The 4 Types Of Agency-Client Relationships

How you function, or dysfunction, with your agency or client directly informs the craft and culture you create.

- Anselmo Ramos

Over the course of my career, I’ve seen all sorts of agency-client relationships. I believe long-standing partnerships are thanks to huge amounts of trust, communication and understanding. Trust is especially important. Almost all clients and agencies (98 percent, in fact) believe that a relationship that’s based on trust leads to better work. But let’s be honest, not every agency-client relationship is perfect. Here are the four types of agency-client relationships we all may be in (whether we want to admit it or not).

The crappy agency with the great client Hard to spot (since every agency thinks it’s great), but this is way more common than you think. I see it all the time. Agencies love to criticize their clients. “My client doesn’t want to do great work.” “My client doesn’t have a famous brand.” “My client doesn’t have money.” “My client doesn’t get it.” “My client blah blah blah.” Enough already. Stop complaining about your client and ask yourself how the agency can get better. And do it fast, before the client calls the “good guys.” Now, if you’re a great client with a crappy agency, it’s up to you to ask for a drastic change. Tell your agency you expect more, and that from now on, you want great work every single time. But also give them a chance—almost every agency deserves a second chance.