This post was created in partnership with Weber Shandwick
Key takeaways
- Strong partnerships depend on trust, transparency, and the ability to challenge each other.
- Shared ownership helps brands and agencies focus on outcomes instead of deliverables.
- AI is changing expectations, making open conversations about governance and use essential.
Brand-agency relationships are shifting from transactional engagements to strategic partnerships built on shared ownership, trust, and collaboration.
During an ADWEEK House Cannes Lions group chat co-hosted with Weber Shandwick, industry leaders dug into what strategic partnerships look like, why they break down, and how AI is becoming an invisible partner.
Rowing in the same direction
Trust is at the heart of every strategic relationship. If both parties have skin in the game and a mutual understanding that they’re building something together, the work naturally flourishes.
“When there is trust and respect and openness, that’s when you get to the best ideas,” said Karen Pugliese, global president of Weber Shandwick.
To build that level of trust, agencies should think beyond the deliverables clients want to the problems they’re trying to solve.
“What are the challenges you’re facing—not just outside-in, with your customers, but internally?” asked Daniel Sills, VP of brand partnerships at NewtonX. “Getting that access demands clients give you permission, greater context, and also the psychological safety to push back.”
For Niek de Rooij, global masterbrand director for Knorr at Unilever, there’s one easy way to tell if you’ve built that trust. “A hallmark of having a great partnership is when an agency starts referring to the brand as ‘we,’” he said. “We’re all in the same boat here, and we’re pushing you toward the same direction.”
