Independent thinking from an independent agency »

The saying goes that the only two sure things in life are death and taxes. Well in the public relations business, there’s a third sure thing to go along with the two aforementioned – a client asking to get them on the Oprah Winfrey Show. In this business it is almost impossible when speaking with a consumer products company to not get asked the dreaded question when speaking about goals: “we think we should be on Oprah.” For this reason, and the overwhelming credibility and clout delivered by Winfrey, getting on her show is the equivalent of the Holy Grail in the public relations business.

With a combination of hard, smart work, great timing and some luck, this afternoon one of our long-time clients the Ohio Art Company, manufacturers of the classic Etch a Sketch, celebrating its 50^th anniversary, will be featured on Oprah. Not only is this quite an accomplishment for our team and the brand, but it couldn’t have happened to a better client that Ohio Art, a client since our founding in 1994. Yes, that’s right a partner of Southard Communications since we opened our doors 16 years ago.

Rather than boasting about this tremendous accomplishment, I’d rather speak about longevity in the area of agency-client relationships. When I last read about agency-client relationships it seemed as though the average partnership lasted a mere three years. Equally interesting — or more likely disturbing– is a recent survey noting that the average chief marketing officer is on the job for just 21 months. This turnover, both internally within corporations as well as with your outside partner, can’t bode well for the consistency needed to truly deliver consistent and ongoing results, as has been the case with Ohio Art and Southard. This type of loyalty between client and agency is simply unheard of these days and the Bryan, Ohio-based company should be rightfully applauded for taking a long term view of its marketing campaigns.

I was reminded during drinks with the Ohio Art folks on Monday of last week that their business has experienced many ups and downs over this period of time, but along the way we have always worked with them as their true partner. Budgets, for example, have varied dramatically based upon the type of year the company was experiencing, or most recently, the impact the economy was having on the company and its sales. The true essence of a partnership is in the give and take, both from the client and the agency, working together to do what is ultimately in the very best interests of the company. That, together with an open, honest approach and relationship is the key to creating a long term relationship between a marketer and its agency.  I am a firm believer that there’s a direct connection between superior results and the length of a relationship between agency and client.

Clients today are more impatient than ever, making Ohio Art is rarity in this business of ours. I doubt this will change anytime soon, in fact it may only get worse. For today at least, it’s nice to see one company that has been loyal and dedicated to a long-term partnership reaping the benefits.

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