From clients to creative allies

Vision and strategic shift

What inspires you to go from the traditional service-provider model to becoming true creative allies with your clients? Or has this been your game plan from the beginning?

It’s evolved, but the intention was always to build something deeper than a transactional relationship. The traditional agency-client model often feels like a one-way street: the client presents a problem, and the agency solves it. But we believe in synergy, not just delivering for our clients, but working with them. It’s more sustainable and impactful. We’ve always seen our role as leading, but not merely answering. Many of our strongest partnerships are built on mutual strengths. Some clients are visionaries, and we complement that with delivery and execution. Others need strategic clarity, and that’s where we lead. It's about creating value together, not just being a vendor.

How does the co-creator mindset reflect your agency’s core values?

Our values are deeply woven into how we work. We hire and even part ways based on alignment with those values. This isn't only about skillsets, it's about who people are. We want people who are brave, collaborative, and aligned with the same purpose. When everyone shares the same five core values, you’re marching in the same direction. It builds sustainability and long-term success. That’s what makes the co-creator model work – everyone is aligned beyond just the deliverables.

Creative process and output

How has this approach influenced the way you tackle briefs and ideation?

The keyword here is 'collaborative'. We approach things differently by taking the brief and conducting a briefing workshop to understand our client's environment. Ultimately, it comes down to solving the problem together and achieving the desired output.

Can you share a recent project where co-creation directly led to a better outcome?

A prime example is our work with our founding client, Red Bull HQ in Austria. We achieved several firsts in content, production, and events, including Africa's largest eSports tournament and a 5 day turn-around and global distribution of a documentary film covering Red Bull Dance Your Style.

What does a successful 'co-creation' process look like at Moonsport?

Successful co-creation at Moonsport means everyone has the opportunity to contribute their expertise to the outcome. It's about doing cool things with cool people and having fun along the way. If needed, here's a step-by-step look at the process:

• Conducting briefing workshops to understand the client environment.
• Understanding reporting structures and preferences.
• Focusing on problem-solving together, sharing risks and opportunities.
• Co-creation requires everyone to contribute their expertise to the collective outcome.

Client relationships

What qualities make a client a great co-creation partner?

Our clients are specialists and/or leaders in their field; they understand their markets and their customers deeply. Working together, with their insights and objectives, and our experience, planning, and implementation, drives this process. It's the Venn diagram

How do you set boundaries while staying collaborative?

This comes more naturally than one may think. When you work together in this way, you get a sense very quickly of what is important to your client, what their unique skills are, and where they can and want to add value. That understanding is key, as well as leading the conversation and having a direct and open relationship to flesh out any grey areas.



Team culture and morale

How has the co-creator role reshaped your Moonsport’s work, impacted the internal culture and energy of the team?

It’s cultivated a culture of collaboration, accountability, and ownership. Everyone feels a personal stake in what we produce. We’re not just executing briefs; we’re helping define them. That ownership loop, putting your heart into something and then seeing it come to life. It drives team pride. It’s also created an environment where people genuinely want to be here. In interviews, we’ve heard how our work and approach attract talent. That’s humbling and affirming. Internally, people thrive when they see their work flourish in the world, on screens, in stadiums, in public spaces.

How does the team approach briefs or client conversations?

Sometimes we don’t just respond to briefs; we often co-write them with the client (it all depends on the situation). We start by asking: What does success look like? What are you trying to achieve? Then we workshop the brief together. That early alignment creates understanding, not just execution. Our proven process blends strategy and creativity. We believe in conversations, not presentations. It’s about building chemistry, understanding what makes the client tick, and helping them shape their vision of success.

Do you find that your team feels more ownership and pride in the work?

Absolutely. There’s a massive sense of ownership here. People care deeply, and that pride shows up in everything, from how we talk about our work to how we support each other. There’s this loop of ownership → reward → pride that feeds back into the culture. People love seeing their work out in the world. And it only works because they feel safe, seen, and empowered to own it.

What kind of talent thrives in a co-creative agency model?

People who know their best ideas aren’t always the only ideas. People who want to collaborate and build on others’ thinking. People who are brave enough to be wrong and bold enough to try again. And lastly, people who can balance respect with boldness and know when to challenge ideas constructively. It’s about emotional intelligence as much as creativity. People who want to be part of something bigger than themselves – that’s who thrives here.

Business outcomes and growth

Has this shift led to stronger, longer-term client relationships?

Building long-term relationships rooted in mutual trust, respect, and open lines of communication has always been a key aspect of our business – this is what enables great work. This shifts gears for us – to do this more efficiently and across more touchpoints in a streamlined manner.

Are there any tangible business results, like faster turnarounds or stronger campaign performance?

Definitely! We’re able to work more efficiently through streamlined processes and the power of focus for teams to do what they do best. This has cut down on delivery times while improving the quality of our outputs. It’s too soon to share tangible results, but there is no doubt that they’ll follow as a natural progression of the above.

How do you measure the success of this agency-client dynamic?

It comes down to understanding each client’s unique business needs, how they like to work, and what success means to them. From there, the team can adapt accordingly to ensure that we’re delivering how they need us to – and, of course, keeping the lines of communication open and transparent throughout.

At its core, Moonsport’s shift from service provider to creative ally is about building work with people, not just for them. By prioritising trust, collaboration, and shared ownership, the agency creates partnerships that go beyond deliverables and drive lasting impact. The result is stronger relationships, more meaningful work, and a collective ambition to keep pushing the boundaries of sport and culture, together.

For more information, visit moonsport.tv.