by Lucy Stanbridge 
At sixredsquares, we're in to relationships and not one-night stands! So, as it's Valentines Day, we thought we'd spread the love by sharing some of our tips for finding the perfect creative partner.
Find a company that shares your values
Establishing common ground is vital to any good relationship and if you’re aligned on your core beliefs then this creates a solid foundation for your working partnership going forward. A lot of agency/client relationships fail because of mis-alignment on fundamental values. If you don’t see eye-to-eye from the beginning then you’re bound to run in to trouble before too long.
Set clear expectations
Make sure you’re all on the same page from the start. What is being delivered by the agency, and in what timeframe? What exactly are you paying for? Create a watertight brief and set a precedent for clear and honest communication from the outset.
Respect the value of creativity (don’t be a cheapskate!)
Give your agency the budget and freedom to be creative, that’s what you’re paying them for! Ideas are worth their weight in gold. They can unlock your brand’s potential and help you stand out from the crowd. If you’re looking for quick fixes and are fixated on price, then you’re strangling the life out of the creative process and missing out on the value it can produce for your business. Just ask yourself, do you think an agency will respect you if you don’t respect the value of their expertise?
Adopt a peer-to-peer approach
Ditch the ‘client and supplier’ mode of thinking, it only de-motivates your chosen agency. Mutual respect is the perfect foundation for a successful relationship, of any kind. Let them work with you and not just for you. Be the kind of client that people love woking with; you will see far better results!
It’s not all about looks!
This is a common one – selecting a creative partner based on a free concept. It’s like Photoshop at dawn, pitting agencies against one another in a sudden death playoff! The reality is that you’ll be the loser. By doing this you completely undermine the creative process and get the relationship off to a bad start. Don’t reduce your selection process to a beauty pageant. A free concept is worthless without the right research behind it. The creative process is there for a reason. Do you really think the agency will produce their best work in this scenario?
So when you feel you’re having to kiss too many creative frogs, just ask yourself if you’re looking for the right things in a partnership. Healthy relationships produce the best results.
Looking for love? Let’s have a chat
