Some people actually take a
detached view of buying and using their clients’ product(s). I conducted an informal survey recently and
found that many people I interviewed actually did not use or buy their clients’
product.
Shame on them.
One of these people
confessed to me that he did not know that he was expected to use his clients’
brands. Give me a break.
A little loyalty – to his
agency and client – was in order. When I
challenged him, he brushed me off.
The truth is, if you work
on a piece of business you are obligated to use your client’s products if possible. Period.
It doesn’t have to be the exact brand you work on, but it should be a
product made by your client. And it certainly shouldn’t be their biggest
competitor.
Back in the early sixties,
my dad’s agency handled Tareyton Cigarettes, made in those days by The American Tobacco Company.
Their rule was very sensible – every employee who smoked in the office
(it was allowed in those days), had to smoke Tareyton or another American
Tobacco brand – Lucky Strike, Pall Mall or, Dunhill among many others. . In those days the client came to the office
frequently, so they could see what brands people smoked. And don’t think for a second that they didn’t
notice. Every employee knew what was
expected of them.
This is true of every agency. And while I have never heard of a client firing an agency because they did not use the client's products, it could be and should be grounds to fire the agency.
This is true of every agency. And while I have never heard of a client firing an agency because they did not use the client's products, it could be and should be grounds to fire the agency.
Not using brands that are
made by your client is shameful. If your
client is Makita, use their products not Black & Decker or Stihl. Mostly,
clients will allow ad agency personnel special, reduced pricing, especially for those who work directly on the brand. Years ago, when I worked on JVC, the client made sure that I had their televisions and their music products - and they were pretty good. I got a load of their products, some at no cost at all.
Using the clients’ brands
may actually give you marketing and advertising knowledge. After all, buying and using a particular
brand may provide insights which might be usable.
Just remember that your
agency’s clients are paying your salary.
I've always taken that approach. When I worked on Vaseline, my purse always had Vaseline Lip Therapy. Years later when working on ChapStick, all the VLP went into the trash and all I used was ChapStick products.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was at JWT and we had the Pepsi Slice account, we were told to never have Coke branded products at our desks (unless in unmarked cups) in case the client came by.
Those products paid our salaries, and it always seemed to me that the better their sales were, the more likely that the agency would keep the account (and we would keep our jobs).
Thanks for sharing. It doesn't take long to get used to new brands.
ReplyDeleteAs my Dad told me when I entered the business--If we don't use them, who will?
ReplyDeletePerfect!
DeleteI won’t name the name, but a very well known CCO in LA was infamous at the car client for driving his German upscale car to the mass Japanese car company’s office. His POV was that “‘my $150k car does not ‘compete’ with their $30k car, so it’s not an issue.” He was oblivious to what the client said behind his back.
ReplyDeleteThere's an old and very wise saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".
ReplyDeleteCould not agree more Paul. It is a sign of respect.
ReplyDelete