Tips for working with your ad agency

Steve McKee of BusinessWeek offers some tips on working with your ad agency. This is our favorite and perhaps most important:

Give them your time. If your company was facing a multimillion-dollar lawsuit that could forever alter its ability to operate profitably, you'd make time for the lawyers. An ad campaign isn't a lawsuit, but the stakes are the same in terms of potential impact. Don't just hire an agency and expect it to perform magic. Be willing to do the heavy lifting from your end to ensure it's informed, prepared, and set up for success. Be open and honest with your agency, communicating your needs and goals clearly. Make time for the agency, answer all of its questions, and allow it to immerse itself in your business.