In this new era where technology dominates pretty much every industry you can think of, it’s safe to say that more traditional fields like advertising have had to adapt. While some of these agencies weren’t up to the task, others morphed into top-tier advertising media agencies and used the power of technology to their advantage. This, in turn, allowed the companies that hired them to excel as well.

However, regardless of the era, one of the main points of contention between clients and ad agencies has been a lack of communication. Customers feel left out of the loop and uninformed about the plans and strategies they paid for, and this never bodes well for anyone. Clients lose faith in their ad agencies and these agencies begin to lose clients.

The reason for secrecy may be that these agencies go to great lengths to maintain proprietary control over the way they do business. After all, if the client can do the same job or if a competitor were to know this information, any media agency would be in real trouble. Still, this doesn’t quite satisfy the idea of ​​an ad agency deciding to maintain a proverbial wall between itself and a client. What gives?

If you’re a business that wants to learn a little about what ad media agencies know, but isn’t too upfront about it, here’s a little 411:

They change as much as the customers – Being in business is hard on clients, which means advertising media agencies have to stay ahead to get you where you want to go. As the business goes up and down for you, it changes for them too. They just have better poker faces.

The human touch is vital to its existence. – Even though the technology push is strong, agencies do their best to keep the human connection front and center in everything they do. It is when this focus is lost that relationships fall apart.

Technology is a high priority – If you are in the media, you need to know everything about devices, platforms, the Internet, social networks and everything else. Clients rely on this knowledge to take them to the top.

Media is a blur – This is where things get a little weird. The definition of media has changed so much in recent years that knowing what the media stands for can be difficult. In many ways, this can be advantageous because if the media is blurry, the way it is used can also be unique and diverse.

Opportunity vs. Advertising – The agencies know it, and so do you. Advertising will be more about what kind of opportunities you can create rather than just getting the word out about your business. Whether it’s the agency or your client, if there aren’t opportunities to explore, you may be stuck.

Advertising media agencies are certainly the way the advertising game is played today, and if you want to keep up with the fast-paced world of business, your company should become familiar with the ways of these agencies. That said, it’s important to know that they, too, derive their very existence from the same resources whose depths they plumb for their business. As such, it benefits both agencies and their clients to maintain a strong relationship with open communication and understanding.