How many times have you heard that? That there’s no “I” in team. The reality is you rarely accomplish something solo. The people around you–whether working directly or indirectly–give you the strength to forge forward and create, develop, and build.
Agency teams and client marketing departments are no different. The relationships that are formed with these two entities are paramount to successful outputs. Working together, relying on each other and having the ability to remain honest and direct is a solid recipe for positive, brand building results.
I remember several years ago when I was client side, I just hired an ad agency to manage one of the brands I was handling. Sales for this particular brand had been declining for quite some time, and we needed a different approach for a saturated category. Something that would break through and create the level of awareness the brand hadn’t seen in awhile. The first round of creative ideas tanked. Way off strategy, and not at all differentiating enough to make the impact we needed. Not an easy conversation to have with people you truly enjoy working with. The agency was great, and our relationship with them was even greater. Imagine telling your best friend that the new outfit she was so happy to be wearing, looked ridiculous on her. That’s the position I was in.
Because I knew the agency could do better–because I knew I could rely on them to work with me and my team to create the breakthrough messaging the brand needed–I had the conversation with them. And, it went great. Together we were able to re-concept a phenomenal branding and traffic driving campaign that helped elevate brand awareness and put the company back on track. Last I checked in, the brand was doing double digits in comparable store sales. Pretty amazing.
So it goes without saying that relying on your team, your partner, your boss, your co-worker, or anyone for that matter to accomplish your goals, is a necessary part of being successful. You’re never alone in anything that you do if you just look around. There is always someone right there ready to lend a hand.
– Cindy Haynes