What a Year Playing Cupid for CMOs and Agencies Taught Me

Life is all about relationships. The people we see every day really are what’s most important. It’s true at home and also at work. I’ve been very lucky in both my personal life to be married to my perfect match. I’ve also had the privilege of working with the same group of people for over a decade, at not one, but two businesses. 

Relationships matter to me and over the past year I’ve been helping pair up chief marketing officers (CMOs) and brand owners with some incredibly talented agencies. Here are a few things I’ve learnt in a year of firing arrows into the hearts of marketers. 

Be choosy, as there’s plenty of fish in the sea

What’s really surprised me is just how diverse and exciting the agency world is - CMOs really are spoilt for choice. One of our biggest challenges is nailing down exactly what brand owners want and to help them to realise they can find it.    

The marketing world is very broad in terms of scope. There are many services on offer. Also, the experience and backgrounds of founders of our 100 plus agencies is very diverse. We have female-founder companies, black-owned businesses, B Corps and more. Not only that, but there is a huge amount of talent based outside of London. So let’s get down to facts and work out what you really, really want. 

It takes two baby

A good relationship involves both parties bringing different things to the table. We encourage CMOs to look for agencies which offer skills and knowledge that they don’t have, but would really benefit from. Complementary skills can be transformative. It really can be a case of one plus one equalling three. Often agency skills are very specialist and their know-how may have been developed in a different industry. Skills learnt in the music industry can be applied to the financial sector. 

Sparks fly

Some relationships work and others don’t, but why? Chemistry. Sometimes when people come together sparks fly. It’s good for there to be a few initial meetings between the parties to ensure they like the vibe of one another before committing to anything too serious. Studiospace plays Cupid here and handles all the boring stuff like contracts, terms and red tape. This allows our dating parties to enjoy themselves, explore and hopefully start creating sparks and magic. 

Values Matter

Every relationship is different and we aren’t going to be judgmental if all you want is a short-term fling. But it’s important that each party is open and honest about what they want from the relationship. Values matter and if those are aligned then it’s much more likely something longer term will arrange. Generally, I’ve found the best matches are created when all parties are focused on outcomes and impact rather than time. CMOs want to work with people who believe in their business, share their vision and want to be part of their team. Agencies want respect for their expertise and knowledge. 

Relationships take work

A beautiful relationship takes time, work and commitment. We can’t change the ones we love or expect them to behave completely differently. We need to be generous in our relationships but also not empty out the joint account on frivolous things! Good communication is key here and often that means putting in some face time and, of course, having fun. Happy Valentine’s Day!