You have the world’s most beautiful logo, comprehensive brand guidelines, an impressive website and stunning branded materials. What next?
It is important not to undervalue the importance of your branding, but it is only the first stage in building your business and generating incremental value. Working closely with your design agency is vital in building your identity. But relying on visually pleasing design will not drive sales and visitors to your business alone. The difference between a design or creative agency and a marketing agency is often confused.
Over the years the definition has become even more muddled with agencies bolting on service offerings as a way of satisfying their clients’ appetites to sample new technology and trends. This was rife in the early 2000s when TV media agencies bolted on digital marketing as an offering to secure additional budget. This is like hiring a plumber and asking him to rewire the house whilst he is there. The logic being that he drives a van and works with his hands. This scenario was short-lived as clients soon realised that they were dealing with two very different skill sets. Whilst the destination is the same, the journey is very different.
You may have a beautiful brand, but do you have an innovative and proactive marketing strategy in place? Are you taking advantage of the various marketing channels available to you? Are you communicating with potential customers in the right way? Has your marketing strategy evolved with your customers’ behaviours? Are you driving incremental revenue through your ad spend? These are the questions that a marketing agency asks, not a creative agency.
Ensuring that you are hiring the best person for the job is the moral of the story. Clients shouldn’t opt for the most convenient solution, they should strive for excellence in all departments. Agencies need to learn to work together for the good of the client, rather than taking the quick cash available to them by offering solutions outside of their skill set.
At Clicksmith we understand where our strengths lie, we are willing to accept that we cannot be the best at everything which is why we don’t aim to replace your existing creative agency, instead we try to work closely with them to help you get the most from your brand.
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