Co-creativity versus control from the agency. On the one hand very exciting to get past the usual transactional relationship, on the other there might be a lot of dumbing down of creative ideas once the client intervenes. Tell us more about how are striking the middle note?
That’s the tightrope. But here’s the thing — great creative ideas are fragile in their early stages. They need to be protected, cuddled, embraced, not judged too early. If they’re exposed too early to control, random opinions or unnecessary filters — they don’t stand a chance. The goal isn’t to shield them from clients, but to build a shared emotional investment in them before the red pens come out. It’s about reshaping the structure that surrounds the work.
I’ve always thought that emotional safety is a business strategy. When that is created, braver creative risks are taken. That’s where bold, resonant work comes from — not from control, but from trust. Sometimes the issue is that the work isn’t even risky, but it’s perceived to be due to the lack of these trustworthy bonds, so it tends to decrease its standards in an unfair way.
We’re shifting from sometimes painful feedback loops to creative conversations. From “can you go back to slide 153?” to shared documents and from approvals to co-authorship. The sweet spot takes place when both the agency and client see themselves not as opposing forces, but as collaborators building something emotional and brave, together.
It’s not about ego. It’s about enabling bravery on both sides. The best ideas aren’t “sold,” they’re co-owned. So we try to replace “feedback rounds” with conversations. We do workshops instead of rigid presentations. The client doesn’t just approve — they co-author.
But yes, there’s always a risk of watering things down. But when the relationship is built on creative alignment, not just approval checkpoints, we stay away from the safe, soulless middle.
We are not here discovering that the water is wet, as we say in Colombia, but getting to the point of applying all this is still a real mission.
This being said, how are the internal teams both from the client side and the agency, aligned and cooperative together when this is a tricky task?
You can’t build real collaboration on the outside if things are misaligned on the inside.
On the agency side, it means making sure everyone — strategy, production, client leads — is on the same page creatively. Not just pushing timelines, but actually championing the work. On the client side, we try to work with people who are actively involved, not just signing things off from a distance. The best work happens when everyone feels like they’re part of it — not just delivering or approving.
Even the way we talk about roles can make a difference. Instead of “client service,” we talk about brand collaborators. Or swapping “account manager” for creative navigator. However you want to phrase it. It might sound like a small thing, but language sets the tone. It says we’re all here to shape the idea — not just manage the process.
And to be honest, here’s something the industry still needs to reckon with:We put creatives through fire — portfolios, test briefs, chemistry rounds. But for other roles? The hiring bar is often way lower. And that has a knock-on effect. Because whether it’s a strategist or a producer, everyone’s shaping the creative outcome. So we should be looking for instinct, curiosity, and taste across the board — not just in art and copy.
In the end, the strongest internal teams are the ones where creativity is a shared mindset, not just a department. That’s what makes true collaboration possible.
Clients are known to be fickle with agencies, not all of them aim to build long-term commitments. How does one navigate this maze while still ensuring that the relation is beyond transactional?
Yes, some clients approach agencies like delivery services. But more and more, we’re seeing a hunger for deeper creative partnership. And we go all in, no matter what. We ask questions that go beyond the brief. We challenge gently. Not just presenting outcomes.
Because creativity is not a commodity.You don’t just “buy” a great idea. You co-build it, feel it, wrestle with it. And that emotional investment makes the work not just more resonant — but delicious to do.
Also, many relationships are strained not by bad intent, but by overload. We’re all trying to create clarity in a storm of WhatsApp pings, Slack threads, and calendar back-to-back chaos. Sometimes, the most creative thing we can do is slow down and talk like humans again. Moreover when our breed is not built for these levels of cortisol.
That’s how you keep it from becoming transactional — by staying emotionally present, not just operationally available.
Say the agency and the client do not agree creatively as clients are not always prone to risk-taking, how is this handled and where does one say “basta”?
Disagreement is part of the process — and actually a sign of care. What matters is how we handle it.
When a client pushes back, our job isn’t to fold — it’s to deepen the conversation. We reframe, we bring cultural context, we ask what’s really making them uncomfortable. Because often, it’s not the idea — it’s the unknown that comes with it.
But yes, sometimes we reach a point where we have to hold the line. That’s not petulance. That’s integrity. Not everything bold should be sacrificed for consensus.
Want bold work? Be an equally bold partner. If the idea feels scary, good. That means it has power. What if we leaned into that instead of diluting it? Look at what Kanye did with Virgil Abloh to name one instance. They could easily have been just a musician and a freelancer. They weren’t.
We also try to remind people that this isn’t about perfection — it’s about intention. The role of the agency isn’t to always be right. It’s to be committed to the pursuit of what feels culturally and emotionally true.
How much do you think agencies should backpedal just to keep the client? In a famous story Leo Burnett refused a pitch when he knew that 16 people were going to decide about the fate of his presentation.
That Burnett story is legendary for a reason. It represents something we’re all still grappling with: what’s the cost of compromise?
Agencies are human. We adapt, we negotiate, we meet clients where they are. We pitch and pitch and pitch, sometimes giving treasured creativity away. But if you’re constantly backpedaling just to keep the relationship alive, you’re not a creative partner anymore — you’re the deck maker production unit you always begged not to become.
That’s why the structure matters. We try to reduce the approval circus. More collaborators, fewer committees. More people truly invested, fewer just “checking in”.
Sometimes the bravest thing is to walk away. But more often, the brave thing is to stand still and say: “Here’s why we believe in this. Let’s figure it out together.” That kind of conversation. That’s where real transformation begins.
