We’ve lost track of the number of debates we’ve been involved in about the benefits of in-house marketing vs. outsourced. It’s obviously a subject that we feel very passionate about. There is no right or wrong answer, we strongly believe that what’s right for one brand, may not be for the other. However, the decision whether to use an agency for your marketing is likely to be dependant on a range of factors – it needs careful consideration and will be closely linked to your company objectives.

Ask yourself, how are you best placed to achieve your years’ objectives in the most cost-effective way? It’s important to be aware that building an internal marketing team can be a very expensive and time-consuming task. By putting all your eggs in your internal basket, you run the risk of employees leaving the business, meaning you can really feel the loss of company knowledge.

Here are a few reasons why you may consider outsourcing your marketing to an agency – it will certainly give you some food for thought.

• Agencies are generally made up of teams who excel under pressure and love the challenge of working in a very specialised environment where individuals are constantly pushed to keep on top of their game. Staff will be encouraged to attend industry specific conferences, networking events and trade shows. Good marketers will thrive in this environment.

• Agencies are always held accountable for return on investment and will have this at the forefront of any activity they are managing for you. They will ensure you get the very most out of every pound spent, and can often open their little black book to get preferable rates on advertising, PR, event space.

• Insight is key. Agencies have to keep up to date with industry trends, technology and competitive tactics. Its all about getting an edge over your competitors, and you’re paying them to deliver this for you.

• All good agencies will have a broad cross-section of resource and personal experience. Although your account will be managed by one individual the collective team will be utilised to get the most for your brand – naturally giving you a whole host of diverse expertise.

• By outsourcing your marketing, it frees up time for your senior business leaders to focus on what they do best, rather than get involved with high and low-level marketing decisions which can often be very time-consuming.

• An agency can provide a fresh pair of eyes and a new thought process for your brand. There is always a risk that internal teams are bogged down with the day to day marketing tasks, so may struggle to see the wood for the trees. Having a bird’s eye view of your brand will feed a more innovative pipeline and more exciting, engaging marketing.

If you’re in the process of thinking about the best way to manage your marketing requirements, why not give us a call on 01480 276555. We’d love to hear from you.