Now is the time for your agency to make a difference in your world.
In a recent Adweek article, the author discusses the things brands need to be thinking about and doing now, given the situation we are in.
It also talks about the things brands need to be thinking about and preparing for, relative to the future.
Not only do you, the brand champions need to be thinking about these things, but so do your agencies.
It means you and your agency need to be thinking about how to best alter your messaging, re-jigger your approach to marketing, and re-prioritize the brands you most support.
In addition, the author points out that:
- Companies can no longer put off addressing technology shortfalls.
- Ecommerce is likely to emerge with a bigger share of commerce after the crisis ends.
- For the next few months, cause-related marketing might work better than any other kind.
The author also states:
“Nobody knows how long this restrictive period will last, but the mere uncertainty of the pandemic’s duration calls into question just how well companies are equipped to manage a long-term disruption to their business. Taking it on the chin for the next quarter is one thing, but business may well be severely disrupted into the quarter after that—or longer.”
Marketing approaches need to change. And your agency needs to be driving this. Now is not the time to shut down your agency. Now is the time for your agency to step up.
I saw three email ads on Friday. One was for a local restaurant chain offering a $100 5-person steak meal, picked up curbside. The other was for curbside pick-up for a local running shoe chain. and the third was for Herman Miller home office furniture – free delivery. Smart, creative ideas to work their way around this situation.
So, if you aren’t super active in the digital and social space, now is the time to get more active.
And if you can sell your products or services online, but you’re not doing it, or not doing it much, you need to get your agency to dial it up.
And if you can find ways to get product into consumers’ and customers’ hands, do it!
While this situation we’re in the middle of is certainly a bit overwhelming, consumers are still in the business of making choices.
Picking the brands they like. Ordering carryout from the restaurants they prefer. Interacting with banks, law firms, insurance firms, and accounting organizations…just in different ways.
And businesses are still needing suppliers and vendors, so those that can best serve their needs, are those that will win longer-term.
The suppliers and vendors that can communicate effectively online, can optimize their presence online to best their opportunities to generate leads, will win the day. Simply relying on the company’s face-to-face sales teams to “pound the pavement” won’t work now.
This situation could change the way we operate, forever.
Each and every marketer needs to take a step back and evaluate their marketing agency relationships. They need to determine if the firms they work with are capable of keeping them ahead of the curve and capable of creatively finding new solutions by changing up the approach they’re using to sustain your brand’s performance long-term.
If you’re in need of some help to find a better agency, or if you’re in need of help finding specialty agencies that help better your position in the digital, social, mobile, e-commerce, CRM, or some other area that can help your business now – and long-term, we can help…and do it quickly.
Typically searches at RSW/AgencySearch take 2 months from start to finish.
We have recently started helping firms with what we call a “Sprint Search“.
It starts by defining the scope of what you’re looking for.
Next, we identify and interview agencies that meet the criteria of what you’re looking for.
And we offer 5-7 firms with background on each, for you to contact and review.
We bring a decade of experience managing over 40 searches for businesses like yours. Let us know if we can be of any help. I can be reached via email (msneider@rswagencysearch.com) or by phone (513-293-6785).
