Swipe right for your perfect agency partner
A little while ago global cybersecurity giants, Palo Alto Networks invited us to a “speed date.” This entailed fifteen minutes in front of a roomful (well, a Zoom-full) of marketing managers to show them why we were the right agency to take things forward.
Fifteen minutes isn’t long. So instead of another deck of logos and case studies, we built a dating app.
We called it Pander, Palo Alto Network’s own little riff on Tinder, and it worked much the same. Tell us what you’re looking for in an agency, swipe through, and see who you match with. They set their criteria, we ran it, and – funnily enough – one perfect match came back. Us.
It landed brilliantly and made a serious point in a way a hundred slides never could: when the fit is right, you just know.
Author: Nick Farrar, Founder and CEO, Shaped By
If only real life were that simple
Choosing an agency is never a clean swipe-right. And it’s getting harder, for everyone involved.
The pressures have piled up on both sides. Budgets are tighter and scrutinised harder. Timelines are shorter. Above it all is the expectation that this specific relationship must deliver something meaningful. That weight makes the stakes of choosing well feel enormous.
Both sides now operate in the same unpredictable weather, and neither client nor agency gets to sit that out. The question isn’t whether the agency can do the work; it’s whether they’ll still be committed when the pressure ramps up three months in.
Shortcuts that don’t quite work
When people feel uncertain, they reach for a shortcut.
Some stick with the agency they already know. You trust them and the relationship is comfortable. For many projects, that works – but comfort does not equal suitability. An agency that nailed a previous project might be the wrong fit for the next one.
Others rely on recommendations. A colleague swears by their agency, so you take the referral. But what ticked their boxes won’t necessarily tick yours; their definition of success, timelines, internal politics are all different.
These shortcuts used to be less risky – when timelines were longer and there was more room to course-correct. Today though, a shortcut that doesn’t hold under pressure gets quickly called out. Ask yourself: can your chosen agency help make your particular project a success, given the exact conditions you’re facing right now?
The match is the easy part
A swipe on a dating app takes a second, but the relationship that follows is what requires time, care, and commitment. Ultimately, it’s where partnerships are either built or wasted.
A strong agency-client relationship isn’t something a client simply buys or an agency earns. It’s something the two of you build together – and increasingly, it’s something you build while things move around you. If you get a few things right early on, the partnership has a chance. Miss them, and even a perfect match on paper will fail.
Here’s where to put the work:
Agree what “good” looks like
Before anything else, get clear on what success means and how you’ll both know you’ve reached it. This doesn’t just mean the deliverables – it means tangible, provable outcomes that everyone can be held accountable for.
Understand the swim lanes
Be honest about who is doing the work. If there’s an internal creative or design team, what’s their real capacity? Are they flat out, leaning on the agency to carry it? Or do they have the time and the appetite to be properly hands-on? Most relationships fail because of confused ownership and mismatched expectations – don’t let this happen to you.
Make the statement of work watertight
It sounds dull, but it’s one of the most important things you’ll do together. A detailed statement of work removes the grey areas around standards, costs, and deadlines. This protects everyone involved and removes any ambiguity that could turn into resentment months down the line.
Phase the work around what truly matters
Not everything has to happen at once, and pretending it does is how budgets and goodwill get burned. Identify the non-negotiables; it could be an event, a funding round, a product launch driving the timeline. Once you know these, you can phase the work to deliver the right things at the right time.
Keep talking candidly, and often
Finally, the thing that quietly decides everything – consistent, honest conversation. Not a monthly status call where ten people fight for airtime, but regular check ins and one-to-one contact. By keeping these in the diary, you can navigate problems long before they escalate, build stronger relationships, and ultimately produce better results.
The relationship is everything after the swipe
We built a clever matching app, and it was a good time. But no algorithm or referral can predict what a relationship will become once the work starts, especially in conditions that continue to shift for both parties.
The partnerships that last aren’t the ones that looked perfect on paper. They’re the ones willing to do the work – turning that first connection into something built to hold up under pressure, together.
Interested in this topic? Read our latest interview with Shaped By’s Client Services Director, Wei Kee, all about navigating the new client agency relationship.
