The relationship between brands and their agency partners is more important than ever. But what do brands look for when partnering with an agency, and how can agencies make their partnerships with brands stronger?

Trust is a common trait in strong brand-agency relationships. “Agencies earn trust by being there with me in the trenches,” explained Autodesk chief marketing officer Dara Treseder. “They need to trust us, but we need to also trust them,” added Opinionated chief growth officer Kate Higgins.

Another key to a strong relationship is understanding the business. “Understand the challenges that we’re facing and what is motivating us,” said Verizon CMO and vice president of marketing Cheryl Gresham.

For more tips and insights from brand and agency leaders, watch the video below.

This story is part of the “Building a Better Agency” special feature.