Agency change looks simple on paper. A review is launched, agencies are assessed, a recommendation is made, contracts are signed, and the business moves on.
In reality, anyone who’s lived through an agency transition knows it’s rarely this straightforward.
Changing agency is not simply about replacing one supplier with another. It requires internal introspection, shifts in behaviour, disruption to established relationships and, often, a degree of uncertainty for everyone involved. The commercial rationale may trigger a review, but the human impact often determines whether the change is a success.
Across six waves of The Ingenuity Group's CMO Leadership Pulse research, one finding continues to stand out. The frustrations which drive agency reviews are often less about capability, pricing or even the quality of work, and more about the experience of the relationship itself. In recent waves, "emotionally draining, but the work is good enough" emerged as one of the most common reasons CMOs questioned incumbent partnerships.
This insight tells us something important: agency relationships are fundamentally human.
When we advise brands through agency reviews at Ingenuity+, we encourage them to look beyond credentials, chemistry sessions and commercial proposals. These things matter, but successful partnerships are rarely built on process alone. We say pitches start with the name above the door but end with finding your people.
The people you trust. The people you can challenge you constructively. The people who bring energy to the relationship. The people who make difficult conversations easier rather than avoiding them.
Before embarking on a review, brands should take the time to understand what problem they are actually trying to solve. Is it genuinely a capability gap? Has the business outgrown its agency model? Or are there underlying issues around governance, decision-making, briefing quality or stakeholder alignment?
One of the most consistent themes we see is many perceived agency performance issues are actually operating model issues. Misaligned KPIs, poor briefing disciplines, conflicting stakeholder expectations and unclear accountability often sit behind frustrations which are initially labelled as agency underperformance. Without addressing these root causes, changing agencies can simply recreate the same challenges with a new partner 12 months later.
This is where Ingenuity+ plays a critical role. Our job is not simply to run a process; it is to help brands make better decisions about their entire agency ecosystem. We help organisations identify the real drivers of dissatisfaction, align stakeholders around a shared vision of success and create the conditions for stronger, more effective partnerships.
The most effective CMOs don't view agency management as supplier management. They view it as ecosystem leadership. Their focus is not just on whether an individual agency is performing, but whether the overall system is working. Are partners aligned? Are accountabilities clear? Are ways of working supportive of effectiveness?
Ultimately, the challenge is not finding good agencies. There are plenty of them. The challenge is creating the environment where good agencies can do their best work.
Because whilst the industry spends a great deal of time discussing commercial ROI, the strongest partnerships understand the value of human ROI too. When trust is high, collaboration improves, decisions happen faster and performance follows.
Every pitch starts with a brand choosing an agency.
The most successful partnerships are built when people continue choosing each other long after the pitch is over.
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