Who’s Fighting For You?

I’ve been fortunate enough to work in a variety of traditional marketing roles, which helped to form our tagline of “Conventional Experience, Unconventional Results.” I come from a background of working in corporate America, understanding the depths of marketing and the needs of businesses in a quickly-changing world. In my experience, however, I’ve found plenty of situations where a business was not effectively represented. The culprit can be a variety of factors: salespeople who are looking to make their quota for a given month (I’ve been in that world), vendors who have not been adequately screened, high employee turnover (“I have a new sales rep each month”), or a multitude of other factors. According to this study, media sales roles are ranked #3 in employee turnover, only 1.6% lower than retail. This can lead to great confusion for businesses to have an objective perspective on their marketing campaigns, and can lead to increased costs and wasted dollars. I have nothing negative to say about media companies as my competition; by all means, if you feel that your marketing plan is working, continue to use them! However, for many businesses, this leads to a fragmented marketing plan that provides a confusing consumer experience.

Most independent agencies who are hired on to represent a client can help to drive the best interests of a client, as (most) do not have additional internal forces to contend with. Although there are a variety of ways that agencies work, the most transparent is that of a retainer model. In paying an agreed-upon fee, an agency represents the client and their best interests, using data-driven results and experience of what marketing plans work. An agency can take an honest look at your marketing plan, and make recommendations based on your needs. Remaining independent, an agency does not have the same pressure that a media company does to senior leadership or, in the case of publicly traded companies, have an conflicted interest in representing the best interest of their shareholders alongside representing you.

These pressures don’t make media companies ineffective or evil by default; to the contrary, traditional media can still drive results for customers. Some have done great work and ultimately provide great value to the community, such as local newspapers and their journalists (and their need for our democracy). Some have even founded digital agencies themselves, and have done excellent work for the brands they work with. If you feel, however, that your best interests aren’t being looked out for, work with an independent ad agency, even if it’s not with us. We believe in protecting the best interest of our clients, and those who represent you in marketing should do the same. We encourage you to explore marketing agencies in your community to find the right fit for you and your brand. If done right, agencies can drive great results for you and your company.

We hope that this has been helpful to you, thanks for stopping by!