Why Collaboration Is Not Working (And How To Fix It)

There’s a huge gap between fantasy and reality when it comes to agency collaboration. One of my clients could not believe how collaborative…

There’s a huge gap between fantasy and reality when it comes to agency collaboration. One of my clients could not believe how collaborative agency partners appeared when she was in the room, yet were so dysfunctional the minute she left for coffee. Someone would always come along to use that moment to poach another agency’s assignment. “We can do it better, faster and cheaper,” they would say in a somewhat predictable sales pitch.

It’s no surprise, then, to hear that 62% of clients view their agencies as suppliers, not partners, and that many marketing executives say their agencies are more interested in selling their work rather than solving their problem (62% and 56% respectively, according to the Naked True study).

What’s Killing Cross-Agency Collaboration

More than two-thirds of client-side marketers agree that integrating all marketing activities across channels is crucial, yet just 10% say their messaging, execution and delivery are aligned across touchpoints, according to eMarkete…