Why work with multiple marketing agencies? The case for consolidation.
Getting all your needs in one place makes a lot of sense. Southwest Airlines famously buys just one type of airplane from a single supplier, and the resulting efficiency in purchasing, maintenance and repairs has helped them achieve market share equal to much larger organizations.
One more example: If your grandparents were DIYers, they probably bought lumber at one store, tools at a second and electrical gear at a third. You, on the other hand, probably save time and money by getting it all at Home Depot, Lowe’s or Menards.
So, since consolidation reduces costs, improves focus and gets better results, why do you work with so many different B2B marketing agencies?
Consolidate your agencies to optimize efficiency (i.e., save money).
The first reason to get all your B2B marketing needs from one agency is simple: You’ll save money.
HubSpot says, “The financial overheads of working with multiple agencies can be staggering.”1 They cite the costs of managing different contracts with different teams, and add, “It’s not just about the money; it’s about the time and effort spent in coordination. This fragmented approach reduces operational efficiency and shifts your focus away from the essential goals.”1
B2B companies move heaven and earth to optimize efficiency in procurement, operations and supply chains. Why not in marketing, too?
More reasons B2B marketers should consolidate their agencies.
Saving money isn’t the only reason it’s better to work with one agency than with several. Here are a few more:
- Better communications. Working with one agency typically means you have one point person coordinating all your back-and-forth communications. With multiple agencies, you’re the one doing the coordinating.
- Streamlined workflows. Today’s B2B campaigns can be challenging to deploy if they’re aligned with customers’ complex buyer journeys. If you work with multiple agencies, you multiply that complexity. And once again, you’re the coordinator. Good luck.
- Dynamic interoperability of disciplines. There may be some value in hiring agencies that specialize in one discipline or another, but then they’re essentially working in siloes. When you get all your marketing from one agency, experts in different disciplines fuel an interplay that returns more than the sum of its parts.
- Tighter accountability. If you experience cost overruns or disappointing results with a single agency, you know exactly who’s responsible and have a direct line to making things right. With multiple agencies, you’ll have a much harder time identifying your campaigns’ weak links.
- Better brand consistency. There’s a terrific comfort level when you’ve worked with a single agency for a while, because they’re so familiar with your brand it becomes second nature. With multiple agencies, you may feel like you’re constantly correcting and retraining.
- More fun. Working with the same team over every aspect of multiple campaigns helps you develop deeper relationships that not only produce better work but are also just friendlier and more companionable. You might not have “fun” in your agency KPIs, but you appreciate when it’s part of the deal.
Why B2B organizations trust StudioNorth with 100% of their marketing.
To consolidate all your marketing with one agency, of course, you need a single agency that can handle every facet of every campaign. That’s why we’ve built StudioNorth the way we have — to make it possible for B2B organizations to trust us with 100% of their marketing.
We’re structured along five major disciplines:
1.
Brand acceleration
Brand creation and rebranding don’t have to be complicated and expensive. From brand strategy through activation, our proven approach deploys all the tools and strategies you need. See how we re-energized a well-established healthcare brand.
2.
Marketing strategy
How do you get your best ideas from the whiteboard to market? Our strategy team starts with a 360° view, applies data to inform your marketing model, and recommends the top tactics to connect with your audience. Learn how we helped one client explain two multifaceted solutions to two distinct audiences.
3.
Digital activation
How do you get your best ideas from the whiteboard to market? Our strategy team starts with a 360° view, applies data to inform your marketing model and recommends the top tactics to connect with your audience. Learn how we helped one client explain two multifaceted solutions to two distinct audiences.
4.
Customer engagement
“Strategic creative” is not an oxymoron! See how we deploy dynamic content and design to drive awareness, conversion and loyalty. Read how we helped a client reboot a late-night style show with more informative, more entertaining content.
5.
Performance management
Our tools and processes help you see not just what’s working, but why it’s working, to uncover the story behind the numbers and help you decide your next move. Ask why our approach to KPIs better fits B2B.
If you work with one B2B agency, make sure it’s the right one.
Consolidating your marketing with a single agency is a good idea. Consolidating it with StudioNorth is a great idea. You’ll optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of your marketing budget with an agency built from the ground up to deliver everything a B2B enterprise needs.
