CHAPTER 2 | MARKETING AGENCIES JUST GIVE ME WHAT I WANT

Yes, they do. Isn’t that what you want?

The problem is that “problem solving” is how most agencies are built.

“What problem can we solve?”

Likely, if you’re brand-side and are able to identify a problem, you likely can solve the problem.

Marketers aren’t stupid. If you’re a CMO, for instance, you know how to come up with an action plan. Any AI platform will do that too.

In reality, most marketing directors need two very different things before challenge/solution: resources and internal approval.

CEOs, founders and executive directors aren’t stupid either. They live in different worlds of context than marketing people do.

Similar to what marketers face, there is no limit to where and how money can be spent. Tech upgrades, staffing, pleasing boards and shareholders, R&D for growth. Internal approval is zero sum, and growth priorities often clash with CEO priorities of not going backwards so they can keep their job.

Your job vs their job. In the end, marketing directors lose that fight. Everyone's livelihoods are on the line.

There is NEVER enough money to do it all for the vast majority of businesses.

And yes, big national brands waste more money in a day than most annual marketing budgets. Small businesses make up 99.9% of all businesses in the U.S., 46% of the private sector workforce, and 43% of the U.S. GDP.

And if you've got a marketing budget of, say, $5M, you're a small business.

When an agency gives you what you ask for, it’s behavioral modification. Agencies say, “We can be an extension of your marketing department” because most likely, as a marketing person, you’re making decisions based on your own relief from an unfair tsunami of to-do’s.

Innovation, ideation, quality execution…there are rarely resources for that.

Most marketing problems are easily solved with resource management, prioritization, optimization, sales integration, blocking and tackling. Agencies know this drill.

Ideas come after marketing infrastructure health.

So what are you really asking for? An extension of your marketing department, or ideas that can grow your business