Multiple agencies on the same project is not inherently a problem. Issues arise when the client expects multiple separate companies to collaborate without clear guidance on who owns what, and what happens when things fall through the cracks.

Before work starts, define scope with each agency independently, then bring everyone together for a joint kickoff that covers:

• Who is responsible for what, with no overlap or ambiguity
• What each party expects to receive from the other, in what format and file type
• Handover timelines, and what a delay means for each party downstream
• The escalation process — if one agency is waiting on the other and the contact goes quiet, who is next point of call and how quickly should they respond
• Expected response times and any agreed penalties

Whoever chairs this meeting matters. Ideally the client runs it, but if they are new to managing agencies then it is worth paying the agency with the most experience additional project management time to coordinate throughout.

Even with the right setup, problems can surface when one agency is operating outside their core competency. A branding team designing web or app UI without sufficient digital experience is a common one, the gaps only become visible once development starts, and neither party has scoped them. That is when clients get caught off guard. If you are not sure how to structure this, consulting early is usually cheaper than untangling it later.

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