As the marketing world changes, so does what the client thinks they need.  It used to be that agencies could handle print, broadcast and PR of even a big brand easily. Now, those brands are turning to several agencies to handle specific parts of their business.  These agency teams break down areas like mobile, digital, experiential marketing, and social media, as well as the traditional marketing avenues.  Each member of the team takes on a specific function.

Forbes asked me to write about this new world agencies find themselves in and the pressure to specialize. There may be advantages to the client in this new world, but there are also potential pitfalls for both agency and brand.  Effective collaboration is the key, but often hard to achieve.

If you’ve had this experience with a bigger brand and now find yourself in an agency team of record, how have you adjusted your process to accommodate the communication and collaboration necessary?  What challenges have you faced?  I want to hear your experiences…