Problems & Solutions. Myths & Facts.

Problem. Many organizations approach marketing by writing a marketing plan and then putting a lot of energy into producing the projects to fulfill that plan. The results are usually 100% effort being put into a strategy which is only 50% developed.

Solution. Complete the circle. A marketing plan is only as good as a well developed strategy. While your individual campaigns and projects may make up the bulk of your budget, establishing and maintaining an appropriate corporate and brand identity will ensure consistency and effectiveness. And targeting your audience by demographics is only half the process in lead generation. You must also qualify these prospects in order to produce the best ROI. Finally, the often overlooked areas of public relations and customer service, which rely more on effort than on dollars, can quite possibly create the make-it-or-break-it situation.

Myth. Managing a marketing plan in-house on an as needed basis and distributing individual projects to multiple vendors will save money and allow more projects to be produced for greater results.

Fact. According to a survey taken by the National Association of Advertisers, the average cost for a client to change agencies is approximately 12.5% of the client’s current budget. This includes the following items:

-Short-rated contracts

-Transfer of artwork and other files

-Out-of-pocket and time costs to conduct a new agency search

-Time needed to get the new agency up to speed

-Start-up inefficiencies for the new agency as they learn the client’s business and procedures