Digital's damage to the client/agency relationship

11 March 2010

The high percentage of marketing budget being dedicated to online has exposed flaws in the traditional agency/client relationship.

When it comes to building websites, planning and implementing search campaigns or engaging with social media channels, traditional project management techniques aren’t effective. 12-month roadmaps are about as accurate as crystal balls when it comes to the internet because it changes every day. The way that consumers use it changes, the technology changes, platforms change and deciphering a passing fad from a genuine shift in behavior becomes ever harder.

When it comes to the internet, you need a new plan every day.

Agile working is based on Japanese manufacturing practices.  Also known as ‘lean’ or ‘just in time,’ agile working is a concept focusing on delivering value where it is most important. Going against traditional project management, it encourages enhancements, and project revisions on a daily basis. There is no start, middle and end but instead daily iterations that help inform next steps. Because agile encourages feedback every day, it ensures that decisions are always current. It also ensures that poor decisions are spotted quickly so ‘waste’ is minimised. The net result is a faster development cycle that produces a more relevant outcome at a lower price.

Agile working methods can be applied to any form of project but it is particularly pertinent when it comes to internet marketing. Agencies need to question the clients wishes – why do they want a new website? What is the real need? What is broken specifically? What metrics are being used to arrive at this decision? If the payment page is the problem, fix the payment page. If they want more sales from consumers through search, examine and test certain key words, don’t rebuild an entire website. Change one thing and change it tomorrow. The day after tomorrow you can decide what is next on the list, but for now let’s do this one thing.

Agile requires trust on both sides. Traditionally, the agency provides forward looking ideas or strategy (in the form of roadmaps and annual plans) and the client signs off. True agile agencies will never offer this. Instead they’ll present the client with a list of recommendations that will impact the business today.

The client needs to trust that each week, the list will evolve and each week the results will build. On the flip side, the agency must not penalise the client for changing its mind. Fast failure and change should be encouraged. Constantly changing the approach might feel inefficient but the truth is that sticking doggedly to a plan that ultimately is wrong is far less efficient. Spending £100k only to discover you’ve built the wrong website or campaign six months down the road is the ultimate inefficiency.

Martin McNulty, client services director, Forward3D