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Advertising and media
Lead agency, specialist roster or hybrid: the trade-offs
| Criterion | One lead agency | Specialist roster | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coordination effort for your team | Low | High | Medium |
| Brand consistency | High: one team holds the idea | At risk without a master brief | High if the lead agency owns the platform |
| Depth of expertise | Strong in the core, weaker elsewhere | Strong in each field | Strong where it matters most |
| Flexibility to change partners | Low: switching is disruptive | High: replace one at a time | Medium |
| Accountability | One clear owner | Shared, can turn into blame | Lead owns the idea, specialists own delivery |
| Best fit | Small team, few channels | Large team, many channels | Growing team with one or two critical specialisms |
| Criterion | One lead agency | Specialist roster | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coordination effort for your team | Low | High | Medium |
| Brand consistency | High: one team holds the idea | At risk without a master brief | High if the lead agency owns the platform |
| Depth of expertise | Strong in the core, weaker elsewhere | Strong in each field | Strong where it matters most |
| Flexibility to change partners | Low: switching is disruptive | High: replace one at a time | Medium |
| Accountability | One clear owner | Shared, can turn into blame | Lead owns the idea, specialists own delivery |
| Best fit | Small team, few channels | Large team, many channels | Growing team with one or two critical specialisms |