Why the Best Agencies Start With the Problem, Not the Pitch
Clients don't buy channels — they buy solutions. Dom Geary on why the best agencies diagnose the problem first and why honesty, not just capability, builds the strongest client relationships.
Too many agencies still lead with what they sell. Paid social. Media planning. Channel activation. "Best-in-class" everything. But clients don't buy channels. They buy solutions.
The real question isn't "What can we activate?" It's, "What problem are we actually trying to solve?"
If someone has damp on the kitchen wall, they don't need a painter selling paint. They need someone honest enough to diagnose the cause — even if paint isn't the answer.
Marketing should work the same way.
Too often, the client's problem gets reshaped to fit the agency's service list. The business challenge becomes a channel opportunity. The brief becomes a media plan.
That's not strategy. It's self-interest dressed up as expertise.
The best partners start with the problem. They connect recommendations to business outcomes. And when they're not the right answer, they say so.
That kind of honesty should be the standard. In our industry, it still feels like the exception.
Capabilities get you on the shortlist, character earns trust, and trust is what builds the strongest client-agency relationships.
What do you think — are agencies honest enough about when they're not the right answer?
