I recently read a post from a fellow blogger hinting at some of the clients she's worked on and what her experience was with that particular category and that got me thinking, shit I've had a shit load of clients in record time. So taking a cue from someone who did it first, I'm going to be offering my impressions of some of the more "noteworthy" clients I've worked on.
#1: The Big Car Client
You do a pitch for a big car account and you actually win it. Here's when the naive tend to think that you're going to make award winning ads that will push this brand up to threaten number one. What you didn't count on was the micro managers responsible for keeping the car brand firmly rooted far below where they should be.
Things to take into account for this account:
- Just because the company is large doesn't mean that the client isn't stingy.
- That you need a compelling message and solid advertising will never mean that you will get to do it.
- If you think you know a thing or two about communication, get ready, there's a bunch of terminology you will have to catch up on.
- Don't bother with non traditional media. The most you will get is a pat on the ehad. Radio, print, TV and outdoor.
- Trust me you don't want to have to film a car. It is one of the most painstaking lighting processes in the world of photography.
- Don't expect to get respect from people. you are the equivalent to a donkey. Go round, make the wheel turn and don't give it much thought.
- You will always be to blame for low sales even though sales depend on good salesmen... that your company does not have.
- Did I mention that you will always be to blame? Just in case you will always be to blame.
- You will get asked for creative things only for their amusement, don't believe for a second that anything creative will get produced just because it's a car company and this should be the kickass account of your career.
- Don't be surprised to get a fax or an email with a poorly written copy and layout for you to follow rigurously.
- Be prepared to change strategy, target markets, communication mandatories and pretty much anything that has to do with the work you will do.
- Be prepared to have to cater to the taste of five people that never agree on anything.
- And finally, don't buy into the dream that this will be a dream account. You will probably have nightmares from all the revisions you will be forced to vomit.
3 comments:
Doesn't that apply to most clients?
Some do but not all. Thing is that when you get assigned to a big car account you swear you will do something awesome and to be honest, the client's product is a gem and they have spending power, they just don't use it. As per if it varies from one client to the next? I still have to write about packaged goods, fast food restaurants, hotels, health insurance, banking, mortgage banking, beer companies, cigarette companies, beauty products, TV channels and others and I think there's quite a difference from one to the other. Then again, you can be the judge of that my friend. :) Thanks for reading
cheers
actually you're right. when I got an account such as that I thought that I could do lots of brilliant stuff. guess who was wrong :)
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