^^^ Does your website or other marketing collateral feature imagery like this? ^^^ If so, skip all that follows and contact us immediately. You’re in desperate need of an agency.
Do I need an agency?
It’s not a question we get a lot, at least not in those terms. But the issue of value is something that—at least passively—underscores all client-agency relationships. Like a latent computer program, it hums along in the background, quietly sowing dissonance in the mind of the creative service buyer. What’s all this for? Is there a better way to do this? Do I even need an advertising, branding, or marketing agency?
This query might strike fear into the hearts of other advertising agents, but not here at Tilted Chair. No, after nearly nine years of partnering up with some exciting, intrepid—and yes, human—brands, we’ve nailed the formula for answering it. As it turns out, there are several different reasons to incorporate a branding, advertising, or marketing partner into your business plans. And while they range from practical to philosophical, they all lead to one undeniable conclusion: you need an agency.
Specialization
As Verne Harnish once said, great businesses are built around “the right people doing the right things right.” It’s a catchy excerpt that happens to be completely true. Depending on your role in the business, there’s a good chance that many of the skills required to build, launch, or market a great brand fall outside the scope of your job description. For many of these functions, it’s not that you can’t perform them—it’s that you shouldn’t. That’s where an agency comes in. Need a strategic communications framework? (Hint: you do.) We’ve got the expert for that. Need to develop a visual communications system? Been there, done that. Need a go-to-market paid media plan? Are you an expert at any of these things?! Because we are! We call it specialization, and it’s what we do. Every. Single. Day.
Efficiency (as measured in time, money, and energy)
To those who are familiar with agency fees, this one might sound crazy, but stick with me: hiring an agency saves money in the long run. Don’t believe me? Try building out a full-service marketing department that can tick all of the above boxes while spending less time, energy, and money than you would by simply hiring a great full-service agency. That’s the beauty of the agency model: we hire the talent and lend it to you. No recruiting, no onboarding, no benefits, no egos. An agency like Tilted Chair is a turnkey marketing solution that offers fractional expertise, meaning you only pay for as much of it as you need, and only when you need it. It doesn’t get more efficient than that.
Scale—up or down
The marketing landscape changes quickly, and that means you need to be responsive. Your needs tomorrow very likely won’t match your needs today, and partnering with an agency allows for great resource flexibility. We can scale up—and, heaven forbid, down—with the needs of the client. Notch one in the agency column for scalability.
Perspective
This is a more abstract one, so you’ll have to bear with me. But those who have been very close to a marketing problem for a long time will understand: you need an outside perspective. Getting bogged down with the day-to-day duties and demands of an in-house branding or marketing position often leaves little time—or bandwidth—for a more holistic view of the situation. Partnering up with a branding, advertising, or marketing agency can provide just that perspective. We haven’t been living with your situation for very long, and this frees us up to propose new, innovative, energetic, and optimistic solutions to your communications problems.
Cohesiveness / Coordination / Collaboration
Anyone who’s been around long enough knows that a great brand is built upon a strategic and cohesive vision, and then tactically executed in a symphony of coordination and collaboration. Okay, it might not be so poetic in practice, but the sentiment remains. Our strategists work with our creatives, who work with our media and production people, who work with account executives, all collaborating across traditionally isolated lines to achieve a beautiful brand harmony. It’s seriously a marvel to behold.
So there you have it, five great reasons to save yourself the time, money, and hassle of building out your own internal marketing department and hire a full-service creative agency like Tilted Chair. If we’ve successfully answered the question of “Do I need an agency?” you may be left with another: “What am I waiting for?” To which we’d respond, our contact page is right here.