The Best Person To Know Your Brand Is YOU
Who hasn’t heard of Propercorn? They pop out at you on the shelves and they are holistic with their brand marketing. It was several years ago that Becky Akers, now Creative Director at PROPER, said: "Every time we have outsourced something, we have found there’s a disconnect…In terms of knowing the brand, no one knows it better than us." (https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/propercorn-popcorn-we-dont-look-fmcg-brands-inspiration/1352504). And it remains the case for heads of marketing. It is their job to distribute the passion and knowledge of the brand to suppliers.
I say to brand guardians the best person to know your brand is YOU. As heads of marketing, the more you can orchestrate your marketing ensemble (aka service providers) the more holistic and successful it will be. What does this look like for video marketing?
Conducting monthly agency meetings so that all your agencies have the information that will drive creative and sales output in the same direction
Sharing offline assets with above the line agencies so that they can streamline their creative and messaging
A content plan shared quarterly with agencies to stress test the marketing agenda
Choosing agencies that care more about your growth than their showreel. This will provide the best output and results.
Ongoing contact with service providers. Avoid blackout where digital and creative agencies are left in the dark about marketing cycles, until the taps are turned on for the next 'go live'. Continual improvement comes from continual communication.
In a study commissioned by Thinkbox, Laurence Green, renowned advertising strategist and Director of Effectiveness and the IPA, looked at the state of creativity in the advertising sector, and the overarching conclusion was that we live in a world of Short Termism, referring to a brand’s incumbent suppliers.
But this is the juncture to audit marketing processes to ensure we are curating an ecosystem of collaboration, so that the path to success is as direct as the crow flies.
And where the blueprint is for brands to outsource the execution, but retain the vision, which is durable beyond the length of a contract.
It promotes longevity of success and solidifies growth for a brand.