Marketing Categories Differ in How They Impact Client-Agency Business Relationships: Research

The demands of different business categories can have a profound impact on marketer and agency teams, according to new research from Aprais.

The consultancy looked at more than 26,000 relationships between marketers and their agencies for a study that identifies the differences between the two and reveals how teams working in specific categories can improve against their most highly evaluated peers.

Why client-agency relationships matter

Understanding the nuances and challenges of particular categories can help agencies better appreciate its dynamics. Agencies can adapt their approach, acquiring specialised knowledge and developing tailored strategies to navigate specific category demands. Ultimately, this builds trusted and effective partnerships with existing clients and helps to win new clients in target categories.

Key insights

• Among 11 categories studied, pet care, confectionery and non-alcoholic drinks have the most positive ratings of each other.
• Categories such as personal care, healthcare and finance score their teams lower, which is perhaps related to the often sensitive, technical and highly regulated nature of the work.
• Highly competitive categories such as retail and telecoms show remarkably similar scores for the client and agency teams.
• Automotive has the greatest opportunity for marketers and agencies to improve relative to their best-in-class peers.
• Across all categories, trust is the highest-scoring behaviour, underlining its universal importance in relationships.
• Deep understanding of the specific category is critical to building trust and maintaining a good relationship between the marketer and the agency teams.