*Thread*

Some ramblings about the continuous struggle for agencies to sell great creative work and clients to buy great work. It seems to have gotten worse lately. Warning: There is no real resolve here. A lot of questions and maybe a bit of a rant sorry not sorry

Why do agencies have to “sell” creativity to clients? Why do (most clients) gravitate towards safe and vanilla work? Doctors don’t have to “sell” medicine. Engineers don’t have to convince clients of structural integrity. Chefs don’t need to make a case for garlic.

And still creativity has proven its effectiveness. The best brands have risen through originality, distinction and consistency over many years yet creativity remains the thing we have to sell. 91% of all advertising is ignored or unmemorable. 91% is boring and safe. And a waste.

There are very few industries where the “experts” have to motivate for their expertise. Why then? Is it because agencies are selected using bad criteria? Do most marketers not have the freedom, knowledge or confidence to make big creative decisions?

Are marketers taught enough about choosing/buying creativity? Or is creativity just seen as some voodoo that only big global brands and start ups have the luxury to use?

Do people think brands like Nike only use creativity because they’re big without realizing it was creativity that helped make them big? In SA there appears that there is a inverse correlation between the size of an organization and their adoption of creativity.

But almost nothing in most agency/client relationships is geared towards creativity. The selection criteria, RFPs, KPIs, price wars, procurement are all designed to find agencies that can fit within their corporate boxes. IMAGINE an RFP process towards choosing a restaurant!

Clients want agencies that have industry experience. Why? To get the same industry-type work?

If creativity was truly celebrated, different agency structures and ways of thinking would be demanded. How about “no previous industry experience essential”!

When last did a client give feedback saying that the work doesn’t push the envelope or doesn’t break enough rules? Are we just so scared to upset that we colour within the lines the whole time?

Agencies, of course, are not innocent in this. We don’t set expectations upfront that not everything will work. We sneak in small creative ideas as “proactive” to try win an award and think there is a difference between big brand brief, a sales brief and award work.

But I don’t believe anyone, marketers or agencies, start their day hoping to make average work. So why is so much (91%!!!) of the work average? It’s not good enough as an industry, on both sides.

Of course there are some gems out there. The 9%. The marketers every agency desperately wants to work with; the marketers who get it and fight with us. We know who you are! And to you, we thank you. Please continue to teach, speak up, train, lead and motivate others.