In the 1950s, widely considered the heyday of advertising and marketing, the “agency of record” model became the norm. While many innovative ways of reaching consumers were developed at this time, most of them relied on print media, television commercials and public relations. With so many distinct marketing channels and types of content available in today’s digital world, it’s challenging for a single agency to provide every service a client might need, which has led many agencies to niche down and specialize in certain practice areas or industries.

These days, businesses often work with multiple agency partners at once, and the deep knowledge and strong connections that used to form over time when the agency of record model was standard are more difficult to build. Here, members of Forbes Agency Council discuss what companies can do to form good relationships with the (sometimes numerous) agencies they work with and ensure the best outcomes for their marketing and advertising spend.

Forbes Agency Council members share ways companies can find success with multiple agency partners.

Communication and collaboration are key. With PR crossing multiple lanes, it’s imperative to the client’s success for all of their agencies to be in direct communication with each other and have the ability to collaborate on most tasks. We’ve found that biweekly, or even weekly, meetings help form great interagency relationships and help to really drive the client’s ultimate PR and marketing goals. - Leigh-Anne Anderson, Anderson-PR

2. Bring Small Agency Teams Together To Collaborate

The best thing companies can do is to bring the small agency teams they work with together regularly to collaborate in the form of a quarterly council session, a monthly project review or even a weekly standing meeting. Let the work dictate the cadence. Small agencies can be a powerful force on their own, but together, they can move much faster and be more innovative than the big ones. - John Geletka, Geletka+

3. Give Each Agency Partner Clear Directives

Investing time into getting to know each agency is key to making them feel valued from the start. Then, give clear directives on how you want them to apply their unique strengths to the project at large. If each agency understands its specific role’s importance, its team members will be much more likely to collaborate (rather than compete) with other agencies to create cohesive, beautiful work together. - Cagan Sean Yuksel, Dream Space

4. Have A Dedicated Internal Point Of Contact

A dedicated internal point of contact is critical to the success of companies working with many agencies. Companies should have one contact who manages projects and communication across agencies. This person is responsible for setting tasks, assigning priorities and communicating deadlines, which helps avoid overlap. The client should also have one internal person who can speak to the status of projects. - Elyse Flynn Meyer, Prism Global Marketing Solutions

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5. Create A Shared Ecosystem For Collaboration

When you engage multiple agencies, it’s very likely that they’ll cross paths to meet your needs. It’s important to create a shared ecosystem for collaboration and to provide transparency around each engagement to ensure each team is collaborating effectively with you and with each other. The shared ecosystem can include design language, messaging strategy, processes, tools, KPIs, business goals and more. - Steve Ohanians, WebEnertia

6. Have Consistent Processes And Share Plans, Content And Ideas

As a smaller agency that is often part of a collective working for the same client, we love partnering with other specialists. The best teams have consistent processes, regular communications and a culture where all parties can share plans, content and ideas without fighting over budget. Agencies can form a team where everyone is doing their best and no part is hiding behind a big agency brand. - Richard Cook, Champion Communications Ltd.

It’s hard to establish a relationship with a company that is simply treated like a commodity vendor. Seek out agencies or clients who desire long-lasting relationships. Relationships are established with people, not companies. Make sure the people you’re working with match your culture, values and vision. - Jason Wilson, Strategy, LLC

8. Allow Agency Partners To Meet In Person

Competition can be healthy, and hard to avoid, for companies with multiple agencies. Allow your partners to meet each other in person and collaborate in a group setting. The pressure will bring out the best in each. To further solidify the relationships, connect one-on-one with each agency partner. The dominant voice in a group setting is not always—or perhaps, is rarely—the most thoughtful. - Eric Gilbertsen, REQ

9. Avoid Favoritism And Include All Agencies In Communications

Since working with multiple agencies is more common than working with just one, it is imperative that the company establishes regular collaborative meetings and never shows favoritism to one agency. Since every agency technically needs to work in sync to see the most successful results for the company, the company should always include all agencies in communications and regularly bring them together to collaborate. - Marilyn Cowley, PREM - PR & Social

10. Treat The Agencies As A Collective Extension Of One Team

Treat the agencies as a collective extension of one team, and don’t accidentally silo them. Collaboration and knowledge of all moving parts are key, so give everyone shared and equal visibility. Spearhead a shared workflow, process and project management center so that all of them can have access to each other and share questions or needs without fear of being cut out of the loop. - Brian Walker, Statwax

11. Invest In Regular, Well-Organized ‘Agency Days’

Invite the agencies and consultants you work with to meet with you, watch presentations from invited stakeholders, ask questions and generally engage with your team via regular, well-organized “agency days.” Not only will this facilitate stronger working relationships, but it is also an effective way to share knowledge and encourage better communication. - Chris Martin, FlexMR

12. Get Everyone In Sync On The Overall Goal

We work with several brands that work with different agencies, but our jobs are different. We do PR, but companies also hire social and digital agencies to work on their websites, digital advertising, graphics and so forth. This is a great route for brands to take, as a lot of expertise comes with each agency. To start, we all need to be in communication and in sync because, ultimately, we all have a similar overall goal. - Jessica Kopach, The JKO Agency

13. Treat Agencies As Trusted Partners

Companies should treat agencies as trusted partners. The most important things in fostering a great client-agency relationship are trust, an appetite for testing, the ability to secure internal resources and a willingness to share data and insights. Assume positive intent and that agencies want to give you their best. A strong internal champion can make all the difference in the results you get! - Antonella Pisani, Eyeful Media

14. Record And Share Information Across Multiple Agencies

One of the most important things that can be done is to record information and share it across multiple agencies. This will ensure that it is possible for many different companies to be able to work together. Without having this kind of collaboration, it can be very difficult to create a streamlined process. A once-a-month scrum is also not a bad idea to ensure communication. - Jon James, Ignited Results

15. Meet Frequently And Maintain A Mindset Of ‘Mutual Growth’

Frequent meetings are crucial when you are working with other agencies. This not only allows you to track progress but also establishes a great relationship. Having a non-project-related discussion in the first few minutes of weekly/biweekly meetings helps us a lot. Also, having a mindset of “mutual growth” goes a long way. - Kamaljit Singh, AMZ One Step

16. Ensure Transparent, Seamless Communication And Reporting

Coming from a digital agency that occasionally took part in such arrangements—as both the hired party and the hiring party—I’d highlight transparency as the key to an effective multi-agency collaboration. Clear teammate assignments and responsibilities, seamless communication, project tracking, regular meetings and transparent reporting are a few aspects that intertwine to create a powerful partnership. - Dejan Popovic, PopArt Studio