Into The Top 10 With A Bullet

These are the some of the highlights of Agency Openmike I wrote regularly for some time. It used a Jeremy Bullmore-type question and answer format to discuss the various elements of the client-agency relationship within the advertising and marketing marketplace which I had originally tackled in my 2 books.

At that point, I had the time to devote to the questions from friends, colleagues and others who asked my opinion through the blog. Unfortunately, I do not have that time now.

However, although some of my observational pieces are related to particular events, most posts continue to have universal relevance to anyone on the agency side who embraces the challenge of working with clients and internal teams to develop great work.

The various themes can be referenced through the categories on the righthand side-bar. However, here are my Top 10 posts which are perennial subjects for debate. They are in no particular order but they will give you an insight into my approach and may give you an appetite for the other posts:

1. New Business Crash Course
I reviewed a number of books and Jon Steel's Perfect Pitch would be the first book I would recommend for understanding how agencies can win clients.

2. 4 Seconds To Save The World
My peers also consulted me and this talks about how to get to grips with a senior role in client services.

3. Son, You Can't Handle An Idea!
I love this spoof video which introduces the subject of evaluating creative work.

4. Art Nazi
Talking of developing creative work, this post hopes to help people dealing with internal teams and creative directors.

5. Old World Thinking
And while we are on the subject of collaboration, working with other agencies can be pleasure or a nightmare. This post discusses how to avoid some of the pitfalls.

6. Difficult Staff Conversations
Here someone asked for me for advice around making staff redundant.

7.Pulp Fiction
This tackles crisis management - whether major or minor.

8. Start As You Mean To Go On
Here the AD on a new account looked for tips about getting to grips with a new client and extending the honeymoon phase

9. Principals Up In Smoke?
A friend asked me about introducing a contraversial account into the agency (ie tobacco) fearing what it would do to the culture of a nascent agency.

10. I Didn't Have Time So I Wrote You A Long Answer
I always tried to inject a bit of light-heartedness into AgencyOpenmike and this post about time management contains one of my favourite short films.

This is a short film that my friend Dolly and I created around the subject of independent retail and their business in the quasi- recessionary years since 2008. I had never done anything like this before but I had a few weeks off before my new assignment at Ogilvy and she was looking to get better at the mechanics of such films. So we teamed up and shot this - maybe not to BBC production standards but we are pleased with it.

 I learnt lots about the editing process and the way a narrative works within such a film so it was a million miles from agency client services. Though from a general customer service perspective, it's interesting how they differentiate their respective brands and compete against the big guys like Amazon and Wiggle.