Do you have a point of view?
In one of my previous blogs “have you been told you need to be more strategic?” I talk about the importance of “spending time researching (your client’s) category, know exactly what their competitors are doing and not just in this market.”
Clients look to their agencies to have a point of view on their business and bring new thinking that works within their budgets.
Here are 5 tips to help you do this:
Prioritise research: Put time in your diary to conduct desktop research – this isn’t a ‘if I have time this week’, this is essential in order to keep up to date on trends and industry news. Even if it’s just 15 minutes once a week, do it.
Create a reading list: If you don’t have time to read a lengthy article when you come across it, bookmark it so it’s easy to find when you do have the time (or if you travel a lot print it out and keep it in a pile of reading material for your next flight/train journey).
Be bold: If you start to formulate a POV based on something you have read, share it with your team, and develop it into an idea and share with the client. Even if they don’t agree with it, it demonstrates you are interested in their business and their business objectives.
Ask yourself ‘So what?’ Competitor reviews & Industry trends – my pet hate is reading competitor reviews and industry trends that are simply pretty pictures and a few words on the activity. With each slide ask yourself ‘so what?’, why should the client care? Why are you sharing this particular piece of information? Always outline an implication for the client. If its not relevant/doesn’t have an implication on the clients business, take it out..
Be proactive and be consistent: You should aim to chat through a proactive idea(s) every couple of months. These can take different formats – a presentation, a white paper, a creative idea chatted through over a coffee…. Whatever it is, make sure you do it.
If you would like to know what websites and research tools I use, please feel free to get in touch rachel@rachelraphael.com