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Client agency relations far from crisis says RAR

July 31, 2015 | 3 min read

According to a recent IPA report entitled from Mad Men to Sad Men, the client/agency relationship is in a state of crisis. This is wide of the mark says the founder of RAR Steve Antoniewicz.

"The report introduction suggests rifts, chasms, frustrations and negativity as the norm and that just doesn't match with what we're seeing in responses from brands," he said.

Where the IPA research throws up some interesting (and startling) anecdotes, Antoniewicz says those examples are still very much in the minority.

"If that was a truly representative picture then chances are we might not have not have an industry. Of course there are natural tensions in all business relationships and the dynamics of the brand/agency relationship are changing, but there's so much great work going on. We should be celebrating and promoting the value that comes from these rather than creating negative headlines.

"You just need to look at the IPA's own effectiveness awards to see examples of great relationships at work. There's also plenty of other cases in other categories outside of the advertising world in design, PR, digital and promotions etc where there is real understanding and trust between client and agency. It's this kind of great practice that we can all learn from and that's why we'll also be shining a light on some of the best examples later this year"

RAR will publish the second edition of their Together Works series, focusing on stories of collaboration between brands and their agencies. Written by ex-insights editor of Marketing Week, Cat Turner the book covers great work from across the disciplines of advertising, design, digital, PR and promotions. The book will publish in September and includes success stories from brands like Unilever, Durex, Mothercare and Mcdonalds.

Antoniewicz concludes "True collaboration benefits agency, business, brand - and the consumer.. lets focus on those doing well in this space, rather than dwelling on some bad examples".

To find out more about Together Works contact yvonne.quinn@recommendedagencies.com

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