This is a question we come across often: "What exactly is marketing management?" It sounds in itself quite self-explanatory, but it creates confusion when there are now a multitude of services on offer, such as: digital marketing, creative design, strategy, social media management and websites. With so many specialists around, how can businesses decide which is the best for them based on their needs?
Well, it often comes down to available resource they have in-house, their budget and whether they have a specific strategy. Our clients often come to us having tried ‘elements of marketing' in a rather sporadic and inconsistent way.
They often say "we've tried a little bit of this.... and a little bit of that" – yes, rather like the Birdie Song - do you remember the dance? This often occurs when marketing funds are low and a ‘micro-view’ is adopted that focuses on smaller projects and firefighting. "Let’s do this event." OK, what do we need? (Kind of scenario). This can result in the failure to see bigger opportunities that could create a more impact. Through adopting a holistic approach to marketing, a solid plan can be developed that closely aligns marketing strategy with commercial objectives and attracts ideal clients or the most profitable work.
Also companies see marketing as an 'additional expense' and not for the value it brings. Marketing can payback very quickly if carefully aligned to business strategy.
The outsourcing solution we offer at Clear Goal Marketing is “marketing management”, which can be compared to a business employing a marketing manager. Wendy Fenney, owner of CGM says:
"As a marketing manager by trade for almost 20 years, I guess I could call myself an expert in this area. I like to think that I am someone who has a broad-spectrum of marketing knowledge and skills, who can quickly ‘get to grips’ with understanding companies' needs, help them define their strategy, develop a marketing plan that delivers their objectives and a schedule to make it happen."
Marketing management is defining everything that a company needs in respect of its marketing activity, drawing it up into a plan and scheduling it so it runs smoothly.
Why employ an agency to manage your company's marketing?
A new or growing company may decide that it needs to invest more in their marketing to build awareness of what they offer. To date they may have been managing marketing themselves, but are worried about the image they are projecting and also the amount of time they have to dedicate to marketing. Sometimes a specific campaign is needed to launch a new product or the company wishes to enter a new market segment. There are various signs when companies realise it's time to call in a marketing agency like CGM:
You would prefer someone who can work with you directly, who can best-advise on the best strategy to follow and who feels part of your team.
You would like to get the best results for your buck and keep marketing costs under control and set a specific monthly budget for example.
You are unsure what sort of marketing method you specifically need and what would work best for your business.
You need help with defining a marketing strategy for your company that is designed specifically to meet your commercial objectives.
You prefer a dedicated account manager who can organise all aspects of your marketing, find and manage contractors, find and negotiate the best deals and take the hassle away.
No Question is Ever STUPID
What is important to us at CGM is having excellent working relationships with our clients. One where they feel they can tell us with total confidence their business plans, business and marketing issues, and ideas that may be broadline crazy. Guiding clients in the right direction, giving them confidence in their approach and making it clear that no question is therefore a silly one; and that works both ways.
It is important to ask those questions no matter what, sharing knowledge and understanding is key to success. Being totally transparent with my clients is also very important, and always giving honest advice (see below).
Honesty-based Marketing
When we work with a client, we are often asked to work with a specific budget. For example they may say "I would like to spend £X about per year." Therefore any marketing management fees have to form part of this fee or are additional.
At the outset, we work together on developing a strategy and tactical plan, including a schedule of activity. The advice we give to my clients is always based on honesty and having their best interests at heart. But how can we promise that?
Wendy Fenney, CGM says "Before recommending a strategy, I ALWAYS ask myself “If this was my OWN company, OWN money, OWN time and resources; would this be what I would do?”
Ensuring that marketing budgets are spent in the right areas is key to delivering the best value possible for clients. This sometimes means steering clients away from what they thought they needed to a different strategy entirely, or by making improvements to the plan by putting our heads together; combining knowledge is the key to success.
If you like the sound of the way Clear Goal Marketing works, why not get in touch with us here or check out some of our packages: marketing packages for start-ups and marketing packages for businesses here.
