Playing nice
It’s a fairly common situation: two competing agencies working for the same client. What happens? They stab each other in the back – subtly sabotaging each other’s work, criticising each other’s work to the client, talking up their own capabilities in contrast.
Meanwhile, the agency teams suffer an unpleasantly hostile working relationship, the client pays for resource dedicated to skirmishing that could have been directed into servicing their needs, and everyone’s joy is sapped by the depressing experience of producing adequate but uninspiring work that could have been great.
All the agencies had to do was work together and everyone would have benefited – including the client, whose budget for both agencies may well have expanded as a result of the cooperative effort.
So why didn’t they?
Incentivising nastiness
At the heart of the problem is the simple fact that, individually, we are paid to make money for our agency, not to help our clients.
Don’t get me wrong – in the long run, helping our clients is the best way to make money for our agency, but often an individual’s performance is measured against short-term targets rather than long-term gains.
This translates into account managers being pressured from above to grow their accounts by undermining the accounts of competing suppliers. And even if there’s no pressure to go on the offence, there’s the fear of being on the defense – losing business to the aggressive tactics of the competition.
When faced with this situation, however the other agency behaves, the outcome will be better for you if you play nasty. They play nice? You screw them. They play nasty? You keep from being screwed. It’s a no-brainer.
The thing is, they’re faced with the exact same situation. And it’s a no-brainer for them too.
So if you both act rationally for short-term benefits, you’ll both play nasty. And if you both play nasty, you’ll both get a fairly undesirable outcome. But if you both just played nice, you’d both get a fairly desirable outcome.
In game theory, this scenario is called the Prisoner’s Dilemma, and its solution hinges on a simple fact: we don’t face these situations just once, but rather face them over and over again.
Finding a solution
Looking for the best strategy for repeated instances of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, a political scientist named Robert Axelrod organised a tournament in which different strategies could be competed against each other.
In a study of the other most successful strategies in the tournament, Axelrod found five recurring traits. Successful strategies…
· …are never the first to play nasty.
· …counter-attack when the competition plays nasty.
· …return to playing nice if the competition stops playing nasty.
· …often trial a return to playing nice to give the competition a chance to do the same.
· …don’t seek to reap more benefit than the competition.
So, what does that mean for you?
Benefiting in the real world
Take a little advice from mathematics in your relationships with other agencies…
1. Treat other agencies the way you’d like to be treated. Don’t look for opportunities to undermine other agencies. Hell, if you think they did a good job, tell them and the client that you think so.
2. But don’t be a doormat. If you learn that another supplier has started trying to push you out of business you already handle, you push right back.
3. Favour reconciliation. If things are hostile, be eager to end hostilities. They might not expect that, so there’s a good chance you’ll have to let them know. Have a coffee or a beer, tell them the situation’s bad for everyone and work together on ending it.
4. Let your agency’s work do the talking. Most important point of all. Another agency can only really push you out of business if you don’t deliver good work (you don’t deserve the client) or your client can’t recognise good work (the client doesn’t deserve you). Either way, a team that prioritises quality over politics will win the long game.
Remember, qualities like humility, respect, friendliness, forgiveness and integrity aren’t for suckers – they’re good for business.
You can’t argue with that: it’s maths.
Ryan Sproull is a digital strategist at Zuni.
Please login with linkedin to comment
Latest News
Kathmandu Hosts Urban Zipline Event In Partnership With Beyond Blue
Nothing says the outdoors like the Kathmandu brand. Although it readily fails to mention the chances of bear attack.
Victoria’s Secret To No Longer Call Ambassadors ‘Angels’ As Part Of Major Rebrand
In bad news for perverts everywhere, knickers brand Victoria's Secret is shifting its marketing out of 1972.
Evian Uses Ronaldo’s $5.2 Billion “Drink Water” Stunt In Own Marketing
Nothing screams "wanker" quite like an Evian water, does it? Admittedly, a well-hydrated wanker.
Verizon Media Academy Ends For 2021 With Youth Charity Pitch-Off
Verizon Media’s talent program has come to an end for the third year, closing with a hybrid pitch-off event for Musicians Making A Difference (MMAD). The Verizon Media Academy class of 2021, made up of 44 emerging leaders from across Australia and New Zealand media, advertising and marketing industry, were given just one hour to […]
Facebook To Expand Transparency Around Political And Social Issue Ads In Australia
Facebook to expand transparency around political & social issue ads. Mark still refusing to crack a smile, however.
Industry’s Gamers Unite For UnLtd’s Virtual Rocket League Comp
Social purpose organisation UnLtd’s Big Games competition has raised a combined $85,000 for children and young people at risk. Running over five weeks, the competition involved 32 teams from across the advertising, marketing and media industries battling it out virtually for a chance to qualify for the Rocket League final. The tournament culminated in a […]
Sam Worthington And Phoebe Tonkin To Star In New Stan Original Film ‘Transfusion’
Stan has announced that the Stan Original Film Transfusion commenced filming in Sydney earlier this week and will premiere on Stan in 2022. Transfusion is a taut, muscular thriller starring Sam Worthington (Avatar) as Ryan Logan, a former Special Forces operative, who is battling to cope with life after the loss of his wife and is thrust […]
Tommy Hilfiger’s Former Global CMO Joins Celebrity Cruises
This has all the hallmarks of an episode of 'The Love Boat', sans one of Issac's daiquiris and an unwanted STI.
COVID-19 Saw Stock Imagery Return To Harmful Gender Stereotypes
According to a decade of data collected by iStock, Australian brands turned to imagery depicting outdated gender stereotypes during the pandemic. Tracking the keyword ‘women’, iStock by Getty Images found that in 2020, ANZ brands and businesses reverted to gender stereotypes. Images of mothers home-schooling were used at almost twice the rate of images of […]
DEADLINE WARNING: Entries For Best Of The Best Awards Close Next Friday!
Consider this our FINAL WARNING about Best of the Best entries. Well, at least until we remind you again next week.
“Mike Hunt, Hugh Janus & Mike Oxlong!” Right Wing Broadcaster Gets Pranked By Its Own Viewers
B&T warns this comes with a number of puerile schoolboy jokes. You'll possibly get afternoon detention just reading it.
Saatchi & Saatchi Appoints Georgia Jones Melbourne General Manager
Big news out of Melbourne today. A new GM for Saatchi & Saatchii & someone spotted in Flinders Street not wearing black.
Maddison Connaughton Ends Time As Editor Of The Saturday Paper
Schwartz Media is congratulating Maddison Connaughton on her three years as editor of The Saturday Paper. Connaughton has decided to finish up her editorship this month. “It’s been an honour to edit the paper,” Connaughton said. “The Saturday Paper is one of the brightest voices in Australian media and I have been happy to see […]
Australian Geographic And Tourism Australia Partner For Special Edition, ‘Australia’s Quiet Places’
Australian Geographic unveils "quiet places" edition. With shelving pingas up The Goldie failing to rate a mention.
Thursday TV Wrap: Two-Minute Noodle Challenge Sees MasterChef Top Entertainment But Seven Takes The Night
Two-minute noodles the star of last night's MasterChef. Yet, strangely doesn't see a spike in uni student viewership.
Carat Appoints Oliver Carthy Head Of Digital
Oliver Carthy appointed Carat's new head of digital and unofficial de-jammer of paper jams in office copier.
New Research Names Olivia Rodrigo And BTS The Most Popular Study Music
Research from EdBbirdie using Spotify data has identified the most popular songs to study to. After analysing thousands of studying and homework playlists on Spotify, American singer Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘drivers license’ came out as top song to study to. It featured on 48 study playlists, while other top songs included ‘Ophelia’ by The Lumineers, ‘Falling’ […]
Noel Gallagher Wants To Sell Oasis’ Back Catalogue For $367M So The Songs Can Be Used In “McDonald’s Adverts”
Oasis want to sell their back catalogue to advertisers. To be fair, you'd pick up their last few albums pretty cheap.
Major New Sponsors Named For Nine’s Australian Ninja Warrior, Including KFC, ALDI And Bendigo Bank
B&T only watches Ninja Warrior for the agility, the sheer athleticism and the raunchy pervability.
Cannes Lions Announces Awards Entry Numbers For 2021 Before Lions Live launch Next Week
Sadly, once again there's no trip to France again this year. Still, spare a thought for Cannes' rude & surly shopkeeps.
Building A Successful Remote Marketing Team
Dayna Stewart is the Business Director – Digital Marketing, Media & Creative Services at The Nudge Group. Here, she discusses the challenges that come with building a successful marketing team when working remotely. Before COVID-19 changed the way businesses work, most marketing teams spent their days together in a meeting room collaborating on the next […]
Australia’s The Kid LAROI Joins Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo And More In iHeartRadio Festival Line-Up
The line-up for the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival has been announced as the legendary event returns live in Las Vegas in September. This year, the epic two-day lineup for the iHeartRadio Music Festival main stage will feature performances by Billie Eilish, Cheap Trick, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Florida Georgia Line, Journey, Khalid, Lil Baby, Maroon 5, Nelly, […]
From Intern To Chief Of Staff In Five Years: Atlassian’s Helen Xue Shares Her Three Pillars For Professional Development
Why fall backwards into the arms of colleagues to improve career development when there's this concussion-free read.
Shop! ANZ Calls On Industry To Participate In ANZ Shopper And Retail Marketing Industry Survey
Shop! ANZ is calling on shopper and retail marketing professionals from all retail related disciplines to participate in the first ANZ Shopper and Retail Marketing Industry Survey in four years. This important research provides a guide of where the retail marketing industry in Australia and New Zealand has come from and what is anticipated to […]
How To Align A Marketing Strategy With Customers’ Shifting Perspectives
Do you just want to throttle indecisive customers? This important read will calm the nerves & save you from a gaol term.
Woolies’ Retail Media Business Cartology Announces New Appointments
Woolies' media business Cartology unveils new appointments. B&T notes it also had a good deal on Tim Tams at the moment,
WPP’s Chief People Officer Lisa Sheehan Latest To Depart
The broom continues to go through WPP's local operations. Yet, not where it's most needed - the dusty skirting boards.
Akcelo Launches Innovative Game Experience Platform For Tribeca Festival
Akcelo has launched an innovative gaming experience to showcase Tribeca’s Official Selections and celebrate the inaugural Tribeca Games Award at this year’s Tribeca Festival.
Gen Z And Millennial Pinterest Users Reveal What Inspires Their Post-Pandemic Shopping
Pinterest reveals what Ys & Zs are shopping for online. And if you're thinking peacocks or fez hats, you'd be wrong.
CNN Analyst’s Return Following Masturbation Incident Sparks Outrage
In a further blow to the Catholic Church, the CNN masturbator has returned to work and has reportedly not gone blind.
