Of particular interest to Aprais is the collaboration between brands and agencies. The Forbes Insight global survey among 255 executives across a range of industries and functions (including marketers and agencies) revealed that issues related to the client-agency relationship were among the ‘top two roadbloacks’ for better agency collaboration. Specifically, the trouble spots were; organisational silos, cultural differences and team commitment.
When it comes to client-agency relationships, the words collaboration and integration are often used interchangeably. Are we talking about the intimate sharing between a client and an external partner or with and among all external agencies?
Our data-mining proves that both are critical.
Interrogation of our database of over 15 million inputs proves conclusively that better relationships between clients and agencies deliver better results. But what effect does the need for inter-agency collaboration have on a clients view of agency performance? The answer is both sizeable and positive.
When no inter-agency collaboration was required, the average client scores of agency performance in the UK, was 68. But among agencies required to collaborate, the average score increased to 70. The numbers are more pronounced in the USA and Rest of World agency scores.
In short, agencies that are required to collaborate with and among other agencies are viewed more favourably by their clients, than those that do not.
Whether client-agency or inter-agency collaboration, Forbes Insights and Aprais can agree that both are crucial.
When properly managed, collaboration can lead to tangible improvements in performance and ROI.
For more information on agency integration, download our Admap paper; The route to integration