Ogilvy says ad challenges include offering ‘the moon’ to the client

The Ogilvy Group has created effective solutions for all brands in their care despite the difficult economic climate when clients are desperate trying to fix their bottom lines and the industry is following a wave of tactical, shot gun, short term quick fixes to their marketing and sales problems. Director and CEO of Ogilvy Action Ms. Sandya Salgado said it is an uphill task to deliver 'great work' that works as opposed to 'clever work' that appears to work. The Ogilvy brand has positioned itself globally as a 360 degree communications solutions provider and picked up six awards out of the 11 presented at the first ever Effie Awards held in Sri Lanka last week.

Ms. Salgado said the day-to-day challenges are many. Above all is a need to understand that they have to help clients sell in the short term in order for them to sustain their business in the long term. "In doing so, we need to be extremely sensitive ad cautious of not panicking and doing the wrong thing for the brand," she told The Sunday Times FT. "Our efforts have to be both practical and strategic and of course, effectively creative. It's quite a daunting task to pursue relentlessly on this course on a continuous basis." Other challenges include 'fly by night' agencies clamouring to do cheaper, better, faster work than the incumbent agency.

"Wooing clients, enticing them with many temptations and promising the sun, moon and the stars that finally never get delivered," Ms. Salgado said. "Sadly we have to compete with this challenge." She said it is a common occurrence for clients to 'tell' the agency what to do and for the agency to be mere order takers. "Clients treating the agency as a strategic partner in all decision making is the dream situation. To be honest, it's few and far between. Trying to make this happen with as many of our clients as possible too is a relentless pursuit." Ms. Salgado said more and more clients seem to prefer agencies that carry our their requests but that most of Ogilvy's clients begin to understand why they try to rationalize their point so strongly. "Once that threshold is cross, then the relationship is wonderful."