We constantly do it to ourselves. Despite our better judgement. Regardless of what history has taught us, and how often it bites us in the bum. What am I talking about? The perverse hoops we in the ad industry jumps through by agreeing to have clients “evaluate” us on a regular basis.
The process in fact starts before we even have a relationship with the prospective suitor. We all happily agree to “pitch” for the business. And despite the brief, (the next part has absolutely no relevance to the amount of rands and hours we will ultimately invest) we will throw all our resources at the task at hand. We agonise to deliver our very best, we carefully craft every word, we time ourselves in dry-runs ad nauseum, we deprive ourselves of sleep and nourishment, and come the given day, it’s all over after a meagre two hours. Then depression sets in – “post presentation blues”. We’ve had one shot at it, and it’s over..
Not satisfied with the punishment we’ve taken, we move into phase two – “post presentation conviction”. Here we harass anyone vaguely connected to the client to try and glean some sort of intelligence. What did they think of the presentation? What did they think of every single aspect of it? We go over and over every second, interpreting the slightest nuance, gesture or comment every which way. And finally the fateful telephone call (following ten different rumours, some of which you started yourself). Euphoria! Drunk for a week. Or “—so close — between you and ‘x’, but ‘x’ just edged it—” Depression! Drunk for a week.
Just for a second presume you’re the fortunate pitcher. You now enter the honeymoon period – the very worst time to actually consummate the deal from an agency perspective. Bright-eyed and passionately in love with your new client, who has shown incredible knowledge, foresight and taste, you happily agree to a whack less money than you thought would be reasonable. Cheerfully you throw in a “this-for-nothing” and a “that-for -gratis”, whilst finally, in a fit of total madness, you agree to put a huge chunk of your revenue at risk. And all of it very seldom subject to tangible factors; it’s more often based on intangible and soft issues.
Six months later. Déjà vu—remember when you pitched for the business? The lack of sleep, second-guessing, analysis of every look, every action? It all starts again. Sure, you do get a chance to crit the client. But I still have to try and understand any good or positive aspect that may possibly result out of this. They after all pay the piper (you) and can therefore call the tune. Don’t get confused – someone plays guitar (them), someone rocks and rolls (you). At the end of a gruelling couple of hours there’s one of the following options. Euphoria! (Remember? Drunk for a week!) Depression! (Still drunk for a week!)
Such is the treadmill of agency existence. I always hated exams at school, and somehow the industry has discovered processes that hark back to the trauma of classrooms, silence, and a couple of hours that could have a marked significance for your future. In my next life, I want the power! I wanna be a client!
Harry Herber is group managing director of the MediaShop.