What Client-Side Marketers Want (and Don’t Want) from their Marketing Agency Partners

The Secret is: Chemistry

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In the last 10 years, Setup has conducted five Marketing Relationship Surveys, connected over 800 Brands and Agencies, conversed with well over 1000 Brand-sides marketers, and enacted 50+ Agency Assessments for Agency partners. 

With all of this data and institutional knowledge, we can confidently say, Chemistry trumps Capability, and may be the single most important attribute in any business partnership. 

There is nothing better than having a solid relationship with a partner - that’s what our whole business is about - relationships! After surveying over 300 marketers, the 2023 Marketing Relationship Survey results prove that. 

We know why Clients would fire their Agency partners, but what do Clients really want? What would make the relationship last? 

Here’s the secret: Clients just want to have good Chemistry! But how do you develop it?

Clients rank Chemistry as the #1 most important thing when they are selecting a new Agency partner. 

@setupsays The perfect recipe for a marketing agency and client relationship doesn't exis- #businessdevelopment #marketingagency #fyp ♬ BaLsAmic VINAGAUGh - Victim Van Dort

Chemistry and connection is important throughout the Agency-Client relationship, but how can you build chemistry at the beginning of the partnership? Sometimes it’s innate, and the Client and Agency teams will just mesh. Other times, it requires more work. 

That work may include communicating effectively and regularly from the very beginning of the SOW or pitch process. Clients appreciate when a pitch team comes into the room fully understanding their challenge, industry, and company. Scheduling discovery calls and researching pre-pitch are great steps to understand the Client and immediately ignite that spark. 

Then, while in the pitch meeting, being friendly is a given, but being passionate is a must. Caring about the Client and being authentic goes a long way. Certain Clients we surveyed admitted to choosing an Agency just because they seemed to “want it more.” 

Just like any relationship, in order to survive and thrive, there needs to be Chemistry. So how can Agencies sustain that? 

Communicate. Check in. Over-communicate. There’s never such a thing as too much communication. In the 2023 survey, Clients said the number one desire they wished from Agencies was to “Communicate more effectively.” Oftentimes Agencies don’t have the proper resources and are lacking support on the Account, Project Manager, or Resource Manager team. If you are an Agency leader, be sure these groups are trained and given the proper resources to succeed because they will be the bridge between your Agency and the Client. 

When you do communicate, be 100% honest. Don’t over promise or sugar-coat issues and be sure to communicate any needs. Communication and honesty lead to trust, which leads to Chemistry. 

A part of communication is delivering the full picture. Clients want access to their own data, and to ensure that any strategic decisions are based on real data. They want their partners to Understand their Business and Goals deeply, and to be part of the team/a true strategic partner. They want their partners to help them - not sell to them.

Clients are much more likely to go to bat for an Agency they trust that sees and understands their company. Agencies need to prioritize building trust and authenticity over trying to be impressive, selling, or over-promising deliverables.

What can Clients do to refine Chemistry in an Agency-Client partnership?

1. Perform a Chemistry check. Don’t know what that is? We actually can help you conduct one! This includes visiting the Agency, having multiple calls, and more to make sure you are the right fit before wasting time, energy, and money diving into a partnership that is not quite right. (It’s like dating before “DTRing” - defining the relationship.) 

2. Communicate challenges or issues as they arise. Never hold anything in. If it feels like there is a disconnect with the account person, set up a call. If the work delivered does not match the work pitched and the contact is unresponsive, speak to the Agency’s executive team. People don’t know what they don’t know, so over-communicating on both sides solves a lot of issues. 

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Think of it like dating. No one wants to spend time with someone, let alone work on a project that requires a ton of back and forth, unless it is enjoyable. If you are an Agency, ask yourself how you could better click with your current and potential partners. If you are Client-side, ask yourself what you need to be asking of your partners to ignite that spark. Maybe you need a new Agency if the spark is lacking. In that case, download this free Guide to Finding a Marketing Agency. You can also look for a new Agency with our help - and we can get those Chemistry Checks going!