#PRChurch: The Chairman smiled
As the client’s presentation came to a close, he paused the board meeting to applaud the marketing efforts, to acknowledge that it was, again, head and shoulders above the competition, and was instrumental in growing market share in this fraught economy, before giving the nod to unlocking a bigger budget.
Continuing the story, the client then peered up at us, all on square screens logging in from across the country this week, and said, “Of course, this all belongs to you, I hope that you are happy working with us, and that you will agree to continue for another year.” Imagine that. It was a simple, humbling moment in another rough and tumble year that seems to be wearing everyone down.
The little square blocks of disparate people were not made up of agencies. The client has slowly and consciously cobbled together her own agency: a dream team of specialists, both in-house and external, who work collaboratively to make the work better, and better. This year is my sixth year of working with this client.
A few weeks ago I was in a meeting with a potential new client who asked me if they should hire an agency and who they should approach. Knowing a little about how they work I suggested she build her own agency of specialists who can plug in and play. I sensed her discomfort. Agency choices are tricky decisions. The subterfuge of the pitching process, the locking in of contracts, the onboarding sessions and deep, deep commitments to making it work. I sometimes wonder if clients understand how much THEY need to invest into this, versus the short-term thrill of the hunt and chase.
I have been working with another agency that specialises in building in-house offerings. At scale. For big brands. It’s the kind of disruption that intrigues me. And speaking to one of their clients, a consistent theme was the deep commitment it took from client side to make it work.
At KAMuses we have been equally disruptive. We shrink to teams of two and expand to 18 according to brief and project. And despite my disdain for the retainer, have converted many clients to this space at their behest. I still say, to this day, projects-first so we can size each other: chemistry, ways of working, pace, agility, delivery, counsel, strategic thinking, creativity!
We kick-started two big projects this month. With two big brands. One global, one local. No pitching. Word of mouth. Still the best new business tool. Driven by massive leadership push. With massive asks. What do I mean by this? Two strong, albeit different leaders, who have sought us out and brought us in, mandating their huge, complex teams to make space for us at the table. Because they know what is at stake.
I love clients like these. They open the door. They express their needs clearly. They run 30-minute max meetings with me, and they throw us into the playpen to figure out the rest ourselves. It’s not for the faint of heart, granted. But that’s when working with integrity, from the heart, with brand first flourishes. And you can quietly let the ego, defensiveness and silliness fade into the background where it belongs. Knowing that fear is short-lived and there is enough cake for everyone.
The new clients gave me cause to pause as well. And to add a new slide to our creds deck called “Kingmaker”. Yes, we’ve won 41 awards for clients in 41 months. But we have also quietly, solidly, helped accelerate careers because we make clients shine without anyone ever knowing our involvement. Over the past 3.5 years we have watched a CMO become the CEO. A Head of Corporate Affairs regional becoming the Vice President of Outreach Global. A Head of Marketing and Sales add another portfolio to her growing repertoire. And so many more like that. What does it take to become a QueenMaker? Trust. Capacity capping (being available and on call). Strategic counsel, not just for the big moves but the smaller opportunities that arise in conversation that can quickly be actioned and harnessed.
It's not all fun and games. Corporate warfare is real. Creative campaigns and awards only get you so far. It’s about turning PR and communications into a brand asset, not just a support function. And never forgetting about what is at stake, not just for the company’s good, but the country’s good. It has seen me hauled into CEOs offices to defend a strategy. It’s also seen me hauled into CEOs offices to explain why something is a bad, bad idea. It’s also seen me hauled in to explain how rotten to the core a certain part of the business is and how a PR plaster will not work. Sometimes I am heard, sometimes I am not. And I am not always right. After all, the client knows the business and politics best. And that’s when those 30min meetings become crucial: the middle ground, the opportunity, the building of rigor and muscle. It’s time to get pulsing again.
Takeouts for you:
If you and your clients feel stuck, don’t be afraid of broaching a project model to them. It may just unstick the stuck.
If you run an agency, think how you can disrupt your offering to make it easier for new and existing clients to use you.
Similarly, if you are the client, think of the dream agency you need and then find one to fit that spec. The onus is on you to be equally disruptive as a changemaker.
When clients throw you in the playpen with multiple other agencies, define your role to them clearly, quickly and up front so that everyone can relax.
Get ego and fear out of the way quickly. Who cares who came up with the idea? Who cares who gets to execute on it? When the brand shines, the client shines. And you get asked to the next brief.
Charge your worth. I kept costs down to the minimum in the pandemic years, but: Kingmaker / Queenmaker. And I know what we live, eat, breathe, commit to get clients there.
Partnerships mean honest conversations. Hard to hear, hard to say conversations. Both ways. It’s how clients know what to use you for, what to mandate you for and what to endorse you for to their teams. And it’s how you know what to say yes to, no to, never mind how to resource and cost.
Integrity. My holy grail. Do what you say you are going to do.
Namaste. It’s been a hard few months. My heart sees your heart. It’s time to get pulsing again.