9th April 2024
David Meikle on adapting to the changing needs of clients by rethinking commerciality, productisation and negotiation.
Episode 4
David Meikle
Founder, The HTBAG Company
How clear are you on what clients REALLY want from agencies? And what if you could ask someone with a unique perspective on how agencies do great work?
Our guest on this episode is David Meikle. The classic ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’, he was previously an agency leader, working for Grey and latterly running Ogilvy in Russia, and now he’s a search consultant. David’s also a compassionate, innovative and rigorous thinker about the advertising and marketing industry, which you’ll know if you’ve read his books.
This far-reaching conversation covers commerciality and profit, the risks of productising your offer, and how to strike a fairer deal with procurement. We also explore why agencies are poor negotiators and a surprising truth about how less exciting clients often get better work.
David also offers a new way to think about agency differentiation – one that clients are taking increasingly seriously.
Chapters:
5.04 What agencies don’t understand about profit conversion
11.07 How agencies enable Procurement to dominate them
15.10 The risks of productising agency services
24.20 Why agency marketing is like car insurance
27.15 The role of the agency’s employer brand
31.30 Distinctiveness vs uniqueness
40.10 How conservative clients can get better work
42.01 Agency failures in negotiation
43.40 The concept of ‘buyer’s profit’
46.25 Opportunities for your employer brand
Previous episodes
The quest for agency simplification
Episode 20
Ruud Wanck
CEO, Candid
From phoney to fearless: building an agency ‘for the culture’
Episode 19
Omid Farhang
Founder & CEO, Majority
Honest leadership in times of change
Episode 18
Josh Krichefski
CEO, GroupM EMEA
The risks of malicious obedience
Episode 17
Greg Hahn
Co-founder, Mischief
Why creativity relies on diversity
Episode 16
Jo Wallace
Global ECD, Jellyfish
The business case for differentiation
Episode 15
Anthony Freedman
CEO, Common Interest
When change becomes transformation
Episode 14
Neil Perkin
Founder, Only Dead Fish
How to maintain entrepreneurialism at scale
Episode 13
Tim Ringel
CEO, Meet The People
How AI is changing the agency business model
Episode 12
Chris Johnson
CEO, TomorrowToday
The secrets of successful client relationships
Episode 11
Alex Lubar
Global CEO, DDB
The recipe for agency swagger
Episode 10
Natalie Graeme
Founder, Uncommon Creative Studio
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Episode 9
Sue Unerman
Chief Transformation Officer, EssenceMediacomX
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Episode 8
Harjot Singh
Global Chief Strategy Officer, McCann & McCann Worldgroup
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Episode 7
Katie Lee
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Episode 6
Ruth Mortimer
Global President, Advertising Week
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Episode 5
Rob Campbell
Chief Strategy Officer, Colenso BBDO
A new game plan for agencies
Episode 3
Michael Farmer
Chairman and CEO, Michael Farmer and Co.
How agency CEOs can compete with talent's need for freedom
Episode 2
Faris Yakob
Co-Founder, Genius Steals
Where does innovation really come from?
Episode 1
Rory Sutherland
Vice Chairman, Ogilvy UK
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