Media agencies need to stop apologising and tell clients what they really think, MediaCom's director of content and connections planning Beau Curtis says.
In an opinion piece published on LinkedIn, Curtis says he is sick of how apologetic media agencies have become, wondering whether the propensity to say 'sorry' has to do with the amount of British expats at agencies. In the UK, saying 'sorry' for just about everything that may potentially go wrong (even if it is not your fault) is not uncommon.
Curtis says client communications is becoming too cautious with phrases like 'we think' and 'our aim' rather than "being direct and talking about what action we want people to take or how we want to make them feel".
He believes this "vagueness" is used for fear of failure or being wrong, but all this does is devalue the service that agencies provide.
"Agencies role in the marketing landscape is to have an opinion. To make recommendations as to how, where and when our clients talk to people. Not to be right all the time," Curtis says.
"Clear, concise and logical recommendations are the easiest way to add value to our clients. Helping to make sense of their options and guide them to make decisions which maximise the impact of their communications and ultimately deliver their business objectives. Buying the space is the last piece of the puzzle.
"Media and, to a lesser extent, creative have become increasingly seen as commodities by procurement people looking to prove their worth by reducing costs and we've helped them. We've reduced our value by hedging our bets."
Curtis has urged agencies to have an opinion, saying good clients won't punish agencies if they occasionally get it wrong as long as lessons are learnt along the way.
What do you think? Are agencies too vague in client communications and does this devalue the service? Share your comments below or contact journalist Arvind Hickman on: arvindhickman@yaffa.com.au
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