​How you partner your communications agencies makes a big difference to the quality of the ideas and content they produce.
 
Once you’ve decided who to work with, I recommend you treat them as if they were part of your own organisation. Be open to their ideas and encourage them to be bold and creative. Identify a single point of contact within your organisation to obtain and reconcile feedback from different business stakeholders.
 
Briefings are crucial. Think of ways to help your agency partners understand how consumers think about the category and your brand. Consider involving consumers in the briefing and provide ways for your partners to experience the product or service. Retail visits can also be valuable. The more contextual information you provide, the better. Be open about your company’s goals, how you see the competition and what you think needs to be done for your brand to come out on top.
 
If you provide your agencies with all this information, they will be well equipped to offer high quality recommendations for all aspects of your advertising.