Long-term relationships are twice as likely to produce award-winning work as clients who had worked with agencies for less than a year. That’s the conclusion from Kantar’s analysis of the 2025 Effie Europe winners.
In many ways it’s a no-brainer, but it’s still worth noting that, in a world where patience is running thin and under-pressure clients are demanding immediate results, there’s so much to be gained from building trust and allowing time for both partners to get to know each other.
While 50% of entries came from five year-plus partnerships, 75% of those entries made it onto the shortlists and 50% went on to win. By contrast, just 46% of entries from relationships of less than a year were shortlisted, and only 23% of those went on to win awards.
Gold winners included “Wonderful everyday” from Ikea and Mother, whose partnership is soon coming to an end after 16 years; “Nothing cracks like a Magnum” by LolaMullenLowe, together since 2010; and Virgin Media O2’s “Daisy vs the scammers”, which came out of a 23-year relationship between VCCP and one of its founding clients.
Charley Stoney, CEO of European Association of Communications Agencies, said: We live in a short-term world driven by quarterly results, but the evidence of this year’s Effie Europe is that long-term relationships deliver greater success.
“Agencies that have worked with companies for longer are better able to identify what can drive business results when they have had the time to understand every facet of the brand, its consumers and its competitors. Close long-term relationships enable great agencies to truly demonstrate their growth skills and deliver the best results for brands.”
You need to weather a few disagreements and the odd misfire before a truly strong relationship is built, but in a short-term world where measurement has gone into overdrive, it’s too easy to keep switching in search of a solution to the many business problems that clients face.
It’s not dissimilar to the world of football, where teams like Manchester United and Chelsea are switching managers frequently without success. Arsenal, meanwhile, stuck with Mikel Arteta despite a faltering start back in 2019 and seem to be reaping the rewards now.
