Gemma Fraser, Lead Manager at equ: The key to high-performing agency relationships
After more than 10 years delivering large-scale digital projects across industries, from Keystart and REIWA to DFES, South32 and Edinburgh Fringe, equ’s Lead Manager Gemma Fraser has seen the full spectrum of agency–client dynamics. Some projects run smoothly, with clear momentum and strong collaboration. Others face avoidable challenges, often rooted not in capability, but in communication breakdowns or misaligned expectations. She shares:
In my experience, high-performing relationships between agencies and clients don’t just improve project outcomes, they elevate the entire experience for everyone involved. Here are the key principles that make these partnerships work:
1. Begin with Clarity and Alignment
Every successful partnership starts with a shared understanding of what success looks like. Clear goals, well-defined deliverables, and measurable outcomes create a strong foundation for collaboration.
Project governance and alignment on ways of working should be established early on. This involves discussing roles, responsibilities, and communication processes, ensuring clarity and agreement on how the project will be managed. These foundational steps create a framework for transparency and shared ownership throughout the project lifecycle.
Practical approach: Collaboratively define what success looks like. Revisit and refine it as the project evolves to ensure everyone stays aligned.
2. Prioritise Clear, Structured Communication
Effective communication is the cornerstone of strong agency–client relationships. It goes beyond regular meetings—it’s about setting the right cadence, using the right tools, and creating space for two-way feedback.
Agile frameworks support this by providing structure and rhythm, whether through sprint reviews, stand-ups or retrospectives. These practices offer built-in opportunities for transparency, ensuring everyone is informed of progress and roadblocks. But process alone isn’t enough. It’s equally important to foster open dialogue and maintain transparent communication channels, especially when priorities shift or challenges emerge.
What works: A combination of structured updates and informal touchpoints ensures transparency without creating unnecessary overhead.
3. Define Roles and Foster Accountability
Clarity in roles and responsibilities helps avoid duplication, confusion, and delay. It also ensures decision-making happens at the right levels, with the right context.
While agencies bring technical and strategic capability, clients bring invaluable subject matter expertise and stakeholder insight. High-performing partnerships respect and leverage both.
Strong practice: Nominate a client-side lead empowered to make decisions and represent stakeholder views. It significantly reduces project friction.
4. Balance Structure with Flexibility
No matter how well-planned a project is, change is inevitable. Whether driven by shifting business priorities, new technical insights or stakeholder feedback, the ability to adapt while maintaining momentum is key.
Structured agile delivery enables flexibility without compromising control. Iterative development, clear documentation, and phased rollouts allow teams to adjust while still progressing toward the end goal.
Recommended approach: Plan with flexibility in mind—build in time for refinement, and agree early on how change will be managed.
5. Think Long-Term, Beyond Delivery
The most successful projects are not viewed as one-off engagements, but as part of a longer journey. Strong agency–client relationships are built over time—through shared challenges, mutual respect, and a focus on continuous improvement.
The handover phase should not signal the end of collaboration, but the start of the next phase—whether it’s optimisation, performance tracking, or strategic roadmapping.
What makes a difference: Conducting post-launch retrospectives and planning cycles helps turn short-term wins into long-term success.
Building Better Partnerships
Ultimately, a successful agency–client relationship is built on clarity, trust and shared commitment. When both sides invest in the relationship—not just the project—the results speak for themselves: stronger outcomes, smoother delivery, and greater long-term value.
At equ, we see every project as a partnership. We work closely with our clients not just to deliver, but to co-create—bringing strategy, creativity and discipline together to deliver meaningful digital outcomes.