Session notes: Bridging the Gap: Making the Most of the Differences Between Agency and Enterprise

Melinda Belcher, Senior Director of Customer Experience & Design at Mastercard, has spent 10 years in agency and nearly 10 years working in the enterprise. Upon reflection, it feels like enterprises represent the logical left side of the brain while agencies represent the creative right side. We need both for the greatest outcomes. They’re like two sides of the same coin–even though it can seem like different currency from different countries at times.
How might we make these differences work for us?

Culture

To illustrate the differences in culture between agency and enterprise, Melinda drew parallels between the royal family’s Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.
Kate (enterprise) embodies institutional knowledge, managing up, and preserving a reputation that she has worked hard to build and protect. With each decision, she considers what will shareholders think. She’s been doing things this way for a long time and it’s been successful for her.
Meghan (agency) was not born into a royal family or even in the UK. She brings a different set of values and cultural norms that can serve as a catalyst for change. She does not conform. It’s a different approach that can be valuable.
The takeaway: we all have both sides of culture in us. It’s about figuring out how to combine the traditional with the iconoclast.

Tools

The enterprise has powerful and robust tools that agencies do not. In contrast, agencies are able to work more quickly.

Recommendations: Treat agency partners as part of the enterprise team. Provide access to laptops, intranet, VPN, and conferencing software. Anything that helps bring them into the fold. Share the toys in the sandbox.

 

Goals

Understand both side’s goals. Enterprises seek outstanding project outcomes for shareholders, while agencies want to create the best work they can for their portfolio. Take time to discuss the specifics and identify how to best work together. This requires a solid brief and consistent communication.

Leveraging our differences

A little work goes a long way when it comes to leveraging our differences. Spend time to save time. Identify better ways to synthesize the left sides of our brains (enterprise) and the right side (agency).

  1. Invest in the brief: it’s everyone’s responsibility to contribute
  2. Spell out roles, responsibilities, and scope clearly in the kickoff: include who is doing what when/where/why. Also, be open to revisiting these assignments as-needed
  3. It’s a relationship – treat it as such. It requires work. You can’t just set it and forget it. Remember to pay attention, nurture it, and have tough conversations. Tension is healthy and normal.
  4. Meet your partners where they are and don’t be afraid when they challenge your assumptions.