The Seven Deadly Sins of Agency-land: Pride

Pride

 (Sadly, not the kind where you get to parade down Regent Street in glitter and feathers.)

I remember just two weeks into my stint at BBDO, living in Moscow, I was asked to attend a meeting with a... let’s say, “challenging” client. It lasted four hours. Four. Long. Hours. The planner, the creative team, and the client all fought to prove they were right—leaving me and the Account Manager stuck refereeing a world-class ego showdown.

So, what triggered this intellectually thrilling summit?

The agency had created a TV commercial (cue blood, sweat, and tears from the creative department) aimed at persuading young, affluent males to drink a particular brand of beer. The Marketing Director approved it for testing, despite some initial reservations from the Brand Manager. The ad passed testing, came out the other side unscathed, and was ready for production. We were reviewing directors, not revisiting strategy.

But the Brand Manager, determined to prove her earlier doubts correct, sought a second opinion—ideally one that validated her stance. She found it in the office cleaner. A 60-something grandmother who didn’t drink beer because “it smelled.” Her feedback? a) She didn’t like it, and b) it wouldn’t persuade her to buy beer (which, to be fair, is a strong stance for someone who doesn’t drink beer in the first place).

The Brand Manager triumphantly presented this insight to the agency. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t land well. The team’s disbelief turned to frustration, and then to confrontation. Instead of maintaining the high ground, the agency swan-dived into the mud pit. The client was “right” (because she had her proof), and the agency was “right” (because the work was signed off, tested, and frankly, they liked it). Both sides locked horns, each trying to prove their superiority, and by extension, the other side’s idiocy.

Who was right? The client—because she pays the bills? Or the agency—because come on, we’re not basing marketing decisions on a cleaner’s opinion, are we?

Wrong. Both of them.

Yes, the Brand Manager made some obvious missteps. But the agency’s job isn’t just to produce great work—it’s to guide the client toward great decisions. Instead, both parties lost sight of the goal. The work. The outcome. The fact that they’re supposed to be on the same team.

Here’s a shocker: it’s OK to be wrong.

Here’s another: 9.9 times out of 10, the client knows their brand better than the agency.

And—wait for it—9.9 times out of 10, the agency knows their craft better than the client. (Otherwise, why are you paying them?)

This yin and yang is exactly what makes great work happen. But only if both sides give each other permission to be wrong.

So how do we [Animo] handle it?

Four words: Ask. Listen. Collaborate. Solve. In that order.

And when someone does get it wrong? Thank them. Because you’re now one step closer to getting it right.

Tune in next week when we joyfully wade into that old favourite: Greed.