Creativity Partnerships are an important strategic business development practice that can ultimately lead to larger returns for all of the parties involved. In agency wrote about developing strategic alliances, I included a case study on VEO Groups and their ability to create mutually beneficial creative partnerships. In this article, I will focus on developing creative partnerships with creative product companies.

Today, VEO, an innovative internet growth firm, announced its alliance with The Creators Group (TSG), an international provider of digital creative services. By joining forces, VEO and The Creators Group are combining a long-standing, highly respected history in developing credible working relationships on the worldwide web, with a cutting-edge, client-focused approach to expanding its creative services offerings. This alliance is designed to leverage both sides’ inherent strengths to accelerate growth for client brands on the global creative internet marketplaces.

The Creators Group’s strength lies in creating and engineering exciting new business opportunities that use cutting-edge media and online creative solutions to solve real-world problems. Its core competency lies in providing unique digital solutions for creative people to create new ideas and products. This new venture is designed to leverage the strengths of both VEO and TEG, as well as complement the strengths of each partner. The alliance intends to expand into additional markets. It also intends to generate revenue through its creative partner activities.

The key to successful creative partnership transactions is thoughtful and intentional engagement from the client’s side. Herein lies the value of engaging creatives early in the process. Communicating effectively with agency is more helpful than you realize. Communicating with creatives also means providing helpful feedback, building trust and creating a clear path for future collaboration. Each creative partner is different; thus it is important to work with those who are able to best meet our strategic priorities.

The creative partnerships we engage with are developed based on strong creative vision, innovation and commitment to results. In fact, the key to developing a creative partnership lies in communicating about the vision and mission of each of the creative partner companies. Creative partnerships also require the consistent application of effective leadership skills, effective marketing and sales skills, effective communications skills and an ability to build collaborative working environments. This can be achieved by establishing a corporate culture where each creative partner contributes creatively while valuing the contributions of each partner equally. We have found that strong leaders are generally drawn to working with supportive leaders.

It is not easy to find and develop new business partners. However, this does not mean you should give up. Rather, look for creative relationships that have a proven track record of success. The most successful creative relationships may involve working with creatives from different industries. Additionally, they may also involve working with creatives who originate from different countries, cultures and geographies. Look for opportunities where you can tap into markets or geographies where you cannot traditionally reach.

Once you’ve found creative potential partners, start to develop them as potential business partners. Share with them your vision and mission and help them understand what it is that you are doing. Let them know that you want to create a synergistic team where each creative partner’s expertise can enhance the work of the other. In addition, let them know that it is important to work with all partners to make your mission a reality. Work closely with all creative team members and help them understand and support each other.

The key to a successful creative collaboration starts with creating open lines of communication. If one partner doesn’t think a particular task is valuable then offer to do it. Likewise, if a partner feels you aren’t communicating with them in an effective manner, then tell them so. As creative partners, it’s essential that you support one another. Help each other grow and be responsive to each others’ needs. This will ensure that your creative endeavors will be meaningful and memorable.