Agency partnerships

Many of our collaborations are with agencies - in all shapes and sizes. From advertising agencies and communications firms to event agencies and website builders. We feel right at home in these collaborations, because when done well, they can significantly amplify results.
At the same time, we want to tell an honest story. Without the right agreements and boundaries, things can get muddled - and expectation management is therefore essential to us. No polished sales pitch, but a genuine insight into our vision and way of working.

The creative industry is an ecosystem. Agencies work with freelancers, freelancers work with agencies, and agencies work with other agencies. A large advertising agency brings in a production company for a campaign. A website builder teams up with an imagery partner because visuals make the difference between a good and a great website. A strategy firm wants to visualise a case and looks for a partner who can do that.

Everyone has their own expertise and role. And it's precisely that division of roles that makes the ecosystem strong. When everyone does what they're good at, the client benefits from the best of multiple worlds.

That works best when there is trust. And trust starts with clarity - about who does what, who speaks to the client and about what, and where one party's expertise ends and another's begins. We believe openness is the key to that.

But ‘create (a) better together’ means more to us than working well together. It also means taking responsibility for how we do that. Fair payment to creators. Clear terms and agreements. Transparency about fees. We believe a healthy ecosystem starts with agencies that take the lead on this - and that's what we want to be.

The best imagery and the most rewarding work happens when a collaboration is right. Short lines of communication, transparency and room for creativity.

Let's be honest: we all want our share of the proverbial pie and we all need to earn a living. Trust and openness are therefore of great importance to us. That starts with being clear about each party's role in the collaboration.

We prefer to work from a place of partnership, but sometimes a project calls for us to simply be a supplier. There is a meaningful difference between the two for us - which is why we like to discuss it upfront.

Supplier
As a supplier, we see ourselves as a production party operating in white-label form. Simply put, we receive a brief and deliver the imagery. We get our information from you and have no direct contact with your client. In this case, you are our client. In this role, we are quick to get started, flexible and scalable.

Partner
As a partner, we have a shared interest and are involved early in the process. We understand the strategy behind the assignment, know the client and share responsibility for the result. It's important that our expertise is complementary to that of the agency. From that expertise, we are visible to the end client and an extension of you as an agency.

The difference lies not only in what we do but also in how we communicate. As a supplier, there is a risk that context gets lost. We know the what, but not always the why. As a partner, we are also partners in communication. That makes the work better.

We work for and with a wide range of agencies. Large and small, generalist and specialist. The nature of the collaboration differs per type of agency, but the foundation is always the same: everyone does what they're good at.

Communications agencies ask us to bring campaigns to life visually for their clients. Our expertise is complementary to theirs. They shape the story, we visualise it. That makes us a genuine partner in most cases.

Advertising agencies bring us in as a production partner for large campaigns. They manage the underlying strategy and client relationship; we deliver the imagery production at the level that major brands demand.

Event agencies call on us for photo and video productions at their events. Communication goes through the agency and the end client rarely knows us. Here we are the supplier and that works well, provided expectations are clear upfront.

Website designers and developers know that imagery makes the difference between a good and a great website. We come on board as an imagery partner for their rebranding or website projects, so their client has imagery that fits the new identity from day one.

Strategy firms want to visualise a case, a vision or a brand identity. We translate what they have conceived into imagery that strengthens the story.

We don't work with per-project discounts. Discounts put pressure on quality, and quality comes first for us.

Agencies that work with us on a structural basis are rewarded for it. The more work an agency realises through Fitchd, the higher the annual kickback we pay out. A transparent agreement we establish at the start of every collaboration.