When you work in a highly regulated industry like healthcare, marketing comes with some caveats.

The new channels and innovative tactics we see used by other brands are often unavailable to us. As it should be—we’re discussing medicine and treatment with our audience, not selling retail products. But that means there are limitations to how agile we can be as compared with our marketing peers in other industries.

All of this makes finding an agency partner who understands the parameters of our industry and has creative solutions to move us forward crucial.

In assessing various agencies over my years with Roche, I’ve developed a shortlist of the traits that make for a winning partnership.

1. Subject matter expertise

Any highly regulated industry has dozens of rules and big consequences for breaking them. That’s why finding a team familiar with the healthcare industry is a primary concern for us when assessing fit.

My team markets primarily to consumers rather than healthcare professionals, and our diabetes products are both prescription and over-the-counter. These subcategories within the world of healthcare come with their own specific marketing needs.

Anyone with subject matter expertise not only understands how to approach a project conceptually and strategically, they understand the security concerns inherent in the healthcare space. They have protocols in place to maintain privacy and protect patient data. They understand what messaging and tactics are out of bounds.

This level of expertise is vital if you wish to hit the ground running with your new partner.

Of course, not even experts know everything. One of the qualities our team most appreciates about FATFREE is their willingness to bring in outside experts and partners to fill any gaps in their knowledge base.

The world of healthcare marketing is filled with internal stakeholders. From legal to regulatory, our marketing campaigns pass through multiple gates within our four walls. At any point, someone may deem a project unviable. That’s why we need a partner that’s comfortable returning to square one and quickly striking out in a new direction.

2. Strategic agility

This one is a bit of a buzzword, but buzzy things often gain traction because they’re true.

The world of healthcare marketing is filled with internal stakeholders. From legal to regulatory, our marketing campaigns pass through multiple gates within our four walls. At any point, someone may deem a project unviable. That’s why we need a partner that’s comfortable returning to square one and quickly striking out in a new direction.

Roadblocks can arise in any industry, but they are more firm and finite in a highly regulated space. We value partners that not only possess the ability to be agile but will pivot with a positive attitude. Which brings me to key trait number three…

3. Culture fit

Have you heard of the airport test? It’s a way of assessing job candidates or business partners. If you were traveling for business and a storm blew through, would you enjoy being stuck in an airport with this person?

That’s part of the culture fit we look for in agency partners. I don’t know that it’s ever completely clear skies when working on a marketing campaign, but there’s an even higher likelihood of turbulence or a bumpy landing in a highly regulated industry.

You want a calm, communicative copilot along for the ride. Many a relationship, business or otherwise, has gone south because of poor communication.

In working with our agency partners, communication is a two-way street. We share concerns, ideas, and concepts freely, and we expect our partners to do the same. The FATFREE team consistently checks in and isn’t shy about sharing their thoughts or opinions—good, bad, or in between. It’s honesty that gets projects wrapped smoothly and builds long standing relationships.

Every industry has its own idiosyncrasies. In highly regulated ones, misunderstanding those peculiarities often have weighty consequences. Working with an outside partner can breathe new life into concepts and spark new ideas, but it’s crucial you find an ally that’s the right fit. Assessing for these three traits has served us well over the years. Hopefully, they can do the same for you—or encourage you to identify the attributes you most value in an agency partnership.