How Long Will You Wait for Your AOR to Listen?

The oceans are a toxic mess of microplastic. Those solar storms will totally wipe out our wifi systems one day. And the agency model is broken.

We’ve been hearing obvious, recurring vexations like this for a some time. Though you can’t do much about a solar event, you can give your agency relationship a good think. With leaner budgets and growing frustration between agencies and brands, we hear grumblings more often from brands. What we don’t hear is how agencies fixing the problem or even if they can.

Clients want their agencies to be better

They root for them, they speak to them, they tell them exactly what they want, but agencies can’t change, have selective hearing, if they listen at all. It’s been a minute since I worked at one, but during my stint there was still some trust that would allow brands confidence to hand over their hefty budgets and let the agency figure out what to do with it. Not so much any more. Brands are quiet quitting their agency relationships. And loud quitting too. The trust is evaporating.

The tension between brands and agencies seems to be frozen in amethyst, like two prehistoric beetles locked in a battle to the death, a never-ending struggle which, if little alarm bells on LinkedIn are any indication, seems terminal at this point. While agencies try their best to add value and deliver results through a mix of strategy and creative, brands frequently feel like they’re being duped. Namely, by paying for services they don’t want.

Who wants to pay for services they don’t necessarily believe they need? It reminds me of when I visit a chiropractor with a sharp pain between my T4/T5 discs, but before she’ll treat me, she expects me to pay for a consultation and come back tomorrow for the actual adjustment. But I want the pain gone now, today. Yesterday. Many CMOs feel the same way, not to mention trapped in one way of doing things.

But there’s always been a better way. They’re realizing the benefits of accessing the creative talent they need without unnecessary overhead and friction of traditional agency models with senior freelancers. Once the destination for creative thinking, agencies are now often training grounds for newbies learning the ropes at the expense of clients, which would be ok, if there weren’t so much of it.

Understanding the Pain

Stephanie McCarty’s LinkedIn-breaking post here sheds light on a few very touchy things about the brand-agency relationship. Namely, the huge disconnect between what brands are buying and what agencies are selling. Many agencies insist on bundling strategy and media with creative execution, leaving brands feeling coerced into paying for services they often believe should be their responsibility. It’s like paying for a bunch of channels you don’t want when you just want Sportsnet.

Forcing services on clients via agency process not only starts the relationship off with initial distrust, it adds unnecessary friction throughout the entire creative process, hindering progress and fostering resentment on both sides, every Zoom call and boardroom meeting filled with people of vague utility and questionable relevance. The final insult is that again, clients pay for a lot that they know they do not want or need.

Cue the Senior Freelance Copywriter

So, how can brands overcome these challenges and find a better way forward? The answer could lie in embracing senior freelancers. They’re seasoned professionals with the strategic insight, creative talent, and autonomy to deliver exceptional results without the layers of traditional agencies – or worse agencies figuring out your brand at your expense.

1. Billing for What Brands Want to Buy

Imagine going to a coffee shop that insists you order a muffin with your coffee, when you’ve had breakfast at home already. That’s what doubling up on strategy feels like to clients. Especially if the outcome is basically the same thing, only served in a fluffed up deck that’s been laboured over by countless staff to paraphrase what you already know about your brand.

Senior freelancers understand that brands are responsible for their own strategy. And if clients need help with it, they’ll ask. Instead of forcing unwanted services, senior freelancers focus on providing the creative talent and expertise brands need to execute a client’s strategic vision. By aligning their creative services with brands’ specific objectives and priorities, senior freelancers eliminate friction and empower brands to get what they want done from the get-go.

2. Strategic Insight and Expertise

This is my 11,001st rodeo. I’ve had the privilege of seeing a lot of tactics, strategies that have succeeded and others that have been bucked off violently and sent flying into the cheap seats. All those micro-agency experiences – and excruciating macro ones – add up to instinct and insight for what works and what does not.

Unlike junior employees or agency staff, senior freelancers bring years of industry experience, strategic acumen and perspective to the table. They understand the complexities of business strategy and can provide valuable insights and guidance based on deep understanding of the market landscape. Whether it’s analyzing historical data, pre-positioning for mergers and acquisitions, or optimizing retail strategies, senior freelancers have the expertise to drive meaningful results for their clients.

3. Improving the Briefing Process

My partner and I have a briefing step that’s a simple questionnaire to help clients answer things that they already know about their brand that might come out muddled in an email. We give it back to them in a form that allows us to create advertising – a brief. That’s it. It takes an afternoon. It’s easy for them and awesome for us.

Though we may clarify and distill some information, we don’t change it much. Let’s face it, the only reason you’re excited about your business is because you know it better than anyone else, definitely much better than someone just hearing about it for the first time. Sure, we’re inquisitive and we ask questions, but we don’t expect to know the brand inside and out or want to change it. We’re there to support it with creative work.

Instead of inundating clients with unnecessary information or trying to dictate strategy, senior freelancers trust brands to provide the context and direction needed to guide their work effectively. By fostering open communication and collaboration, senior freelancers ensure that their efforts are aligned with brands’ strategic objectives and priorities, resulting in more impactful and targeted outcomes.

4. Trust and Autonomy

Clients appreciate transparency. It’s a transparency they don’t get from nervous suits and over-the-top-salesy agency creatives constantly looking over their shoulders, navigating layers of office politricks. Interactions can seem guarded and false, because they often are. The only one watching most freelancers is their dog waiting for the meeting to finish so they can go for a walk.

Instead of imposing their own agenda or the agency’s agenda of selling unnecessary services, senior freelancers empower brands to make informed decisions and drive their own success. By respecting brands’ autonomy, senior freelancers foster collaboration via mutual respect – a recipe for long-term partners.

5. The Project Basis Model and AOR Services

However, on the flipside, the industry is witnessing a significant shift with brands increasingly moving towards a project model over the old retainer model. This evolution has led to a big change in how Agencies of Record (AOR) service their clients. Unlike the old model where agencies were constantly in drop- everything mode for their clients, ready to address a wide range of requirements promptly, the current scenario is different. Brands now find themselves having to line up to get their turn in the agency’s job queue for small and sometimes medium tasks. This shift from being a priority to just another name project list can be frustrating for brands accustomed to immediate service. That is the other side of getting what you pay for.

In this context, senior freelancers emerge as a critical solution. They can adeptly fill gaps created by the changing dynamics of agency-client relationships. Senior freelancers, with their extensive experience and flexibility, are well-equipped to provide on-demand, specialized services that brands require. This ability to step in where traditional AORs are stretched thin offers brands the agility and responsiveness that they desperately need in today’s dynamic market environment.

Embracing a New Era of Collaboration

The relationship between brands and agencies doesn’t have to be fraught with tension and frustration. By embracing senior freelancers, brands can access the strategic insight, creative talent, and autonomy they need to thrive. Senior freelancers offer a cost-effective, efficient, and collaborative alternative to traditional agency models, empowering brands to achieve their goals with confidence and clarity. As brands seek new solutions, senior freelancers are standing by to partner with them on their journey to success.

So, to all the brands and agency friends out there, it’s time to embrace a new era of collaboration – one where senior freelancers let brands unlock their true creative potential and achieve everything they want for their brands. Looking forward to my 11,002nd rodeo. Yeehaw!