Getting the most out of your creative agency

As the demands and job expectations on credit union marketers grow, many increasingly turn to the help of an outside advertising or creative agency. This represents a substantial investment in a credit union’s marketing budget as well as time and trust. In a day and age when clear and consistent communication is critical in establishing a brand and growing market share, credit unions must get the most bang for their buck as possible out of this creative agency relationship.

What are some of the current industry best practices that can help a credit union dive as deeply and energetically into this relationship as possible? Here are a few ideas.

• Expect clear and open communication with your creative agency. After all, you are paying them to be there for you. Whether you have an account executive assigned to you or you have an open line to the agency CEO, you have a right to expect your voice will be heard and responded to. When in doubt or if you feel things are a little too silent, burn up the telephone, email, or, even better, meet in person with your creative agency team.
• Be just as open and honest with your time. Creative agencies typically employ amazing people. However, they are not mind-readers. You must be prepared to spend plenty of time with them, explaining your credit union vision, mission and unique brand. Allow them time to visit your facilities, talk to employees and members and just get a general better feel for the unique mix it is your credit union. This investment of time up front will help save revisions and potential miscommunication in the future.
• Give clear feedback on the materials they provide, good or bad. Remember, you are the shepherd of your credit union’s marketing message and brand. It is your job to police it and protect it. You’re not going to hurt anyone’s feelings at your creative agency if you tell them they are getting too far off the branding path or if you just don’t like some of the new materials they are creating for you. It is far better to voice concerns before things are printed or uploaded, as opposed to after.
• Be kind when it comes to deadlines. Your creative agency probably has dozens of other clients. Different agencies handle workflow differently ways, but most things typically happen in a queue sort of system. Emergencies happen, and your creative agency should have a little flexibility in helping you deal with those. However, repeatedly dumping rush projects on your creative agency is it fair to them or to your credit union brand. The best creative work is typically done with ample lead time and time built-in for revisions along the way. Help your creative agency do their best work by keeping reasonable expectations about scheduling and job turnaround time.

• Look at your creative agency less as a vendor and more as a partner. Your creative agency, by the very nature of its job, must be intimately involved in your credit union. Therefore, it’s more reasonable and fair to both parties to look at them more like a partner and less like another third-party vendor. In order to promote your brand and communicate effectively, your agency must be synced with the culture and people of your credit union. Work to build camaraderie with your agency. This will help more effectively share the story of your credit union with them which, in turn, aids in the efficient and productive dissemination of your brand message across various channels.

Working with an outside creative agency is a terrific way for many credit unions to more fully develop their brand identity and target market messages. However, in order to make this relationship work at its best, credit unions should take steps to build bridges to their creative agencies. When working together in such a way, the marketing and branding messages provided to members and potential members are more powerful, impactful and persuasive to consumers.