Collaborators will be.......rewarded! - Trust me, I'm an agency

Caused a bit of controversy the other week when we revealed clients did not trust agencies to deliver 360 integrated solutions.

"Too important to leave to the rhetoric of agencies"

"We have to lead this ourselves-agencies overpromise and underdeliver"

"Clients have to drive integration-agencies in-fight"

"Tried it, didn't work"

"No one agency can do everything well"

The clear sense from our qualitative research- 50+ in depth interviews, senior client and agency management, 12 countries, all continents- was that the Lead Agency Model, although seductive in theory, was rarely a smooth running option in practice. The model cannot, in itself, prevent  the turf wars and land grabbing which goes on between agencies, even when they have been asked to play nicely. Clients are now wary of the sell, as the delivery has rarely lived up to the promise.

Part of the issue is that marketing now recognise that it is absolutely vital that they deliver integrated communication solutions. It is a measure by which they are judged, and that means it is their neck on the line.

"Is is what we do"

"It is our job to make it happen"

Given this, it makes it emotionally harder to pass on responsibility to somebody else-or often a group of somebodies.  

But managing a group of disparate agencies, whether they from are within the same holding group or not, is a job in itself, and one which demands true leadership skills.

More about what agencies think of those leadership skills in the next blog...

Welcome to the Aprais blog

‘Welcome to the Aprais blog! This is a precursor to what we intend will be a series of informative and thought provoking blog postings over the months and years ahead.

Those who run Aprais offices around the world are uniquely placed to keep you up to date with industry developments and to give their comments on what is happening in our business environment. Their local knowledge will be blended into an overall Aprais perspective, and all who contribute will be acknowledged experts in their specific subject.

Our aim is to make the Aprais blog a point you will return to time and time again to keep track of, and comment on, global developments in relationship management - and how to get the best out of partnerships.

Let us know what you think!'