Bridging the Gap: Making the Most of the Differences Between Agency and Enterprise
Summary
Melinda started her career as an in-house creative consultant, often feeling frustrated with her agency partners who “just didn’t get it”. She went on to spend 10 years working in agencies with large enterprise clients—until she “went client-side” again, this time with a little more perspective on the agency-enterprise relationship. Melinda will talk about the ways culture, tools and skills differ between enterprise and agency teams, and how those differences manifest themselves in the working relationship. She’ll also discuss ways agencies and enterprises can bridge the gap by using their differences to equal advantage.
Key Insights
-
•
The agency-enterprise relationship mirrors the left brain (enterprise) and right brain (agency) dynamic, balancing business rigor with creativity.
-
•
Kate Middleton symbolizes the enterprise: tradition, institutional knowledge, and protecting the status quo.
-
•
Megan Markle symbolizes the agency: outsider mindset, disruption, and driving change.
-
•
Tool incompatibilities, such as enterprises blocking Dropbox or Google Docs, create collaboration challenges that require proactive bridging.
-
•
Enterprises often want agency work done efficiently with minimal internal involvement, but this can limit the quality of output.
-
•
Agencies want access to robust information and guidance to do their best work and build long-term relationships.
-
•
Well-crafted briefs and clearly defined roles on both sides are critical to successful agency-enterprise collaboration.
-
•
Regular, aligned feedback sessions reduce misunderstandings and rework, preventing burnout and turnover (e.g., agency creatives quitting).
-
•
The culture and tooling shape workflows deeply; understanding these helps agencies and enterprises adapt to each other better.
-
•
Viewing the agency-enterprise partnership as a relationship requiring nurturing and attention is key to managing tensions productively.
Notable Quotes
"We are two sides of the same coin, even though it might feel like a different currency from an entirely different country at times."
"Kate Middleton has been doing this for a hot minute, invested in maintaining the status quo because if it ain't broke, why fix it?"
"Megan Markle brings a different approach that can be quite valuable because she’s a non-conformist and a catalyst for change."
"If you send me a Dropbox link on my work laptop, I will not be able to open that."
"The enterprise wants agencies to do the work as efficiently and independently as possible."
"If you don’t get good guidance and feedback from your enterprise partner, you’re not going to do the best work possible."
"Jennifer quit because the feedback loop was too fragmented and overwhelming."
"A little extra work goes a long way, sometimes you just have to spend time to save time."
"It’s not about setting and forgetting; you have to nurture your agency-enterprise relationship like an actual relationship."
"Inside every challenge is an opportunity, and letting your partners challenge your assumptions is necessary."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"We decided with the COP to view our budget as a moral document."
Alexia Cohen Adriane AckermanIncreasing Health Equity and Improving the Service Experience for Under-Served Latine Communities in Arizona
December 4, 2024
"Interruptions get participants more immersed and lead to higher quality discoveries."
Marc Majers Tony TurnerInterrupted UX - Add A Dose of Reality To Usability Testing
March 11, 2022
"MacGuffins are design artifacts that catalyze collaboration and new ways of working rather than being valuable in themselves."
Jorge ArangoDesign as an Antidote to VUCA
May 9, 2019
"It matters what you build, but it matters more if you learn."
Brenna FallonLearning Over Outcomes
October 24, 2019
"Psychological warmth and physical warmth activate the same part of the brain, the insula."
Daniel GloydWarming the User Experience: Lessons from America's first and most radical human-centered designers
May 9, 2024
"Sometimes accessibility isn’t perfect, but consistency lets me shop on Amazon in my sleep because of muscle memory."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
October 3, 2023
"We are not replacing teachers; we are enhancing their ability to teach effectively."
Kristin SkinnerFive Years of DesignOps
September 29, 2021
"If you’re not doing the work of addressing your own pain, you won’t be effective in helping others."
Denise Jacobs Nancy Douyon Renee Reid Lisa WelchmanInteractive Keynote: Social Change by Design
January 8, 2024
"Fraud detection automatically refunds you if a participant is found to be fraudulent and helps find a replacement."
Roberta Dombrowski Lianna Aduana5 Reasons to Bring your Recruiting in House
September 30, 2021
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
How can research repositories score or show the impact of research recommendations to enhance organizational learning?
Where can UX researchers find reliable, up-to-date information and recommendations on research tool options?
What role do templates play in structuring research reports for better repository management and AI parsing?