[art_director]

in a recent thread i corrected someone's use of "customer" vs. "client." my statement was attacked by some.

if you were to speak with people at the world's premier ad agencies, places like fallon, wieden & kennedy, crispin porter bogusky, work, the martin agency, o&m, bbdo, leo burnett, chiat day, mother, butler shine & stern, etc., etc., etc. you will NEVER hear the term "customer." that's because agencies have "clients" not "customers."

what's the difference?

clients are our partners. we represent their brands. we are the stewards of their brands. we live, eat and breathe their businesses and the good ad person knows their clients' business better than the client knows it.

customers are what printers have.
customers are what service bureaus have.
customers are what mcdonald's has.

if you want to make it into the top tier ad agancies and design shops it's important to learn more about this difference.

[godzookie2k]

I agree with art_director.


Looking at your clients as "customer" leads to only looking at them as "paychecks" which is the wrong way to look at it. Its a symbiotic relationship, you both need each other and you are both there to help one another. You'll have better relationships with your clients if you see it as a partnership rather than selling them something.


now, back to my egg nog.

[JacobyO]

GET OVER IT!!!!!!!

It is just a word. If the word client makes you feel more important and lets you sleep at night, then by all means use it exclusively.

here is another comparison for you...

art_director vs. elitist


Merry Christmas

[art_director]

no, it's not just a word. it's a way of viewing and approaching the relationships we have with our clients.

clearly you do not understand the difference.

[godzookie2k]

exactly.

[JacobyO]

I understand the difference just fine. But when someone is simply making a post on a forum and uses the word customer, I don't feel the need to become a condescending prick.

[godzookie2k]

I don't think A/D is trying to be a prick, I think its a 'General Knowledge' discussion. I've heard many a designer look at and call their clients 'customers'. Its a common problem/issue that people should be aware of. Lighten up dude, its christmas.


well, ok its not christmas anymore but still.

[art_director]

Originally posted by JacobyO:
I understand the difference just fine. But when someone is simply making a post on a forum and uses the word customer, I don't feel the need to become a condescending prick.

condescending prick?

who pissed in your corn flakes�?

zookie hit the nail on the head.

[wreks]

Originally posted by art_director:
condescending prick?

who pissed in your corn flakes�?

zookie hit the nail on the head.

Personal questions for you art_director: Looking at your sig and user name, reading some of your posts; gathering that you work in advertising.. I was wondering how successful you are? How many years you've been in advertising? Are you freelance, do you work in a shop, what shop, have you won any awards, have you done any work I may have seen? If you care to answer any of those question, they're just for my curiosity and to understand where you're coming from.

Myself I go to an ad school in san francisco. I know classmates who are now working at goodby, kirshenbaum, ddb, butler, fcb, crispin porter, mccann and various places. I just submitted some pieces to nyad, the andys, cmyk, something else, I'm graduating in the summer and always interested in hearing about people in the business to see were I could end up.

[art_director]

Originally posted by wreks:
Personal questions for you art_director: Looking at your sig and user name, reading some of your posts; gathering that you work in advertising.. I was wondering how successful you are? How many years you've been in advertising? Are you freelance, do you work in a shop, what shop, have you won any awards, have you done any work I may have seen? If you care to answer any of those question, they're just for my curiosity and to understand where you're coming from.

Myself I go to an ad school in san francisco. I know classmates who are now working at goodby, kirshenbaum, ddb, butler, fcb, crispin porter, mccann and various places. I just submitted some pieces to nyad, the andys, cmyk, something else, I'm graduating in the summer and always interested in hearing about people in the business to see were I could end up.

yes, i'm in advertising. i'm a freelancer but have worked at many agencies. around the country � as a freelancer and as an employee. you have listed some of them.

yes, i've been in the one show, ca, archive, art directors annual, print magazine and some local shows. if you read those books with any frequency you may have seen some of my work.

i do not share specifics of my work or my agency life in forums.

i drank the kool aid at a number of shops but always wanted to go freelance � better money, better quality of life, less stress, more free time, can avoid working with big egos if i so desire... also, i find the hunt for my own clients to be more rewarding than any award show.

going to school in s.f.? smart move. that's perhaps the best place to go, imo. s.f. probably has the strongest creative community in the u.s. at this point.

you looking to go into advertising or design?