Why inter-agency collaboration will work for you

In marketing and advertising, divisions between disciplines aren't useful. Especially when interdependence is high. Creative execution needs a place to live - a place a developer can build. A revolutionary online creative crusade won't reach full potential without a current and relevant development foundation.

As a creative agency, partnering with a digital development team gives you the upper hand. In having access to the latest technological know-how, you open yourself up to a vast new playing field for unique creative executions and solutions.

This means stronger pitches, revolutionary pieces of work and campaigns that function within the realm of tomorrow's technical framework, not last year's.

The pros of inter-agency relationships

While agencies differ in areas of mastery, at the end of the day we all want the same thing: An assortment of happy clients to regularly please with exceptional work.

Both similarities and differences benefit inter-agency collaboration. Similarities have us always working towards common goals of delivering the best possible work and fostering long-term client relationships.

The differences are the reason we can work together. Varied areas of expertise mean collaboration allows us to offer clients extensive solutions relevant to a technological age. This translates into superior value.

Aligning yourself with companies whose areas of mastery begin where yours end means you get to say yes to clients all the time. It's the good kind of teamwork. The kind that promotes innovation, decreases turnover time and increase the scale and type of work possible.

The cons of not collaborating

When a client asks you if you offer a service that isn't within your scope, you have two options. Say no and lose out on a whole, or part of a project. Or, say yes and be left scrambling around to find a way to give them everything they require.

The trouble with the first option is obvious - it's not good for business. The second choice has the potential to be even more damaging. Trying to deliver work in an area that's not your forte puts your reputation at risk.

You can attempt doing it yourself but chances are you'll need expertise beyond what even the most adept Googling can offer. If you choose to outsource, you risk quality and confidentiality and relinquish control of whole parts of a project. Either way, the chance of you delivering a polished, seamless and impressive body of work, on time and on brief, is questionable.

Reasons to consider inter-agency collaboration

Combining creativity, technology and other services, which separate agencies offer, increases your arsenal of tools while adding to your power and influence. You can be a heavyweight without having to carry additional load.

Collaboration will:

• Bring unique value to projects because more people means more aptitude

• Encourage greater creativity informed by the latest knowledge of what is possible in digital
• Allow you to adapt as the landscape changes without having to reinvent your company
• Expand your client base because you'll have more skills to offer
• Keep you current and increase efficacy
• Allow you to go up against the big guys

• Increase solution stores and options because of added innovation and creativity

The bottom line

Delivery is not enough. Anyone can deliver. Prompt delivery of informed contemporary work is rare, meaningful and remarkable.

It takes cross-functional collaboration to offer clients singular resolution to all of their marketing woes. Imagine what a pleasure it'll be for them to work with you then.

Are you open to collaboration? In this day and age you need to be.