Gen Z speaks: Havas Hong Kong’s David Tam

As the creative industry evolves, Gen Z talent is emerging and making its mark. These young professionals are being given greater opportunities to contribute their unique skills and mindsets during client presentations.

However, a 2022 Havas report named "Client agency Barometer" revealed a lack of trust evident between clients and agencies. Only 56% procurement decision makers are satisfied they have an honest and transparent relationship with their agencies, against 80% who see this as important - a gap of 24%.

Moreover, some clients prioritise security and therefore delay the signing of quotations after the pitching stage until they are fully satisfied with the agency's proposed deliverables. This can create challenges for the agency in securing the project and maintaining a productive partnership.

In this episode, David Tam (pictured), associate creative director, Havas Hong Kong, shares his experiences with these types of problematic briefs and discusses effective strategies for navigating such situations. He also provides insights into the pitching process from the perspective of a junior-level employee, emphasising the importance of open communication and mutual respect in the agency-client relationship.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE:  From your experience, what would you consider a bad brief? what’s the worst brief client has given you?

In my professional experience, I have encountered two types of bad briefs: those characterised by "too much guidance" and the infamous "fake open brief." While it may initially seem counterintuitive, these types of briefs can actually hinder the creative process and limit the potential for innovative solutions. Let me delve into each of these scenarios and explain why they can be problematic. 

Firstly, let's discuss the issue of "too much guidance." At first glance, it might appear that a detailed brief with clear instructions would provide a solid foundation for the creative team. 

However, in some cases, an excessively prescriptive brief can stifle creativity and prevent us, as creative talents, from exploring new ideas or pushing the boundaries of brand positioning and personality. 

When a brief is overly rigid, it leaves little room for interpretation and creative thinking, resulting in a cookie-cutter approach that fails to capture the essence of the brand and resonate with the target audience. 

For example, I once encountered a client during a pitching process who insisted on maintaining the current creative platform. This meant that we were explicitly instructed not to change the tagline or the overarching big idea. 

Furthermore, we were strictly bound to follow the brand guidelines for visual design. While it is essential to maintain consistency and adhere to brand guidelines, this approach severely limited our ability to bring fresh perspectives, explore alternative creative avenues, and truly differentiate the brand. 

As creative professionals, we thrive on the opportunity to contribute to brand evolution and engage in strategic thinking, but such a restrictive brief hampers our ability to do so effectively. 

As for the "fake open brief" phenomenon, this type of brief presents itself as open-ended, with the client providing general guidelines and encouraging a wide range of possibilities during the initial briefing session. 

However, when the time came to present our ideas, we discovered that the client's openness was more apparent than real. Often, the client has specific requirements and expectations that were not clearly communicated in the brief, leaving us feeling blindsided and unprepared.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: How did you deal with the brief?

To address a bad brief, the first step is to collaborate with the account servicing team and compile a list of questions to gather more information from the client or procurement team.

Subsequently, it is essential to draft an agency brief that clearly identifies the business challenge and outlines how the brand should communicate in response.

A productive approach is to arrange a meeting with the client to discuss and align expectations, thereby reducing any potential misunderstandings. In cases where these options are not feasible, it becomes necessary to strategically create multiple idea options.

To do so, a thorough study of the brand, its challenges, target audience, and industry is required to make well-informed judgments about the brand's communication needs. Based on these findings, different creative directions can be developed to effectively address those needs. 

It is important to remember that even though the client may not have provided sufficient information, our role as creative professionals is to assist them in overcoming their challenges. It is crucial not to assume that the client intentionally drafted a bad brief.

By following these steps, we can navigate the complexities of a bad brief and work towards delivering impactful solutions that meet the client's objectives.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: As a junior staff, pitching is important but how do you know when to walk away?

As a junior staff member, I recognise the significance of pitching not only for the agency's profitability but also as an opportunity to learn how to navigate various challenges. 

Therefore, we always make an effort to participate and contribute. We begin by conducting thorough research on the brand and generate preliminary ideas that we can discuss with our senior colleagues. In some cases, we may even proceed to the first-round presentation. 

However, there are instances where we discover that the client's comments are unfair or that they lack a clear understanding of their brand's development and objectives. In such situations, it is important for us to express our perspectives to our senior colleagues and management. 

Fortunately, most of the time, our seniors and management are already aware of the issues before we bring them up, and they handle the situation accordingly. They often make the decision to withdraw from the pitch in a manner that addresses the concerns at hand. 

As a junior staff member, it is crucial for me to embrace these challenges initially. However, when situations arise that are unreasonable or impractical, I find comfort in knowing that there are individuals with more experience who will take care of the matter.

By maintaining open communication and expressing our thoughts respectfully, we can contribute to the overall success of the agency.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What are the bad behaviours you have seen from clients that need to stop?

Clients often prioritise security and may sometimes engage in actions that appear unreasonable. For example, after the pitching stage, a client may express a desire to appoint the agency to execute the ideas presented. In their quest to ensure the quality of work, they may delay signing the quotation until they are satisfied with the agency's proposed deliverables. 

Pitching serves as a process for agencies to showcase their creativity and problem-solving capabilities to clients. After the pitch, following the client's assessment, if they believe the agency is competent and the creative direction aligns with their objectives, they should be able to trust the agency and establish a partnership to produce great work. 

This approach fosters a collaborative and constructive relationship between the client and the agency, rather than relying on a "fear approach" based on mistrust.

Another common occurrence is when an agency is informed that they have not been appointed after a pitch, only to discover later that the launched campaign incorporates ideas or visual elements that closely resemble or even match those presented in the agency's pitch proposal. 

While this could be a coincidence, clients should take precautions to avoid such situations and prevent any potential embarrassment.

We understand that various factors influence a client's decision during the pitch process, extending beyond creativity alone. However, it is important for clients to respect the efforts made by the agency and strive to build a stronger and more trusting relationship with them. This mutual respect and trust contribute to a more fruitful and successful collaboration.

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