Client crush: Why falling in love with your clients should be a thing

By Michaela Krause

With a headline like that, I'm guessing I have your attention, right?

Good. Because here's the thing: even after 15+ years on the agency side, I still get them. Mad client crushes.

Now, before you huff, puff, and roll your eyes about how wildly inappropriate that sounds, hear me out. I'm not talking about candlelight dinners and roses. I'm talking about the kind of crush where you walk out of a meeting grinning, energized, and thinking, "Damn, this is why I do what I do."

That fuzzy, happy, almost giddy feeling you get when a client relationship just clicks.

And because this year has felt particularly brutal for agencies, with tight budgets, impossible timelines, PoCs tearing up when they have to cut their agencies after amazing campaigns and a general sense that everyone's just trying to survive, these moments of genuine connection feel like bright lights cutting through the gloom. When a potential partnership sparks that rare excitement, it reminds us why we chose this industry in the first place.

When client chemistry actually happens

Briefings are clear, fair, and square. No riddles, no "you know what I mean" followed by three contradictory examples. Just clarity. We love clarity more than our morning coffee. When a client says "we want to increase brand awareness in the DACH region by 30% within six months, here's our target audience, here's what we've tried before, and here are the three things that absolutely cannot happen," we practically float home.

Lead times make sense. "ASAP" is not a love language. Neither is "we need a full strategy by tomorrow." Giving us space to actually think, research, and craft something meaningful; or simply respecting the private space of the individuals involved instead of forcing us to frantically cobble together whatever we can manage? Heart eyes, immediate.

Trust and transparency flow both ways. Straightforward beats sugarcoated every single time. Tell us what works, what doesn't, and what you're genuinely worried about. When clients share their real challenges instead of corporate speak, magic happens. We can solve actual problems, not imaginary ones.

The work pushes boundaries. Client crushes don't happen with boring briefs. We want to be challenged, to solve problems that make us think differently. Give us a market that's never been cracked, a message that's never been told, or a campaign that requires us to invent something entirely new.

Success gets celebrated, failures get discussed. A simple "that coverage in (T& media relevant to client) was exactly what we needed" can power a team for weeks. But equally important? "The influencer campaign didn't hit our targets; let's figure out what went wrong." Both reactions show you're invested in the partnership, not just the outcome.

Humor aligns. That one might be a bit more Laika-specific than the rest, but you should still try it. One of our actual company values is humour. The right banter, the right dose of silliness, and knowing when to turn it off makes everything better. When a client responds to our slightly sarcastic campaign concept with an equally sarcastic "this is either brilliant or we're all getting fired",  we know we're off to a good start.

The flip side: When chemistry is missing

We've all experienced the opposite. Meetings that drain energy instead of creating it. Prospect clients that waste their time and ours by organizing meetings they don’t want to be in. Clients who treat agencies like order-takers rather than strategic partners. Projects where every interaction feels transactional, every email formal, and every deliverable scrutinized without context.

Without that spark, work becomes mechanical. Teams tend to deliver what's asked for, nothing more. Creative thinking shuts down because there's no psychological safety to propose bold ideas. The relationship becomes about covering bases instead of moving mountains.

And in an industry built on creativity and trust, mechanical relationships produce mechanical results.

Why client crushes matter for your business

Here's what happens when an agency genuinely loves working with you: you get thinking that goes beyond the brief. You get team members who defend your brand in internal meetings and champion your success like it's their own. You get the "couldn't sleep, had a brilliant idea at 2am" moments that turn good campaigns into great ones (my shower-time moments of clarity are so famous my team got me a waterproof notepad).

You also get longevity. When agencies love the work, they fight to keep accounts. They absorb occasional budget cuts, work around challenging timelines, and invest their best people in your success. In an industry where account churn is constant (not to say getting worse), this loyalty becomes incredibly valuable.

Most importantly, you get innovation. Comfortable relationships breed creative risks. When teams trust that bold ideas will be considered fairly rather than shot down reflexively, they propose the campaigns that break through noise and drive real results.

Making it happen

The beautiful thing about client crushes is they're not accidental. They emerge from mutual respect, clear communication, and shared investment in success. For potential clients reading this, consider how you show up in those initial meetings. Are you looking for a partner who will challenge your thinking and elevate your brand? Or are you shopping for the cheapest option to execute predetermined ideas?

Because here's the truth: agencies can sense the difference immediately. And in a year when genuine excitement feels rare, the clients who spark that energy don't just get better work: they become the bright spots that remind us why we love this business.

So to all clients and potential ones out there: go ahead, make your agency swoon. In times like these, those relationships matter more than ever.