Buy the brains: don’t settle for second-rate marketing minds

Brainpower should be a deciding factor for clients when assessing agencies. You want to know you’ve got strong thinkers and savvy strategists on your side.

But human intelligence and judgement aren’t part of the Adobe suite. There’s no Lynda tutorial. You’re looking at a one-off set of synapses and experience when you look at an agency’s intellectual big hitters.

You need to know that their thinking style, outlook and instincts chime with your brand and your ambitions. It’s as important as the general ‘chemistry’ between agency and client. David Ogilvy summed it up (albeit in a slightly different context). ‘Always hire people who are bigger than you are, (and) we shall become a company of giants.’

You’re relying on those thinkers to act as your sounding board, to be honest if they believe your ideas are off-beam, to spot opportunities you weren’t looking for. So next time you’re sitting across the table from an agency as they click through another ‘death-by-PowerPoint’ creds presentation, reach over, press ‘force quit’ and ask them something frank, like ‘Who do you think should have creative control?’ Or ‘How much of this document is recycled from your last pitch?’ In fact, line up a few toe curlers for them.

Let’s see who has the spontaneity and mettle to step up and answer. You’ll see what they’re made of when they’re forced off script. Does the team defer to a single mouthpiece? Or are there a few good brains with something to contribute? It can be truly enlightening. After all, this is the USP you’re buying – brainpower. The side effect of this strategy is conversation – still the most accurate way to figure out if you’ll enjoy working together.

Buy the brains without the body

This is something we are frequently asked for by clients. Just our thinking. It might be an inbound strategy, a marketing plan, a copywriting overhaul or a content strategy. Clients like it because it’s a project with clear parameters and a fixed budget. You’ve paid for the right thinking and we’ve delivered it.

No delays while terms are negotiated. No commitment to a retainer.

And all too often, clients with retained agencies have no idea how much direct, working input their brand is getting from the brains of the operation. But that’s a discussion for another day.

When is the ‘brains-only’ approach useful?

• You want a fresh take (or simple, considered honesty) on a business issue or marketing quandary, unclouded by the potential for ongoing work.

• You need a second opinion on a brief - maybe you’re questioning the approach recommended by your agency.

• You’re already working with a great studio, so production is sorted.

• Your marketing department is already spread thin on multiple projects.

If you want to talk to one of the brains behind Two-Way Mirror’s operation, you can reach Eddie on 07853 191057.

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