By Liliana Torres
Forming Successful Cross-Agency Partnerships
Successful agency partnerships can have a huge impact on the success of a project. Such was the case between Local Wisdom, Inc. and Brogan Tennyson Group, Inc. in the launch of South Coast Plaza’s new website, an upscale shopping mall in Orange County, CA.
With the 50th anniversary of South Coast Plaza fast approaching, the mall looked toward a redesign of its website to celebrate. The new site has many features, including a directory for luxury shops and dining, a calendar of events to plan out your visit, a concierge, a section for the arts, and a dedicated space for stories and articles on the latest trends.
While Brogan Tennyson has a history working in the fashion realm and the print space, Local Wisdom did not; however, our UX and web experience were able to complement their areas of strength and expertise. To help complement their knowledge and expertise, our UX team determined functionality and features, how to organize content, and how to make the site more user-friendly among other considerations. The following are some key tips and takeaways for forming a complementary agency partnership based on our experience:
1. Have a clear plan. This may seem obvious, but we can often trace back to this when things go a little askew. Set up and exchange expectations upfront. Fortunately, our agency partnership was successful, but your agencies should also discuss how to go about the relationship if it’s not working out.
2. Open communication. There were a number of in-office visits to flesh out and exchange ideas, to teach, learn, and apply. Even if visiting the other agency is not feasible, let’s not forget that virtual meetings are just as good of a substitute.
3. Learn from one another. If both agencies offer the same services, there’s not much to complement. While our UX and web experience were educational for Brogan Tennyson, their knowledge of print and fashion also allowed us the opportunity to apply our expertise in a different industry.
Check out the site at http://www.southcoastplaza.com/
Happy Viewing!
