I doubt that I have to explain what the Brexit is considering the massive amount of publicity it has received but for those of you on another planet or fortunately out of range of the major news networks allow me to explain. The United Kingdom recently voted to leave the European Union of which it was a member. There is a lot of controversy about this since it is the first time this has happened and within the UK there was, and still is, a sharp divide on whether the UK should have stayed or left. So you are probably asking, Tom, what does this have to do with digital marketing? Let me tell you.
Over the years you may have noticed how I have been able to take recent events and tie them to handy little tidbits and musings. If you doubt my ability I ask you to check out the article I wrote on Ebola. I think I’m the only person in the world able to tie that to marketing! The Brexit is no different.
In the agency world it is often seen as a bad thing when a client and agency go their separate ways. In some ways it is but it can also be a great move for both parties. First let’s look at it from the agency side. Losing a client means no additional revenue from that client and unfortunately far too many agencies see that as the only concern when a client leaves but that really is not the case if you think about it. All agencies have seen clients leave, even at MarketingModo, but here when a client leaves we do a full postmortem. We find out why they left and what we can do to improve things for our clients in the future. Many agencies say adieu and that is that. MarketingModo actively pursues any issue to see if we should change how things are done because we feel that is the only way to provide the greatest service possible to our clients. A departing client can also be a blessing in disguise. Yes, you don’t want to see a client leaver but we all have had one that we cheered once they were gone. You know the ones-the persistent pain in the as**es, the high maintenance accounts that everyone dreads. Most agencies have a vetting process to prevent such accounts from getting through but they slip in on occasion and they are typically a nightmare from that moment on. When a client like that leaves it is like a thousand pounds of weight coming off of everyone involved with that account and it allows them to get back to servicing the clients that are more in-line with the values of the agency. I’m a total believer that agencies should vet and “fire” clients such as those just mentioned. In those cases, losing a client is no big loss and it usually a big gain for the agency.
The same applies to the business or client. I have seen many businesses decide to part ways with an agency because the client itself has changed and the agency is no longer in line with the new direction the client is taking. Sometimes a client can no longer afford the pricing or in really bad situations, when the agency doesn’t perform. I’ve worked at businesses in the marketing department and have seem my share of agencies let go because they didn’t live up to our expectations, or more often had successfully pulled the wool over someone’s’ eyes, and in most cases I am the one who made the decision to go with another agency. If a client finds that the agency is not delivering results, and let’s be honest that is the goal and purpose of an agency, it is time to go separate ways. If you feel the agency won’t be able to provide services you may need in the future it may be time to look at those who can. I’m sure at this moment I have hundreds if not thousands of marketers screaming blood but that’s the truth. Sometimes it is in the best interest of both parties to go their separate ways -just like the UK and EU. The UK didn’t feel like it was getting what it needed from the EU so they decided to leave rightly or wrongly. The same concept applies to the client/agency relationship. If its not working, don’t be afraid to say “Cheerio”.