🎯 “The biggest driver of a successful relationship is a laser focus on the customer.” 🎯

Rachel Aldighieri, CEO at DMA (Data & Marketing Association) UK

I met up with Rachel Aldighieri, at their HQ in London for a "Quick Conversation 🎤" to ask:

👉 What’s "The Key 🔑" to successful Client–Agency relationships?

Her answer:

🧠 Trust, transparency and customer focus above all 🎯

Here is what Rachel Aldighieri shared:

1️⃣ “There really does need to be unity in terms of what success looks like, and that success needs to resonate meaningfully at the boardroom level too.”

2️⃣ “Customers are at the heart of what we do. All our members sign up to our code of conduct. It’s not just a fluffy manifesto, it’s a commitment.”

3️⃣ “We’re not here to police. We’re here to guide and to help you do the best and right things with your data.”

Going into a bit more detail on what the DMA (Data & Marketing Association) UK offer:

✅ The DMA seal of approval is more than a badge. It is a formal commitment to uphold responsible, customer-first marketing, validated by a compliance team of experts. Supportive, not punitive. Practical, not theoretical.

📚 The DMA also hosts the DMA Effect Database, offering award-winning case studies and evidence-based insights on how creativity, customer focus and meaningful measurement improve marketing effectiveness.

💡 Well worth a review!!

🎯 A brilliant reminder that putting the customer at the centre is not just good practice it is the foundation of truly effective partnerships and relationships.

🙏 Huge thanks to Rachel Aldighieri for the "Quick Conversation 🎤" and for championing customer-first, data-smart marketing.

#TheKey

#QuickConversations

#ClientAgencyRelationships

#DMA

#CustomerCentricity

#DataEthics

#MarketingEffectiveness

#Booster

🗣️ “The key to great client–agency relationships is being good at disagreeing with each other.” 🗣️

James Rice, BBH London

I met up with James Rice, Client Managing Director at BBH London, for a "Quick Conversation 🎤" in the BBH atrium to ask:

👉 What’s "The Key 🔑" to successful Client–Agency relationships?

His answer?

🗣️ The ability to disagree well.

Here is what James Rice shared:

1️⃣ “The best work and the best relationships come from when people are able to be really honest and candid and open with each other in a very trusting way.”

2️⃣ “I do not mean rowing… but being able to push your client, push your agency to make the work better, to make the insight sharper.”

3️⃣ “It works both ways. A client brings business and customer insight. The agency brings creative answers. That’s where the magic happens.”

4️⃣ “Being able to push each other, respectfully but pointedly, leads to long-standing relationships.”

💥 A brilliant example?

🍊 🍳 🍓 🌶️ 🧅 The Tesco Out of Home "Icons" campaign that replaced the Tesco logo letters with ingredients. A simple idea… but only possible through candid collaboration 🍊 🍳 🍓 🌶️ 🧅

🎯 “The BBH London-only version might have looked completely different. The Tesco-only version might not have been as pared back. But together, through honest disagreement, we made something we’re all deeply proud of.”

👉 Link to the campaign here:

https://www.thedrum.com/news/2024/10/21/ad-the-day-tesco-loses-logo-new-outdoor-campaign

🙏 Huge thanks to James Rice for the Quick Conversation 🎤 and for reminding us that great partnerships are built not just on alignment, but on the ability to challenge and push each other for better.

#TheKey

#QuickConversations

#ClientAgencyRelationships

#BBH

#Tesco

#CreativePartnerships

#Collaboration

#DisagreeWell

#Booster

🤖 “One in four visits to your website aren’t human.” 🤖

Brandon Borden, CHEQ

🎤 I was at The Marketing Society’s brilliant #TheDigitalDay, heard this quote from Brandon Borden who was on stage, and had to talk to him afterwards and get this onto a "Quick Conversation 🎤 "

⚡ This is fascinating!

👉 I asked Brandon: "What was the Key 🔑 Takeout from your session?"

His answer:

🧠 It is time to rethink what we mean by ‘customer’.

Brandon Borden shared that:

1️⃣ “The term ‘customer’ no longer just covers humans, it includes bots, AI agents, machines that can work on behalf of humans, who can transact, purchase, and drive revenue for your business.”

2️⃣ “We used to think bots = bad, humans = good… but what about malicious humans? Or good bots like search engines that help your business grow?”

3️⃣ “One in four visits to your website aren’t human.”

4️⃣ “That has a tangible impact on how you market, how you build your website, and how you measure success.”

💡 Rethinking digital engagement means making space for both people and machines, and building experiences that work for both.

🚦 Brandon Borden and CHEQ call this “go-to-market security” protecting digital journeys from fake traffic, fraud, and malicious actors, while enabling real growth.

🙏 Huge thanks to Brandon Borden for the "Quick Conversation 🎤" and for enlightening us to who our real ‘customers’ are.

🙏 Thank you also to Sophie Devonshire⚡️ for hosting the day (I said I'd post about the 🤖 Bots 👀 ) and The Marketing Society team for yet another insight packed day of inspiration: Rachel Letham (Montague-Ebbs), Ed Dawes, Anna Barber, Milena Spranger.

#TheKey

#QuickConversations

#TheDigitalDay

#MarketingSociety

#CHEQ

#DigitalMarketing

#Bots