Have you ever gone to the doctor and received a free consultation? Damn… that’d be nice, wouldn’t it?
Whenever you feel sick, the first thing you do is head to the clinic to consult with a doctor. The doctor then examines your state of being and prescribes some medication for you but you still have to make payment for the examination and head home.
Then you realise that the pain is still the same and nothing has changed. Hence, you opt to go to a different doctor instead to gain a different perspective. He or she examines your health and prescribes you medication. You then make the payment again and head home.
I know what you’re thinking, “Aiyo, not effective also need to pay ah?!” But that is the reality. This cycle goes on and on up till the point where you’ve gotten rid of your sickness and is now well on your own two feet.
Putting It Into Perspective
The doctor is a creative agency, your sickness symbolises the creative issues you face as a company. Medications prescribed to you are the creative solutions offered. In a way, both these situations are very similar.
However, the painful reality is that agencies do not receive such a privilege. They go about their days meeting with client prospects to understand the challenges and then suggest what they think is best for the brands through proposals and ideas. The problem is, these agencies go out of their way trying to provide solutions but some companies do not see the effort and time spent for these agencies to formulate a ‘medication’.
What a world it would be if they wore the shoes of those working within an agency. Only then they would understand. I’ve even heard of how some propose their ideas and they end up getting stolen. It’s a terrible thing to go through especially when you’ve put in so much work and time into that particular proposal.
Hence, my take is, maybe companies out there could practice a little more appreciation and gratitude towards these agencies who give nothing but their best. Their ideas do not come overnight, it takes strategising and an in-depth understanding of your industry along with their line of work.
A simple thank you and a heartfelt note would suffice. Or even better, a treat for a simple lunch to show all these agencies’ hard work is recognised.
At least they would know that the work they’ve done provides value to you and was not done in vain.
