No marriage is a relationship between two blocks of concrete. Nor is any business relationship built that way - especially in a field such as marketing communication that is so very sensitive to and dependent on the matters of taste and feel. More than 15 years of experience in the advertising business has taught Smart Communication a few invaluable lessons. Let us share with you a list of seven down-to-earth teachings, as simple as these:

1. YOU BUY THINKING, AFTER ALL. Assign only such creatives who are able to listen to you, process even complex information, draw intelligent conclusions - in other words, creatives who are able to think. The world of advertising is full of facades: from fancy offices to small armies of assistants, project directors and coordinators. If you are tired of yes people, you should look for an intelligent sparring partner who is primarily interested in contributing to the discovery of the very best solution.

2. DOING THE HOMEWORK. Insist that your ad agency and the key designers thoroughly acquaint themselves with your business in general and your products in particular. You don't need snappy creatives with attitude. Instead you want your marketing communication planners to ask questions, study the details, get some idea of the competition, ask more questions and do all this with simple honesty.

3. TIME IS MONEY. MONEY IS TIME. Promises must be kept both in regard to cost estimates and schedules. These are very elementary issues, yet they are constantly a disturbing source of much discontent in many client-agency relationships. Punctuality, reliability and confidentiality are all characteristics of an ad agency worth your trust. We always provide in advance a binding cost estimate. Cost-consciousness and solid project management meeting all dead-lines is a good combination. Smart Communication manages both of them exceptionally well. Ask our clients.

4. CULTURE DOESN’T HURT. Experiences in intercultural communication and a good understanding of the trends prevailing in our global village are assets. This is true even in purely domestic campaigns, but especially when one is engaged in intercultural and multinational advertising. Subtle understanding of cultural differences, varying value systems and non-linguistic communication are indeed very valuable. Smart Communication possesses good, comprehensive language capabilities and know-how of international cooperation.

5. BALANCED COMBATIBILITY. If one is totally committed, one prefers a partnership with a supportive and dynamic creative team in tune with one’s own personality. The world's most successful ad campaigns have always been based on a high degree of compatibility and enough considerate diplomacy between the client and the agency. There is an astoundingly clear positive correlation between the way of treating the agency (how much creative freedom, understanding and open-mindedness shown by the client) and the quality of the agency’s final creative solutions. This delicate ball game needs two players who are not only able but also willing to appreciate each other.

6. THE QUESTIONS MUST BE ASKED. When you are considering an ad agency, choose a partner that is not afraid of asking the necessary stupid questions. If you'd rather listen to someone who may offer you a different approach to yours and if you believe in a fair competition between opinions expressed by equals, then you are close to Smart Communication’s way of seeing at it. Consistent thinking, crystal-clear reasoning and simple step-by-step logic can be best exploited when a true freedom of expression exists. Honesty, common sense, openness and fair play always pay off!

7. WHAT YOU ARE IS WHAT YOU GET. You are honestly willing to commit yourself to the advertising project under your responsibility? You are ready to appreciate not only your own professional know-how and the excellence of your products but also the long-standing and thorough experience of your agency? Fine. A prerequisite for success is that you as a client are convinced that the quality of your marketing communication is one of the most vital competitive factors in your business operations. It's important to see your allocation to advertising not just as a cost item, but foremost as an investment.