“In any organisation, the marketing director or manager has an eco-system that sees him/her central to operations, with the C-suite being their first level of interaction. Surrounding the C-suite – and still within the marketing ecosystem – are the agencies that the marketer must deal with,” says McDowell.

"More often than not,” she says, “we find that there is little to no communication between these agencies, leaving the marketer to cobble together mini mosaics of communications in order to see and report on the bigger picture.”

An organisation actively involved in a powerful network of international players, the IAS stays abreast of local and international trends in order to keep successful marketers ahead of the curve; providing solutions and best practise methodologies to ensure agency communication that prevents downtime.

The IAS Model on Collaboration is designed to get the various agencies within the marketing manager’s eco-system to communicate effectively with one another in a manner that fits seamlessly within a bigger picture that makes sense to all.

“The marketer’s communications must always be in the best interests of the brand and the end user,” McDowell asserts, “Which is why the bespoke Collaboration Model designed by the IAS speaks to the needs of each marketer, understanding that one size does not fit all in the industry, as no two sets of circumstances are the same.”

“The Model helps the marketer to understand who the lead agency is in any project, and enables him or her to retain effective communication with all agencies through methods of collaboration that suit their specific ecosystem.”

In designing the Collaboration Model per client, the IAS undertakes a confidential survey among all appropriate agencies, which gives the IAS a picture of the overall eco system and where the lines of communication may be down. “Years of experience in agencies across all spheres of the system enables us to review what is causing communication issues, and develop a strategy for our clients to improve those areas,” says McDowell.

The Collaboration Model is a first in South Africa and is currently being rolled out nationwide. The IAS sees this as a most ethical and practical solution to overcoming the constraints of ineffective communication in any marketer’s ecosystem.

As the go-to organisation for ensuring best practise solutions for both companies and agencies, the IAS Collaboration Model looks set to reduce risk, and increase the success of working within an ever-growing circle of suppliers by creating a blueprint for communications.

For more information, visit www.agencyselection.co.za. Alternatively, connect with McDowell on Twitter.