Some things never change. Most clients will think bottom line, most agencies will think out of the box and your lunch will never really be free. If only everything could be that predictable. But change is always around the next corner. Just when you think it's status quo, old jobs are lost, new jobs are found, accounts are awarded, awards are won and another Starbucks opens around the corner.

The truth is, we live in a disposable world. This is equally apparent, and increasingly so, in the world of advertising. Traditionally, the marriage of client and creative has been a bumpy one. After all, there's no "til death do us part" when industry kudos are a bigger draw than business results. However I tend to see things in a different light. When it comes to agency relationship, I'm in it for the long haul. I'm one of those rare monogamous clients.

They say all is far in love and war. As a client, however, I tend to disagree. When the battleground is business, I prefer to look at long-term strategies rather than quick wins at any cost. My history proves it. I've been fortunate enough to have found an agency and group of creatives that fundamentally believe in my business principles. And it's a long-term partnership that has paid off time and time again.

Making the commitment

When I first began working with my agency partners (who were formerly with Palmer Jarvis), the brains behind Rethink, it was long before Rethink had even been thought up. Right from the start, I chose not to keep them at arm's length. There was no time to. Our first project with Richmond Savings was not a small one. We challenged the old banking establishment and presented consumers with a new alternative.

The success we enjoyed together hardly came overnight. In fact, our award-winning Humungous Bank campaign too years to create. In the face of industry pressure to withdraw the advertising, we and our agency partner both had to stay committed to our direction. The results were as huge as the campaign. Together, we won our first BCAMA Marketer of the Year Award. When Rethink was formed, we made them an integral part of the business and tied them to the financial sucess of our brand.

Keeping your promises

Not only did we ask our partners to take the same risks with us by committing to a strategy that required both patience and commitment regardless of external pressures, we also made sure they reaped the same rewards. After being recognized as the BCAMA Marketer of the Year, we all deserved a celebration. They just didn't realize what it would be. In addition to sharing our trophy, they also shared our surprise weekend getaway to Las Vegas. And that's just one small example of how we've recognized the fact that when we work together as a team, we deserve to play together as one, too.

It's all about promises. Agencies keeping theirs, and you keeping yours. Over the years, I've learned first-hand the vows both client and agency should take when entering into a successful partnership:

Communication is everything: It's important to work together in a meaningful way by communicating every step you take.

For better of for worse: Remember that great results don't happen immediately. It takes time for good brands to build a following. A strong relationship requires patience, commitment and an appreciation for both good times and bad.

Until death do you part: Don't get lured away by the next best thing. Remember, agencies are experts at selling, but if you're looking for a long-term relationship, there's more to business than a sexy pitch.

Keep things fresh: Whether you bring in a fresh pair of eyes, celebrate small sucesses along the way, or meet in sunny off-site locales, keeping the relationship fresh is essential.

Sign a pre-nup: It never hurts to have the agency commit in writing to the financial sucess of the business.

Put your money where your mouth is

No matter where I have worked, on what campaign, they have all been award winning. This wasn't the goal, but it does demonstrate that award-winning campaigns don't have to be "one offs" and that loyalty pays in more ways than one.

So when I joined Mr. Lube four years ago, I brought my old friends at REthink with me. This was appropriate, given that a long-term approach is relevant to Mr. Lube's advertising as well. Together, we took a low-interest category and marketed ourselves in a very creative way, and the results have been tremendous.

Since launching the campaign three years ago, not only have we been recognized as the BCAMA Marketer of the Year, we've been nominated as one of Canada's Top 10 Marketers. But while the awards are great and reinforce our strategy, it's the relationship with our creative team that has allowed us to produce great advertising. We continue to push the boundaries and work together to change consumer behaviour.

In the end, sucess doesn't come down to changing agencies; it's about changing your thinking. In other words, client and agency relationships that grow together stay together.

Brent Cuthbertson is vice-president, marketing, of Mr. Lube Canada, in Delta, BC. He has more than 20 years of executive experience in wireless telecommunications, insurance and financial services with organizations including Bank of Montreal, Richmond Savings, Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, Bell Mobility and American Express.

This article was originally published in the April issue of Applied Arts Mag.

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