Marketing Communication & PR Strategies.

Compelling Communications

For some businesses, time is such a precious commodity, that Marketing Communications objectives and strategies have never been determined much less evaluated. Unfortunately, without the right plans in place, your company’s long-term success will be stymied and determining the ROI on all of your tactical efforts will be virtually impossible.

Whether downsizing or ramping up responsibly, economically-astute investors and companies are discovering the option of outsourcing marketing communications and PR to providers who can pick up the slack and provide services on a smaller, flexible scale, often on a project-basis. Smaller agencies, virtual PR teams, and individual practitioners are a growing alternative for companies of all sizes. Like their clients, these alternatives have to work smarter, faster, and cheaper in a slowing economy.

Working on a project basis usually goes against the grain of the business models of larger agencies. Large agencies need steady retainers to make sure financial goals and obligations are met. They may offer prestigious addresses and a recognizable CEO, but who is the day to day contact performing the actual work? Is retaining the services of a large agency really a prudent investment or just a "C.Y.A." maneuver?

In adapting to market changes, smaller clients are again desirable as alternative marcom providers find ways to profitably service them and produce a desirable return in the capital invested in marcom. Embracing the free agent economy, senior marcom practitioners are starting to work for their own clients and smaller agencies closer to home. This is creating more affordable, project-based PR/marcom options for many tech companies with refined, controlled budgets.

For many clients, outsourced and project-based marketing communications has an economic rationale that works even in a strong economy. It makes sense to find a marcom outsource that will work on a project basis, or adapt to a flexible, needs-based budget that allows clients to pay for resources and counsel on an "as-used" basis. It allows companies to do more short-term activities without a large commitment. If a project proves successful, they certainly can lead to longer-term relationships. Projects are a great "test drive" for both the agency and the client - a way to see if they enjoy working together.

Advice for companies looking to outsource marketing communications:

A prestigious address does not make an agency do better work or increase the chances of media coverage. Are you paying for the view from your agency's conference room instead of results?

• Agencies love to drop names of contacts, but these may not be the right reporters, editors, and analysts for your company. Experienced pros develop new relationships as needed.
• Look at their clip book, but don't be too impressed, especially by clips for big name clients. See what they've accomplished for clients that are about your size and budget. The people showing you past results should be the same people who will do the actual work on your account.
• Your needs and budget may vary from month to month. Your agency should be able to work with a flexible budget. Many agencies now require prepayment of fees. All time spent ramping up for a project is considered billable time.
• Make sure that your agency has a conceptual understanding of your company, the technology, and your marketplace. Have them visit your Web site on their own time before the first meeting.
• You can find a marcom alternatives through networking, referrals, online searches (use key words such as PR, tech PR, outsourced PR, marcom, etc.), or look at press releases from similar-sized tech companies in industries related to yours. Agencies that advertise or attend trade association meetings will recoup those costs in their fees.
• Pay attention to the "structure" of the first meeting. Does the agency listen to you, or are they in "sell" mode? If they don't listen, can they really understand and meet your needs?
• Outsourced providers are a limited resource, often working simultaneously for several clients. Make sure they have the bandwidth to take on additional work for your account and can meet your deadlines.
• Chemistry counts - you'll have regular contact with your agency. Nobody will ever provide a bad reference, so trust your gut instinct. Marketing communications is an investment. Selecting a source that matches your company's culture/personality is likely to give you the best return.

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