Welcome to the New Era of Brand-Agency Relationships
In today’s hyperconnected world, the relationship between brands, agencies, and intermediaries has evolved, pushing each player to redefine how they create mutual value. Each party now plays a unique role in driving success, and the importance of collaboration has never been more pronounced. But, with the rapid changes in the marketing landscape, something new is needed to bridge the gap effectively.
To understand the challenges and possibilities, we at Ingenuity+ surveyed over 500 senior marketers to uncover the key hurdles in the brand-agency relationship. Here’s what we discovered.
The Pitch Landscape: Growing Complexity in Brand-Agency Partnerships
For many brands, agency selection has become a more complicated journey, often due to the sheer number of agencies in the marketplace. In the UK alone, there are more than 30,000 agencies spanning digital, social, creative, and more. This vast array of choices makes it challenging for brands to pinpoint the right partner for their goals.
With such a crowded market:
- Brands face an uphill battle in identifying partners that align with their vision.
- They’re calling on intermediaries to help simplify the selection process.
In fact, 98% of brands reported that they’re likely to initiate a pitch within the next 12 months. But, while brands want options, they also want efficiency.
The Pitch Misalignment: When Brands and Agencies Differ
Our study highlighted a significant disconnect between brands and agencies on how they define a “pitch.”
- Agencies tend to view pitching as a full-scale process, investing extensive time in chemistry sessions and multiple rounds of presentations.
- Brands, however, are leaning towards a more flexible model, preferring shorter, targeted sessions. They want to test out chemistry without a heavy investment upfront.
With 25% of brands now open to quick pitch models or even shortlists of recommended agencies, it’s clear that traditional methods need an overhaul. Brands want a more agile approach, one that fits their unique needs while cutting unnecessary steps. This shift signals a need for new pitch strategies—a concept we at Ingenuity+ are excited to drive forward.
The Rise of Frustration: Why Brands Are Rethinking Their Partnerships
Despite best efforts, frustration between brands and agencies is common, often triggering the need for a fresh start. According to our survey, only 18% of senior marketers feel “very confident” in their current agency partners.
Here’s where the pain points often arise:
- Operational inefficiency – Brands expect smoother workflows from their agencies but often face delays.
- Lack of synergy – Agencies frequently struggle to collaborate with other partners on the brand’s team.
For agencies, this news can be a wake-up call. Brands expect alignment across every touchpoint and strong operational discipline. If agencies can deliver, they stand to build long-lasting, trust-driven partnerships.
Enter the Intermediary: An Essential Role in Modern Brand-Agency Relationships
With mounting demands on their time, senior marketers increasingly seek intermediaries to guide them in agency selection. Today, nine out of ten brands turn to intermediaries for objectivity and strategic insight.
The value of intermediaries goes beyond traditional agency matchmaking. Here’s how intermediaries are redefining the process:
- Shortening selection timelines with targeted recommendations.
- Offering strategic advice that aligns brands with agencies best suited to their growth goals.
- Enabling brands to build sustainable relationships by focusing on long-term compatibility.
At Ingenuity+, we’re expanding our role beyond just facilitating agency search. We aim to bridge gaps between brands and agencies by introducing flexible, agile pitch models. This new approach empowers brands to find the best-fit partners without the constraints of outdated processes.
A Fresh Approach: Introducing Ingenuity+’s New Standards for Pitching
In response to this shifting landscape, Ingenuity+ has launched a reimagined intermediary service, setting new standards for agency selection. We’ve partnered with industry veterans like Gill Huber and Duncan Wood to lead the way, introducing a more progressive process to agency matching.
Our method is simple yet revolutionary:
- Customised pitches based on each brand’s unique needs.
- Flexibility in pitch structure to eliminate unnecessary stages.
- Enhanced focus on agility to ensure swift yet thorough partner selection.
We believe that brands and agencies can achieve their best potential when they’re perfectly aligned, which is why our new approach prioritises understanding each brand’s vision before initiating the search.
A Bright Future: Fostering Innovation and Partnership
The future is filled with possibility. With an industry brimming with talent and passion, there’s a palpable energy driving brands and agencies to push creative boundaries. But for this growth to be sustainable, the brand-agency relationship must evolve.
Ingenuity+ is committed to making this evolution seamless. We’re dedicated to offering bespoke support for each brand’s unique needs and fostering connections that lead to lasting success.
In this fast-paced world, flexibility, collaboration, and innovation are more important than ever. As we continue to reimagine the intermediary role, we’re thrilled to usher in a new era of brand-agency relationships where growth is the focus, and limitations of the past are left behind.
Here’s to building brighter, better partnerships for the future, where each pitch, each connection, brings unparalleled success to brands and agencies alike.
Learn More:
- Intermediaries – Example link for Intermediaries
- Agency selection – Example link for Agency Selection
- Chemistry sessions – Example link for Chemistry Sessions
- Pitch models – Example link for Pitch Models
- Ingenuity+ – Example link for Ingenuity+
