.
Begin preparing another campaign as soon as one has been approved by the client.
6.
Try to see things from the client's perspective.
7.
Never refuse a client on a pretext of having a previous engagement.
8.
Better admit mistakes & do so before you are charged with them.
9.
Always rehearse you presentations before presenting to clients.
10.
During a presentation while reading aloud never depart from printed text.
HOW TO BE A TOP ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE:
The most important factor in an agency is the office of accounts executive it is he who has
direct contact with the client, reads clients mind and works in coordination with the creative
team to translate the requirement of the client into a forceful campaign. In order to be a top
accounts executive it is mandatory that such executive should have following qualities in
him/her.
·  Be Ambitious but not Aggressive: As explained above the accounts executive should be
sharp and be able to understand and read the mind of the client get it is essential that
through his deliberations with the client he may sound ambitious yet at no time should
show aggressiveness.
·  Don't be Arrogant: The account executive must be very humble, soft spoken and
concentrate.
·  Read as much as Possible: An account executive can only be efficient and convincing if
he or she be fully aware of the market and the different trends. Besides this he should
have access to various surveys conducting and available about the product of the client.
·  Study Advertising Trends of Market: It is also essential that the account executive
should be fully alert to the prevalent advertising trends of competitors in the market.
·  Develop the Mind for Team Work: The account executive should always have the
ability to develop a team and to get the best out of it.
Eight Points of Advice
The account executive can only be the best if he/she adheres to certain principles as he or she is
bound to be confronted with unexpected and undesirable situations. It is the handling of these
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Advertising and Promotion (MKT621)
VU
situations which will win the battle for the account executive. In this regard following eight
points of advice can prove useful and important.
1. When blackballed don't be disheartened: If at any time the idea presented by the
account executive is rejected he or she should not be dishearten and prepare alternatives.
2. Be a good marketer: The account executive should be a person who can sell his concept
buy his ability to do so and the information regarding the market.
3. Learn to make good presentations: In this competitive world the most effective method
of presenting an idea to the client is through the making of good presentations, these can
be done through overhead projectors, slides and computer aided multimedia
presentations.
4. Make friends with clients: Those accounts executives who have good contacts and
friendly relationship with the clients are bound to win more accounts and benefits for
their agencies.
5. Do not discuss client's business in transit: Clients business are to be treated in
confidence and should never be discussed in open with friends or fellow professionals
because the leaking of a good idea of the client may hurt future business prospects.
6. Keep their secret papers under lock & key: All notes, papers regarding the client's
campaign should never be left open and always kept under lock and key.
7. Conveying an idea to the mind of a copywriter should be done privately & tactfully:
The idea derived or conceived after the discussion with the clients should be conveyed to
copy writer privately and tactfully so that the creativity of the copy writer meets the
requirement of the client.
8. Be brave in admitting your mistakes: During the process of creating an idea or a
campaign and the subsequent launching there are bound to be short coming and mistakes.
A smart account executive should be cognizant of these and the ready to admit them once
identify ensuring that these are not pointed out by the client or third party to undermine
your effort.
Three Points for Consideration
In this century there is strong competition for similar products by various manufacturers this is
resulting in excessive use of marketing and advertising techniques as a result there is high
demand for account executives but despite this in view of the vulnerability of the agencies
because of performance the job security to the advertising processionals is much less than other
professions. Therefore, the top account executives have to keep the following three points for
consideration before adopting this profession.
A.
HIGH DEMAND for Account Executives.
B.
LESS JOB SECURITY than other professions.
C.
LESS FRINGE BENEFITS than other businesses.
KEY TO MANAGE ADVERTISING AGENCY:
The important component in the advertising scenario is an advertising agency. The success of
an advertising agency lies in its proper management as managing an advertising agency is just
like managing any other creative organization. Over a period of time the experience of various
advertising agencies and its managers the following points are a good key to manage an
advertising agency.
·  Admire people who work hard: This will result in better output and the requirement of
fewer employees.
·  Admire people with first class brains: An advertising agency always needs brainy
people but it is essential that the brains are also combined with intellectual honesty.
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Advertising and Promotion (MKT621)
VU
·  Do not employ nepots or spouses: Generally such employees breed politics therefore
such practices should be discouraged.
·  Admire people who work with gusto: You have to see and admire those who are
enjoying what they are doing.
·  Admire self confident professionals: The advertising agency should respect an admire
those who do their work diligently and with excellence.
·  Admire people who hire subordinates who are good enough to succeed them:
Generally this means that such people are good enough and the do not feel insure thus
will always give the best output.
·  Admire people who build their subordinates: The agency should encourage the people
who died and build their subordinates because in case of additional requirements the
agency will not have to go outside to fill important jobs.
·  Acquire people with gentle manners: The quarrelsome people are detrimental to the
interest of the agency. It is therefore essential that to manage an advertising agency in the
best possible and acceptable ways to acquire and admire the people with gentle manners
that will treat the others as human beings.
·  Admire well organized people: Those employees who work hard and deliver their work
on time must be admired fully so that they feel encouraged and give the best output.
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