Getting to the heart of what makes us tick

Some of our clients have been with us for twenty years, we look at the benefits of sticking together through thick and thin...

Recently we’ve been reflecting on what has made our business tick over the last 25 years. Being rewarded with many client relationships which span more than ten and even twenty years is one very positive outcome for which we are extremely grateful. Of course there may be some who doubt the benefits of long term agency relationships for fear of complacency or stagnation, but we think the pros far outweigh the cons as we have highlighted below - hopefully you will agree!

Key ingredients of a successful long-term client relationship:

Building trust and honesty

These are key values when helping clients grow their businesses.

By working closely together and feeling passionate about a clients brand, product or service you gain a deep knowledge of how their organisation works and what are their challenges.

You develop a mutual understanding and use the same language – its ‘us’ not ‘them’! This enables you to be objective and offer value in other areas of the business. We have covered vacant posts, helped clients recruit the right marketing staff and provided project management training.

Understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses

Obviously being able to support a client in terms of delivering a project on time and to budget is critical if you are to be long term partners. But it’s understanding and overcoming obstacles which bind you together over the years; where a client might struggle to produce copy or provide good quality photography. For us, being honest about what is achievable within a given budget and timescale is key.

For better or for worse

With long term client relationships you ride the storms together, whether its a downturn in business or going through major changes such as mergers and acquisitions- you need to be able to make swift decisions and changes to the marketing activity. It’s also great that some of our clients that have moved roles have felt confident in introducing us to their new organisation.

Keeping it fresh

Having a thorough understanding of the product or service and the capabilities of the marketing team means we can be more proactive and suggest new ideas. With our multi-skilled creative team and highly experienced associates across all the design disciplines we can keep looking forward and be aware of relevant trends in reaching target audiences.

www.parenthesis.co.uk