Creative clashes are not roadblocks—they’re opportunities for growth. When external agencies bring diverse perspectives, tensions may arise, but brilliance is born from the push and pull of ideas. The key? A shared vision. Define it together. Collaborate with openness. Respect expertise while nurturing trust. It’s not about control; it’s about co-creation. When you align hearts and minds behind a singular purpose, creativity flourishes, and the outcome becomes not just unified but extraordinary. Remember that, tension, when harnessed, is the spark that ignites innovation.

I do think having creative chemistry is a thing. The more comfortable you become with your creative partners the easier it is to overcome differences in opinion because sharing candid feedback is easy, welcomed, and ultimately helps get a better output.

Having been in this situation before, in addition to of course having an open mind and trying to set personal opinions aside, what can help is bringing in the consumer perspective (if this is a consumer goods product). Conducting a consumer study (if the budget allows) with two creative routes and getting the opinions from an actual prospective user of the product can help provide a true and unbiased opinion and has worked in past projects!

Regardless of where the clashes are in your relationships, personal or professional, the response is the same. At the heart of every clash is the need to feel heard and valued. If you start with a genuine desire to hear from the individual(s) you'll begin to ask "powerful questions" which will not only result in the agency feeling heard, understood, and ready to listen but it will give you the ability to identify where the negotiation can start, the bridges to cross, and perhaps build that were non-existent when you started.

It's important to set aside personal ego and prioritize the client's needs. Focus on putting in whatever effort is necessary to make the campaign successful. Create a clear roadmap, collaborate with different teams, and have open discussions to consider everyone's perspectives. This approach will ultimately result in a better outcome.