Client-Side or Agency-Side, Which Side is Best?

Client side versus agency side - what are the differences, what are the similarities, which side is best? I’ve now done both and from my perspective, they aren’t as different as we like to think. So, what does it take for a former client like me to survive and really like the agency environment?

It’s really simpler than I could have imagined. I’ve discovered the agency and the corporation are looking for many of the same things. They want a healthy business, innovative and loyal business partners, and, last, but certainly not least, they both want to be in control.

It’s like a marriage. Both parties want to “think” they are in control when really it’s all about communication and sometimes compromise. If you’ve never been in a client position, how do you really know exactly what they want and what’s fair and reasonable? Same thing if you’ve only experienced the client side. That’s where I come in.

When I started at the agency, I heard a lot of brainstorming begin with using press releases and sponsorships to promote a client’s business. While it’s true those things have their place in a PR plan, we needed to think bigger and more creatively. I wasn’t sure exactly how to do that, but what I did know was that as a client, I didn’t want to hear much about releases and any agency that keyed in on that, wasn’t going to have my business for long. Clients are asking agencies to come up with the “big” ideas and they aren’t even sure what they mean. I’m learning that, for the agency, this isn’t an easy place to be, but it is what is expected. Once pushed, my team is coming up with some really great stuff and it looks like they’re having fun doing it. But in the spirit of compromise and communication, they are definitely teaching me what it looks like from this side and how to handle this environment and those darn clients.

I can say that because I’ve been one.

Kristy DuSablon Named Public Relations Director

Fashion shows in Miami, rubbing elbows with the stars, and directing a communications plan for an internationally renowned company sounds like a top rung kind of job. Not for Kristy DuSablon. She recently traded in her company ladder to bring her extensive experience and client-side perspective to Freedman, Gibson & White.

Most recently, DuSablon was with Luxottica Retail as PR Manager for Sunglass Hut. Kristy worked with national PR agencies to raise consumer awareness of the Sunglass Hut brand and establish the retail chain as a fashion destination for the latest in hot sunglasses. There, she also implemented numerous grassroots initiatives that garnered media attention.

Prior to that, she held a variety of marketing roles in her 13-year tenure with Cincinnati Bell Telephone that included: product manager, new product development, and advertising manager. Specifically, she worked on the start-up team for Cincinnati Bell Wireless and the development, marketing, and advertising team for the introduction of ZoomTown High-Speed Internet Access.

“The unique blend of working with national and local agencies from the client’s perspective will make Kristy a valuable asset to our business. She is committed to bringing in new business with an eye to client needs, fresh innovative thinking, and measurable results,” said John Beard, Executive Vice President and Director of Client Services and PR for FG&W. “Current clients have been pleased with her fresh thinking and enthusiasm and we look forward to introducing her to new client prospects.”