Is there someone called an ideal advertising client? I think I am blessed because I have had the good fortune to have worked with quite a few who qualify for that distinction. But I know a lot of clients who are truly bad apples and I also know a lot of advertising professionals and film makers who have been doomed to work with the worst of the lot.

I keep getting questions from friends and colleagues about who I think is/was my ideal client and I am mostly disappointed when they expect my answer to be coloured by the profit I made from my respective clients.

I must clarify at this stage that unlike quite a few of my peers and fellow professionals, my benchmarks for “ideal client’ are way beyond any money the assignments represent.

I look at how much I was allowed to contribute to the assignment. In terms of creatives, in terms of strategy, in terms of deployment. I look at how much fun I had, how much I learnt. Of course I also look at the money I made, but that is almost tertiary. Most importantly, I look at how much my work benefitted the client and how much he acknowledges it.

Naturally, when I go about voicing such utopian standards I am bound to be asked the question…how do you find a client like that?

Honestly I have no answer, or rather, I did not till today.

It was this morning when I was working on a project for a client and reading up some material connected with his project, that an idea struck me…and I am writing out my thought process without any kind of editing…let me know if you agree.

Now, I am sure you know a womaniser or two. Maybe you are one yourself. Who knows…and that’s not the point anyway. It’s important that you recognise some traits in a womaniser.

1. A Womaniser is one who understands the importance of a first impression. As a result of this he is open to quite a few innovations that he may use to enhance that first impression.

2. A Womaniser knows that he has to follow through the impact of the first impression with some serious content.

3. A Womaniser knows that the window of opportunity is often very small, and that he has to act fast.

4. A Womaniser knows that whatever he invests is worth it, and believes in ROI.

5. A Womaniser does not encourage mediocrity. He intrinsically, always aims for the best.

Now take the above five observations and replace the word “Womaniser” with the phrase “Ideal Client”. You will be amazed at how much sense the observations continue to make.

What say you?