Why our favourite clients aren’t the easy ones

There are days when I crave simplicity. Projects that run smoothly, clients who nod along, no questions asked. But let’s be honest, that gets old fast.

My favourite clients are the ones who ask the hard questions.

The ones who can commit to a single-minded message that doesn’t contain the word “and.” The ones who don’t just hand over a briefing and ask for execution. Clients who we can tell: “we’d love to work on this, but here’s what you really need,” and they’ll listen. Sometimes they’ll push back. Sometimes we’ll disagree, out in the open. And that’s the point.

Because that’s when it becomes real and better work.

I don’t mind a bit of chaos. Or complexity. Or the occasional strategy hidden between the lines. That’s often how the most meaningful marketing begins. When there’s tension, uncertainty, even friction. When communication has to do more than inform. When it needs to move people. Create change. Build belief.

It’s never just about the product or the category. I’ve worked on launching yoghurt brands and promoting universities and insurance products, I’ve seen the ins and outs of paint and cars. To name just a few. All of them can be challenging. But the real difference? It’s in the mindset.

Some clients say they want transformation but secretly hope for business as usual. They talk big but measure small. They ask for boldness but want guarantees. And that’s where it stops.

Because when a brief sounds brave but the decisions stay safe, we’re not building anything. We’re just optimising fear.

The clients who stick with agencies are the ones who are willing to go further. To challenge the question. To question the answer. To build something honest and sharp and to stand behind it.

So yes, I do have favourites. Not because they’re easier. But because they make the work better. They trust the process. They bring clarity. They bring guts.

And in return, we give them our best thinking and execution.