When bringing on an agency, businesses face a crucial question: How much creative freedom should be granted, and where should oversight come in? In his recent Forbes article, Adam Taylor, CEO of Splendor, breaks down the importance of finding this balance. While creativity flourishes when teams are empowered, a lack of direction can lead to misalignment with business objectives.

Why Creative Freedom Matters

Creativity is what sets brands apart. Whether it’s crafting a compelling brand identity, designing an award-winning website, or executing a marketing strategy, allowing agencies to bring their expertise to the table results in fresh, bold, and effective work.

When agencies have full creative freedom, innovation thrives—but without structure, projects can lose strategic direction. While oversight is important, too much control can stifle creativity. The key is clear communication and shared goals, ensuring that creativity serves a greater purpose while staying aligned with business objectives. Striking this balance leads to the best results.

The Role of Oversight in Agency Partnerships

Some businesses hesitate to give agencies too much control, fearing that ideas will stray too far from their brand’s identity. While oversight is necessary, it should not turn into micromanagement. At Splendor, we’ve found that the most successful projects come from a collaborative approach, where clients provide strategic input and agencies execute with creativity and expertise.

Oversight should:

• Ensure branding remains consistent with company values and market positioning
• Provide checkpoints for review without stifling creative exploration
• Offer constructive feedback to refine ideas while trusting the agency’s expertise

How to Strike the Right Balance

Businesses can maintain oversight while allowing agencies to do their best work by focusing on three key areas:

• Define clear goals upfront – Agencies need to understand the brand’s vision, audience, and key objectives.
• Establish a structured review process – Set milestones for feedback without daily check-ins that limit progress.
• Encourage bold thinking while maintaining brand consistency – Trust the agency to push boundaries while staying true to the brand’s identity.

Striking this balance requires trust and collaboration. Businesses that allow agencies room to innovate—while maintaining strategic direction—achieve the strongest results.

Read the full Forbes Agency Council article here »