Sally Hogshead, author, consultant and Friend of AdPulp (FOA), is using Facebook and Twitter to do some research for an article she’s writing.
She asked her 3300+ followers on FB, “What’s your most scorching client pet peeve…something clients do that damages the quality of work (and drives you bonkers)?”
Here are some of the better responses (thus far):
- Michael Leger–“We love it, but need to run it by legal.”
- Kevin Fullerton–Reworking the copy themselves — “Just a few edits.” (And I’m an art director.)
- Brendan Kennedy–When they’re insistent that an ad be watered down with five messages when just one will do.
- Leslie Ehm–How ’bout them buying in the room and then unselling the work to themselves later without any further input.
- Bruce Ascher–The seemingly complete lack of synergy between all the levels of approvals: marketing, legal, product management, executive, ad infinitum.
- Danielle Lillig–Some clients just won’t be happy unless their scent is on the creative. And a lot of the time, it stinks.
- Laurie Dickson-Blakeley–Having to explain that “Value” is relative.
I’m fascinated by the tension between client and agency. You’d think the two would be peas in a pod, but that’s rarely the case. However, when it is the case, the way is paved for great things (and work) to happen.
