Below are the August articles of interest from key trade publications, with excerpts highlighting...
Of the many subjects I’ve written about in this blog, the issue that seems to pop up most frequently lately is related to courage. The courage to challenge, to overcome fear, to be bold both in terms of relationships within and across the client-agency divide, as well as the courage to make bold marketing decisions and to defend them.
Though I’ve spent many years in thick of it, I know that for most of us, real ‘courage’ in business is easier said than done. Also, it’s easy to talk from the sidelines and quite a different story when you’re facing a bold decision or confrontation on the front lines. A bit like karaoke – everyone loves the idea until it’s their turn with the mic.
Boldness matters
Marketers know boldness matters. In fact, a DMEXCO (Digital Marketing Exposition & Conference) survey reported by WARC found that 75% of marketers see a bold brand presence as critical to success, and 81% expect it to grow in importance over the next five years. Yet, the reality looks very different. Only 8% said they had communicated in a strikingly bold way, and just 5% had taken a controversial stance.
Why the gap between aspiration and action? The answer lies less in strategy than in behaviour. As mentioned above, boldness is not just a marketing ambition; it is a human quality. It demands courage, a willingness to challenge, and a culture that makes space for both.
Boldness starts with people, not campaigns
At Aprais, through analysis of many thousands of client–agency relationship evaluations we’ve conducted – the willingness to push back, question the status quo, and initiate change – is one of the key behaviours that separates the best teams from the rest. We call it ‘challenge’. It is not conflict for its own sake. It is the respectful courage to raise difficult issues and to demand better, even when it feels uncomfortable.
Over the past decade, we have seen this ‘challenge’ behaviour rise in importance by 11% across our benchmarks. That’s the largest increase of all the behaviours (7) we measure. Both clients and agencies are asking more of each other, recognising that when handled thoughtfully, challenge strengthens relationships and elevates performance.
“Without courage, you cannot practice any other virtue consistently” - Maya Angelou
Boldness and challenge both depend on courage. And courage, in turn, is contagious: when managers model it, when agencies demonstrate it, and when clients reward it, it creates an environment where teams can thrive.
Friction as fuel
The Drum recently tackled this issue in an article titled “Conflict is just fear in disguise’: When is client friction good for an agency? This series of interviews with agency leaders revealed that bold work often emerges from moments of discomfort. When teams confront that fear openly – whether it is fear of risk, of reputational damage, or of internal politics – trust is built, not broken.
In the words of one agency head: “The most productive meeting I’ve ever had was also the most uncomfortable… A healthy dose of honest conversation can elevate the final outcome beyond all expectations.”
These anecdotes point to a deeper truth: avoiding friction may keep meetings harmonious, but it often leads to bland, ineffective work. Facing it, on the other hand, sharpens ideas, builds resilience, and unlocks creativity.
As another agency interviewee put it: “Friction isn’t failure. Friction is where the magic happens… Avoid it and you end up with a sea of sameness.”
Why boldness is so rare
The DMEXCO/WARC study sheds light on the barriers to making bold marketing decisions. Fear of social media backlash, concern for brand image, and legal uncertainties were each cited by nearly half of marketers, with internal resistance also playing a role.
These fears are valid. But they also explain why boldness is so rare: it is easier to retreat into safe choices than to risk exposure. Playing safe is not neutral–it is costly.
The same is true within teams. Avoiding challenge may reduce short-term tension, but it ultimately undermines trust, weakens performance, and leaves both sides dissatisfied.
Building a culture of boldness
How to reconcile the need for courage, challenge etc in an economy where many feel insecure in their roles? This tension is real. Reconciling the two requires leaders and organisations to actively engineer conditions where courage and challenge feel not only possible, but safe.
Here are a few ways that leaders can create the conditions to encourage boldness:
- Build psychological safety – Reward the attempt, not just the outcome.
- Reframe risk – Safe choices can be the riskiest, leading to wasted investment and irrelevance.
- Encourage micro-bravery – Small acts of courage, repeated often, normalise challenge.
- Model it first – Leaders must show their own courage to give others permission.
- Protect the challenger – Shield those who speak up; treat boldness as contribution, not insubordination.
Boldness thrives not when insecurity disappears, but when teams know their courage will be valued and supported.
Why boldness matters now more than ever
In today’s environment, where AI threatens to flood the market with repetitive content, the risk of blending into the background has never been higher. Verena Gründel of DMEXCO captured it well: “Boldness is the fuel that catapults brands out of comparability and firmly anchors them in people’s minds. Not acting boldly is simply not an option.”
Our Aprais evaluations confirm it: the best-performing client–agency teams are those where boldness, challenge, and courage are woven into daily behaviour. These teams don’t shy away from discomfort. They embrace it as part of the creative process and as a path to stronger, more resilient relationship.
