Landing a Big Idea: Client Conversations with Suzanne Miller & Lindsay Morgan

One of the most frequent requests we get from clients is to bring them a big idea. ?Often, without a specific budget but with the direction that if the idea is strong enough, they will find the money.?

Sometimes we nail it, other times we need to rethink. Why? We might be missing key factors. To understand better, I started a series of client conversations to learn what our clients most want their agencies to know.

First up: Lindsay Morgan, who came from marketing posts at Yum! and Samsung and most was recently our interim CMO at Shipley Do-Nuts. Lindsay had about 90 days to make big impact and she did. She shared these tips for agencies looking to land a big idea that helps drive the business. Here are those nuggets:??

?1. “Challenge My Thinking. Don’t just agree with us — push back! We want fresh ideas that challenge the norm. Great ideas often come from questioning the status quo.”?

?2. “Keep Results in Mind - Always tie your ideas to measurable outcomes. How will this move sales to retail stores, restaurants, or wherever our business needs to grow?”?

3. “Bring Broader Perspectives - Agencies work across many industries, giving them insights we might not have. Use that to bring us innovative ideas from outside our category - that’s often where the magic happens. A fresh idea from outside our category might just be the key to unlocking something big for us."??

4. “Keep Us Honest - As clients, we can get caught up drinking our own “internal Kool-Aid” — we’re immersed in our brand, so we need agencies to be the voice of reason. Keep us honest -? Is the idea truly relevant to customers, or are we just enamored with our own brand story? Agencies have a unique ability to step back and assess whether an idea actually resonates with the audience."??

Well said. Thank you, Lindsay. Heading into a brainstorm this week with your tips in mind. #ClientTips #AgencyCollaboration #MarketingStrategy #BusinessGrowth #CreativeInnovation