The Art of Client Service

Chapter 11Be Multilingual

There's an old saying, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” For advertising agencies, the hammer has long been television, and it can make every problem look like one to be solved with a 30-second broadcast television spot. Sure, there's radio, print, outdoor, digital, social, and mobile, but the biggest tool by far in the agency toolbox is network television.

These days, network TV isn't quite the hammer it once was. First came cable. Then the web. In recent years we've seen the rise of social media and the power of mobile. Clients are investing more money in things decidedly not broadcast. They think less about advertising, and more about apps.

In a world of ever-expanding marketing choices and fragmenting markets, you need to be multilingual if you are going to provide your client good counsel. You've got to speak not only brand advertising, but also every other discipline and medium available to your clients. Given the number of options available, that can border on chaos. But that doesn't give you a pass. It still requires you to learn enough about each alternative so you can recommend the combination that will achieve the best results at the most efficient cost.

You don't need to become completely fluent in every marketing language. There are native speakers in every discipline and medium you can call on for help. The key is to be thinking about the best combination of marketing disciplines and media options ...