David Manders Jr. -- WaterCraft Advertising Supervisor at Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA

Increasingly, businesses are seeing the benefits of partnering with a good marketing agency. But only some are open to suggestions or allow the agency to take the lead. Of course, as a client, you will have the final say, but encouraging open communication will help you take a project/campaign to the next level. In this episode of YouShouldTalkTo, David Manders Jr, the WaterCraft Advertising Supervisor at Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, joins our host Daniel Weiner to discuss the key to a solid and successful client-agency relationship. David shares what it was like working at an agency and how he approaches these partnerships today, considering he’s the client now. David and Daniel discuss open communication as the key to a successful collaboration. In addition, David shares their expectations from when they looked for an agency to work with on a new campaign. ''We weren't looking for someone to help us move the product or grow an e-commerce footprint. We were looking for partners who could help us tell our story a little better and a little differently than we may have done before.'' Guest-at-a-Glance 💡 Name: David Manders Jr., WaterCraft Advertising Supervisor 💡 Company: Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA 💡 Noteworthy: David has over eight years of experience leading strategic marketing and advertising campaigns for regional and global brands. 💡 Where to find David: LinkedIn Key Insights ⚡Working with an agency is not mandatory, so make it a worthy investment if you opt for it. David used to work at an agency, and he says that no one forces you to enter such a partnership. But if you do, make the most of their expertise because you hired them for a reason. ''I never want to be the client who's not going to listen to the expertise of that company I've asked to work with me. One of my least favorite things when working at an agency was hearing no a lot and being told no without much explanation. So, one of the things we do is — I'll always listen to a rationale, even if I disagree with it at first. I want to hear your explanation for why you're selling something, fighting for something, or thinking it'll work.'' ⚡We had a few things defined that made our work with an agency straightforward. As David and his team decided to partner with an agency for their new campaign, they contacted YouShouldTalkTo and asked for help in that search. Luckily for the agency they picked, David's team had a campaign playbook. It is a valuable guide that enables the agency to deliver what David's team expected. The playbook explained that “the persona we've been looking at is this female with the propensity to become a boater, who she is, what she does, how we can speak to her, and what she wants to hear from a brand like ours. [...] We also had a lot of the creative ready to go. We've been developing creatives all year. We have this story we're ready to tell, but now we need to figure out how we're going to tell this story. How are we going to distribute this content and get it out to the right people?'' ⚡As a client, be open to suggestions and share as much as possible with the agency. It is the only way to ensure that both of you are on the same page with what the campaign should look like and achieve. ''I recommend talking to agencies or prospects on all ends of the spectrum. Because going into this, what you think you might be looking for might not end up being what you need by the end of it. You might be exposed to new concepts and ways of thinking that stick with you and click with you. Or you might be exposed to things you didn't realize you don't want, but then you clearly understand that's something you don't need or don't want. "