Survival of the Fittest: Should You Outsource to Stay Alive?
The NEW Definition of Integrated Marketing
Everything’s changed. When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic on March 11, businesses of all sizes started to quake in their boots. Even the big guys struggled, faced with supply-chain nightmares and manufacturing shutdowns – while the global economy seemed to slowly grind to a halt.
“Now, businesses are trying to get back on their feet and adapt to the ‘new normal,’” said Jay Bower, Crossbow Group President and CEO. “At Crossbow, we’re looking at ways to pivot, morph and change to meet the new business landscape – while staying true to who we are.”
As businesses look for ways to rebuild and reinvent themselves, many of them find their staff members stretched too thin. So, they look to outsource. And then they’re faced with the decision: Do you outsource one piece of the marketing plan – say, for example, just the website – or put all your eggs in one basket and outsource the whole thing?
What is Integrated Marketing, Anyway?
Call it what you want – 360º marketing or integrated marketing – the definition remains the same: A holistic brand experience for consumers at every touchpoint – in every channel. And ideally, when you’re working with an integrated agency, all of the disciplines work in perfect harmony: Digital. Social. Lead-gen. Analytics. Retention. Branding. Creative. Packaging. Fulfillment. PR. Agency teams of writers, art directors, analysts, developers and account managers communicate and collaborate cross-functionally, seamlessly… working toward cohesive goals that align perfectly. (Yeah, right. And there are unicorns and angels singing.)
With Great Integrated Marketing Comes Great Responsibility
First, there’s choosing the right agency with a proven track record in your vertical or industry. Then, after they’re onboarded, clients often find their business units fragmented – assigned to multiple teams, with various people of contact, and any number of project plans, timelines and budgets. Clients are forced to decide where to spend – taking budget from one discipline and giving it to another. (Web dev always gets more, while creative gets cut – amirite?) And the more people that are involved, the longer things take to accomplish.
But wait, wasn’t the agency hired to make things easier?
Integrated vs. Integrated
At Crossbow, we offer a different take on “integrated.” While we offer seamless, cross-disciplinary marketing – with us it’s all under the care and supervision of one account manager.
Have a question about your CMS? Want to change your programmatic ad spend? Need a better understanding of audience segmentation? It’s just one call (or text, or email) to your account manager. And that one person will find the answer, and get the job done. We’ve found that when one person is truly integrated into the fabric of your business – they can be nimble. More responsive to your needs. Everything about your business is managed behind the scenes – and channeled to you through one resource. One human resource. Your one person of contact leverages other Crossbow resources – not disparate teams – to get the work done smarter and faster, with less overhead.
That’s the difference. At Crossbow, a client is more than just a sale or a transaction – it’s a relationship. Likewise, your account manager is more than just an order taker – they’re a strategic partner with a deep understanding of your company, your vertical and your competition. We know which internal resources to tap based on timing, understanding of your business, and speed-to-market. (And because we’re integrated into your team, we’ll know your dog’s name, and what sports team you root for, too.)
“Gone are the days of the big pitch, with tens of people around the boardroom table,” said Michelle Vitucci, Sr. Account Director at Crossbow Group. “The endless waiting as the client awards the AOR. Defining the SOW and then redefining it. The time-consuming process of briefing and onboarding the team. Now, clients call us with a need or a project, and oftentimes we can start working on it the very same day.”
We believe that you don’t need to worry about how many people are working on your content strategy. You don’t need to concern yourself with how in the world are those creatives going to deliver five new ad designs by next week? With one Crossbow account manager integrated into your team, you’re free to focus on helping your business thrive despite all that’s happening in the world.
“Never has the need to build a more agile, personalized team been clearer or more urgent,” Bower said. “The pandemic is a painful reminder of our universal interconnectedness, our vulnerability as humans, and the need for new solutions to tackle this common crisis. We believe that integrating the agency into the client’s business is the answer.”
Ready. Aim. Higher.
In the coming months, you’ll see some changes at Crossbow. A refreshed logo. New offerings. A new voice, and an independent new attitude that’s more customer-focused than ever. Don’t worry though, we’re still the same trusted, integrated agency that’s been in business for more than 20 years – but we’re doubling down on bringing real value to the marketplace, in ways that truly matter to our clients’ staffing plans and their bottom line.
Crossbow Group is a fiercely independent, full service, integrated branding and marketing services agency that uses data-driven insight, creativity and technology to deliver high-performance campaigns that result in measurably superior customer and prospect experiences and outcomes.