Marketing,Company,Selection,an marketing Marketing Company Selection Do’s and Don’ts

Awhile ago, I got an email from one of the "gurus" I follow and it shocked me. The gist of it was this person wanted to trade services for a household item.To say it floored me would be an understatement.What was worse was a few days later t Automation technologies represent a fundamental aspect of any modern industry. The major types of industrial automation solutions, such as DCS, PLC, SCADA, and MES, are used on a large-scale in process and discrete industries.DCS technologie

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin-top:0in;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:115%;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}The right marketing company can amplify your team’s capabilities,offer experience, fresh ideas and expertise to help you grow your business.With the exploding media landscape, it’s both challenging and unrealistic tohave all creative design, branding, advertising, media buying, PR and marketingservices in house.  However, it takes time and resources to effectively hire amarketing company. Most businesses don’t realize it’s not just aboutcapabilities and industry experience; there’s a host of other factors that comeinto play. Here are some best practices to consider when selecting a marketing company: Do's and Musts: -Money Matters. Establish a budget rangeand timing upfront, or you’ll prolong your search for a marketing company, spinwheels and waste time. You can spend weeks or months interviewing creativedesign firms, advertising agencies or PR firms and after rounds of meetings andproposals, experience sticker shock and find it’s not a good fit after all.  -Right-size. Get an idea of the size and scope of the marketing company’saverage clients over the past 12-18 months. If you have an accurate picture oftheir typical engagements, there’s a greater chance the relationship has thepotential to grow over time.-Manage Expectations. Develop a clear scope of work, concretedeliverables, and a timeline. What happens in the first 30 days? What are thedeliverables after 3 months? What are the key points for approvals? Tie a feeschedule to key milestones. -Recent Results. Most marketingcompanies have downsized staff to some degree. Be sure to check to see if thetop talent that developed the memorable creative design portfolios, advertisingor PR campaigns still active or laid-off and long-gone? Look for recentsuccesses, and meet the team.-Expertise. Is their work good or great? Amateur or expert? Is the workadequate, or do you admire it? Look for seasoned marketing professionals,proven track records with successes against similar objectives, and lots ofexamples and case studies to prove it. -Culture counts. Are theycommunicative and responsive? Are they too schlocky? Or, too corporate? Would they fit in your office environment? Howthey act, think, what they value, their style and how they communicate shouldbe ideally aligned with your team’s culture. Don’t andPitfalls: - Assume “full-service.” Larger, integrated marketing companies have the in-housestaff—although you may pay for overhead you don’t need. A smaller marketingcompany may claim to be “full-service,” but actually outsources to accommodate clients’needs.  Specialty firms offer value. Identifyyour needs, understand what’s handled in-house and meet the team.  - Focus on “the hottest." A fabulous advertising or PRcampaign done for somebody else—or notably, your competitor—doesn’t necessarilymean they'll do the same for your business. Is your company’s situation,challenges, timing, and budget, exactly the same? (Of course not.) - Avoid ‘signature’ looks. Be wary of a creative design firm oradvertising agency that has a signature look, or canned cookie-cutter approach.Does all their work have a similar style? Your brand should come first—nottheirs. Look for a varied creative design portfolio, across industries. Rangeis power.- Fall in love for all the wrong reasons. Yes, chemistry is veryimportant. However, it should not be the primary decision driver. You need toremain objective when it comes to finding a marketing company. Thinkrationally, and value big ideas that can drive your brand and your business.- Small fish in a big pond; It’s easy to get sold on—and then lost in—abig shop. Beware of the recession rat-trap: a hungry marketing company may takesmaller clients to stay afloat. Yet, they are still better suited for biggerones. A good deal can turn into a disaster, and service will suffer if themarketing company is taking a loss. - Issue a blanket RFP to a long list. An RFP usually calls for adisaster. Because it’s time consuming to provide an intelligent response, RFPsoften alienate the super stars that may be just the ones you need. Do your duediligence or hire a search consultant to help you develop the right marketing companyshort-list in advance.These tips will help you maximize your resources and get the best return onyour time and investment.