When we see a shit ad, it's only natural to blame the agency. In fact, I've spent a fair few words on this blog doing just that.But what I'm slowing realising is there's far too many reasons a remarkable idea might never see the light of day. Perhaps, as a result, this leaves us with teh campaigns we judge so harshly.Not just the fact that it can all come down to one person but issues with legal, budget, timing etc.At the end of the day, if the client is happy then the rest of us should be too....

I've been thinking a bit about the agency process recently.And it surprises me how much impact just one person in that process can have. In some cases millions of dollars are put on the line, and it can all come down to a single few people.A client might turn down a great idea. An account manager might not be convincing enough. Or the creativity didn't hit at the right time. But on any other day, with any other person, the outcome could be different.And for some reason, it's been doing my head in lately. Crazy....

I was in a meeting today (I won't drop any names, but they were certainly worthy of dropping) and I was asked, "If you started an agency today, what would it look like?"I threw out some generic ideas and buzz words, and of course it wasn't until I was on my way home that an idea hit me.There is a fundamental problem with the agency/client relationship. Agencies are constantly forced to compromise on pieces of communication for client approval. It makes economic sense because without happy clients there's no one to pay for the expensive furniture in the office. But, it does mean the communication is not at its most effective. It seems to me, the two parties in this relationship have almost opposing objectives. These differences are usually overcome by settling somewhere in the middle. An area of compromise.So if I started an agency today, perhaps its motto would be "No Compromise". At all. If the client wasn't 100% happy with the work, then we wouldn't work with them. It's either take it, or leave it.Financially, it's never going to happen. But it does ensure only the best work is ever done.Unfortunately, it doesn't overcome the fact this is an industry where success is determined and therefore influenced by awards. But maybe it's the start of a conversation worth having....