Symbiotic partnerships: How to earn long-term success in creative collaborations

In practice, symbiosis is when two different entities work together in a way that’s mutually beneficial. They both bring something to the table. Marketers have been talking about this dynamic since the 1960s. And strategic partnerships have been the basis of some of the most impactful creative work we’ve seen since. Think Chiat/Day (now TBWA) and Apple, or Widen+Kennedy and Nike.

But the potential of global creative collaborations is still overlooked. Companies often work in silos, both regionally and organizationally. Each silo has its own relationships with internal marketers and creative agencies. This can limit the scope and ambition of projects. More importantly, it prevents the kind of joined-up thinking that wins hearts and minds.

So how should marketers go about harnessing the collaborative potential of symbiotic relationships?

Getting to know you

As Julie Andrews reminds us, any creative partnership starts with getting to know one another. That means understanding what a business does, but also how they do it. What is the structure of the organization? How does this structure help – or hinder – their ability to excel in their field? Do they have any resource constraints or risk considerations?

Practically, you need to determine the chain of command. There will be the relationship lead for day-to-day communications. Often, though, senior stakeholders lurk in the background. You may not be introduced to the C-Suite on day one, but engaging business leaders will be key to a close-knit partnership. After all, they’re responsible for the ‘brief behind the brief” and will have the final say on what flies and what doesn’t.

Marketing leaders also need to be able to read the room. Some partners want to be involved from the ideation phase. They want to see early versions with rough edges. And knowing you’re on the right track gives them peace of mind. Others don’t want, or suit, this approach. They might be too busy to review the same asset multiple times. Equally, they could get distracted by the minutiae of an early iteration, rather than the direction of travel for the project.

The secret is to find out how you both work best, then to work that way.

Growing together

Like any relationship, partnerships take work. Sometimes, you have chemistry off the bat. That kind of instant connection is fantastic, but can’t be taken for granted. Other times, it takes more time. You might have different cultures or different ways of quantifying success. We all have our own definitions of what “good” looks like.

It’s our job to lead our partners to the very edge of their comfort zone. Sometimes we stray outside it. But without challenging one another, you won’t grow.

Just because something has always worked doesn’t mean it’s the best approach. And it might not work tomorrow. Growth is driven by reaching new customers in new ways. It’s about surprising people – and changing the way they think in the process. This can be difficult for some established businesses to get their heads around, especially when existing customers are risk-averse. B2B marketers will be familiar with this challenge.

Symbiotic partnerships work best when you find the sweet spot of familiarity and novelty. That takes some calibration. But once you get there, the possibilities are endless. A winning idea can be executed globally across a range of channels. It can be tweaked to work in different times and places, and for different people. And innovation in design and development can bring campaigns to life.

The future of global creative collaborations

Change is coming to creative partnerships. Environmental factors, especially emerging technologies, present new opportunities. The metaverse isn’t a canvas to paint on; it's a new home to decorate. Customers have always ‘experienced’ brands, but those experiences are becoming more immersive.

While eye-catching examples like Nikeland, Nike and Roblox’s metaverse collaboration are most likely to grab headlines, you don’t need to build a world from scratch to engage people. At Team Lewis, we’ve worked with companies to bring virtual conference stands to life using Matterport. We’ve minted NFT coins to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. And we’ve enabled users to interact with video content in their own way using AR technology.

To deliver these kinds of projects, creative agencies need to understand CX. Potential customers may not be used to interacting with new technologies. So the commercial success of a project depends on getting the end-to-end journey right. It’s not enough to surprise a customer with an experience they weren’t expecting. You then need to find an intuitive way to inspire action off the back of it.

From a partnership perspective, everything from collaborative product and technology development to fully-fledged joint ventures is on the table. The way companies collaborate on those projects can be improved with technology, too. Wherever you are, you can share a virtual space to hash out ideas and strategize. This enables symbiosis at a distance – a bird cleaning the back of an elephant that’s half the world away.

The secret to symbiosis

All the best collaborations in nature are mutually beneficial. Symbiotic partnerships in the creative industry are no different. The collaboration must work for both parties, and not just financially. Creative people are at their best doing work that excites them.

So, have honest conversations with your clients. Tell them when something isn’t quite working for you and your team. Explain how you think it could be done better and find engaging ways to capture their imagination. Go into a meeting in which they expect A and B, and throw in X. They won't know they need an interactive globe bursting with content until you show it to them and tell them why it’s the best route to reach a new audience.

Transparency also means being open about what you’re good at and what you’re not. That way, you can supplement one another’s capabilities effectively. You both capitalize on your strengths and overcome your limitations. You collaborate.