Knowing what to bring to a meeting with your marketing agency is almost as important as why you are meeting in the first place.
Whether you are scoping out a new agency or kicking
off a project with your existing one, arming yourself with
the right stuff can help set the stage
for a productive meeting.
And by stuff, we don’t mean
just your computer and calendar,
although those things will help.
We’re talking about the tangible
and intangible things you should have
“collected” before running out the
door, so that you know what to expect,
what questions may be asked and
how to answer them.
There are five things to bring to any meeting with a
marketing agency, whether it be for the first time or for an
annual contract renewal.
PREVIOUS EFFORTS
This may seem obvious, but it’s important to bring all
previous marketing efforts. This means brochures, trade
show banners, past iterations of your logo, your website
and search engine optimization strategy.
The sky’s the limit.
Even if your past or existing efforts do not reflect your
current brand, it can help guide the conversation in the
right direction. What do you want to say with your brand
and why doesn’t this example showcase it?
The more information you can bring to the meeting
about past efforts, the easier it is to track what was successful
and where marketing fell short.
AN OPEN MIND
This may seem like a bunch of fluff, but I assure you
it is not. Starting a meeting by saying that you will never
again do search marketing or that you do not need a new
website, based on unsuccessful past efforts, is not going
to allow necessary progress to happen.
There is nothing worse than spending a ton of money on
poorly managed marketing. However, just because it did
not work for you in the past doesn’t mean it never will.
Keeping an open mind to an agency’s recommendations
is key to learning how your brand can grow moving forward.
Creative marketing done correctly is a powerful thing.
GOALS
Goals are extremely important to identify and discuss
with your marketing team. Identifying goals gives a clear
picture of how you define success.
Using these goals in tandem with previous efforts gives
the marketing agency a starting point and clear achievement
marker.
These are not just marketing goals. Your agency also wants
to know your business goals, brand goals and sales goals.
The entire picture is needed to help drive a successful,
holistic marketing strategy.
BUDGET
Being honest about your budget, and how much flexibility
it has, can help drive marketing efforts that
really sell your business.
A good agency should be on the side of the business.
It should have a good grasp of how much money will be
needed to get the job done well.
Bringing your budget to the table and discussing realistically
how much you can spend will allow for sound
marketing that works.
TRANSPARENCY
Transparency may seem like an abstract thing to bring
to a meeting, but it helps establish trust in the relationship
with your agency. This means the willingness to
provide a marketing team with accurate information and
honest opinions.
What do you really like? What do you not like? What
budget do you really have set aside to achieve this? Can
this be stretched it if it proves to be worthwhile? Does
your vision match the marketing agency’s vision?
An open and honest dialogue is vital for success.
Remember, a good marketing team wants to be your
partner.
When you arrive prepared for your meetings, you will both
provide valuable information and ensure that your visions
and goals are aligned, building the trust needed to thrive.
John Mulder is managing partner at 3Seed Marketing,
Design & Interactive in Schnecksville. He focuses on
developing marketing strategies and creative campaigns
while keeping an eye on emerging marketing trends. He
can be reached at [email protected] or 484-
646-9300.
