We’re Grateful for Great Clients
This time of year always leads us to reflect on what we’re grateful for. It’s also a time to eat—a lot. I don’t envy anyone who has to host Thanksgiving dinner, though. It’s rife with expectations born out of personal preferences and traditions.
However, the process of preparing a memorable Thanksgiving feast has a lot of similarities to the dynamics of building a strong client-agency relationship.
Go with me here…Brand building, like Thanksgiving, has many different components that all need to come together to reach and satisfy different groups of people. Some people are vegetarian, some people hate turkey and some people prefer pumpkin pie over pecan. At Noble West, we seek to bring all of those components to the table to create something great that everyone will love - carefully crafting stories and strategies that will resonate with our clients and their audiences.
Brands typically come to us with a solution in mind, something they’ve been thinking about that will help to bring their company to a new audience, market or even level. We know, behind that is a business problem, and we dedicate time and energy to ensure we deeply understand and can navigate our way through it. We know it’s our job not only to deliver on the stated task but to cultivate work that reaches the heart of what our clients are really hoping to accomplish. That is where our ethos to partnership comes in, which is woven into the fabric of our agency values.
Like any relationship, greatness can only be achieved through deep understanding and mutual trust with one another. That takes time, vulnerability and actively working through challenges together. In an industry that the average person knows very little about, these kinds of challenges we tackle are complex. We’re developing messaging that will address misconceptions around sustainable farming practices and targeting audiences that have historically been difficult to reach - requiring nuanced expertise and direct communication from both sides to produce the best possible work.
“Do the right thing” is one value that encapsulates our approach to creating great work. We spend countless hours debating brand positioning statements, creative concepts and communications plans - kicking the tires round and round to answer the question, “Is this right for the client?”
And, having the right answer to that question is critically important. This paramount need was highlighted when embarking on the brand evolution efforts for Grimbleby Coleman and Schuil Ag Real Estate this past year. Both brands were celebrating incredible anniversary milestones, and Noble West was tasked with the transformation that would forge fresh brand identities while honoring their respective legacies built on decades of success.
Everyone wants great work. All our partners have this feeling they’re searching for when seeing their brand come to life. When North Shore Living partnered with Noble West to expand their line of best-selling hydroponic herbs, we developed Counter Culture together, a new product with a campaign to match that reimagined a trio of living herbs as a culinary lifestyle brand that gives consumers “a fresh reason to gather”. The feeling we had when we first shared Counter Culture was that spark of a feeling we were all looking for.
Experience dictates that great work doesn’t give the client what they ask for—oftentimes it pushes them to think a little differently and to see new ways of how their brand can show up in the world. And great clients aren’t necessarily the ones that just give quick approvals. They ask questions, give more context and help us understand what the stakes really are. It’s what leads to great relationships and great work.
At the end of the day, whether it’s Thanksgiving or campaign presentations, we’re all together, gathered around the proverbial zoom/conference room/dinner table, working hard to do the right thing. We’re so grateful for our clients who entrust us with telling their stories and the meaningful relationships that are built along the way. Noble West wishes everyone a safe and happy holiday season filled with great food and even better company. Now, let's eat.
