Chief
Related Posts
Client side brand manager in LA?
Conversation Starter
More Posts
Enthusiast
Java opens positions
Best flats for work?
Any Saudi folks here? Alf Mabrook!
Additional Posts in Advertising
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
Are these ideas on brief, on brand, on budget? If not, the problem isn’t the relationship.
Chief
Yes, what’s the point of weakening ideas that aren’t on brief, on brand and on budget? They’ll still be off brief, off brand and off budget.
My first ad agency I worked for was stupidly impressive, they’d creatively won everything a thousand times over. I remember the GM once saying, the very best ideas usually have holes in them, that’s what makes them awesome… you move everything about so it 100% is on brief and aligns to everything, it no longer is exciting. I’m paraphrasing but it always stuck with me
Never heard it articulated like that, but I like it.
Ok I’ll bite
In my career I’ve had 7 unique client relationships. Of the 7, I had an experience with 1 where I let the creative team rip and the client came back and ripped me over the coals for “crazy ideas they can’t use”.
That client was also the worst, and had the worst budget, and was generally just not a good person.
I don’t let them get to me, and I keep up my general mantra of “I’m just here to sell the creative, not critique it”
However, many of my peers in my line of work absolutely crumble at the idea of the client I mention here and they become their litmus test for what appropriate and good is. Depending on where you are in your career and when you encounter that negativity will shape how you approach things.
In this day and society right now, marketing clients don’t want to take risks and put their job at risk. Account people want to be frictionless in servitude. Everything is bleak and no one has fire, they just want to afford eggs.
Chief
I hear you you.
But why do we immediately assume that a creative is talking about ‘crazy ideas clients can’t use’ or ‘ideas that are off-brief’ (like someone else in this thread) when they’re defending work?
When i’m talking about great ideas that shouldn’t be weakened, i’m talking about ideas that are right for the brand and on brief. That’s a given.
But that’s not what my post is about.
I’m talking about accounts proactively weakening ideas because an account team has neglected building a decent relationship with a client. Because yes, that is harder than always playing devil’s advocate in reviews. That’s the easy thing to do, and it seems like some account teams have accepted that’s the only thing they’ll do.
It depends on the client.
1. Clients want to see a range of good ideas. They want traditional, safe ideas and they want to see their agency can push the creative or an idea. They’ll be excited about it. But many times their culture is the reason they tend to go in the middle - between a traditional idea and a more ambitious idea.
2. Selling in strong ideas requires an understanding of whether your day to day client can sell it internally. Sometimes they may not be up to it. Those ideas may need to be pre-sold to gain acceptance.
Rising Star
Creatives complaining about account was not on my 2025 bingo card.
It was on my 1988 bingo card. And every year since.
Here’s the difference between a good Account and bad ones.
Bad: Listen to me, I know the clients mind the best. This client will never buy this idea.
Good: Listen to me, I know the clients mind the best. Let me tell you how we can get the client to buy this idea.
1000% this
Sounds like power is in the wrong places if your account people are allowed to “weaken” ideas. Don’t let them? If, as you said, everything is on-brief, they can offer their opinion, but they don’t get editing privileges. The people making the agency product should own its delivery to clients. Accounts are there to coordinate and support in selling
Don't worry, AI, algorithms and tech bros will be fixing this age old issue very soon!
It’s amazing how remarkably versatile Creatives are… always seeming to not merely be able to easily perform in an Account/every capacity at the snap of one’s fingers, but perform 50x better. Why do we have anyone but Creative involved at all?!🤣
In all my time I have never once even considered telling a Creative how to do his or her job, let alone inform them how much better I could actually do it (which I have and can and unfortunately will continue doing in the future…).
How many times has a Creative done as much? How much time do you have?
It’s 2025, for goodness sake. We stopped caring about stroking your egos about ten years ago.
Chief
Relax, you lovable main character, you.
No one is saying all accounts do this. I shouldn’t even have to say that because it speaks for itself.
It’s ok to raise up valid points about people in a specific role.
There are undoubtedly valid things to say about certain creatives as well.
Are they weakening them by making edits/comments they feel the client will make?