I love working in an agency.
Technically, I can only say I love working in THIS agency, as it’s the only one I’ve worked in. But I have also been a journalist, worked in-house and gone freelance, which gives me something to compare.
So what is it that sets agency life ahead of the other options?
Well top of the list is the ‘collaborative process’, so here are our collected thoughts…
Stuff happens
You thought the highlight of the day was going to be the office doughnut eating challenge, but suddenly you’re prepping your client for the BBC Breakfast sofa, or meeting the Chancellor on a site visit in Essex, or organising a team of bricklayers to plant snowdrops in Shaftesbury for The One Show.
Agency types thrive on the unexpected, and they hold the fort for the one taking the giant inflatable paint pot from Aberdeen to Portsmouth.
A company of giants
Speaking of which, the camaraderie of the agency is in-built. Essentially we’re a bunch of people pleasers. That dedication to satisfying your clients’ every desire extends to looking after each other.
Like any family, we have our squabbles. But sibling rivalry never gets in the way of teamwork, and when a colleague is in meltdown because of the wrong colour icing on the promo gift biscuits they promised would EXACTLY match the client’s pantone reference, there is always someone willing and able to step in and help.
Working with talented, passionate and immensely creative people is a joy and, when the pressure is on, it never ceases to amaze me just exactly what we can turn around.
They want what?!
You want reindeer on the front lawn for your Christmas event? No problem. Need an enormous walking bag of concrete mascot to launch your latest product? Consider it done.
No matter how weird or wacky, baffling or bizarre a client request, someone will have the experience and contacts to deliver. Or the credit card, when a client needs an emergency new outfit to appear on TV at short notice!
The rewards
You just can’t beat that feeling when your brief comes to life and the interpretation – and the client’s reaction – is even better than you ever imagined it could be.
The pride as the team meets the daily challenges of clients and media, and wins the odd award.
How much you can learn. Working with a team that is as diverse as our client list means there is never a dull moment in the office. Rarely a day goes by without thinking: “Well I never knew that!”
Sharing
Our lives, lots of laughter, hopes, dreams, pains and sorrows. OK, sometimes maybe there is a little too much oversharing, particularly when one of us has watched a documentary about dogging on Channel 5.
But seriously . . . it’s all about bouncing ideas off each other, isn’t it?