The Pros and Cons of Working with External Agencies: A Client’s Perspective
For businesses, working with external agencies such as PR, marketing, and advertising agencies is often a strategic decision aimed at expanding brand visibility, improving engagement, and ultimately driving growth. But, as with any partnership, there are aspects that clients enjoy and those they find frustrating. In this blog, we explore the key elements that clients appreciate and dislike the most about collaborating with external agencies.
What Clients Love:
1. Expertise and Specialisation
One of the primary reasons companies hire external agencies is for their specialised expertise. Agencies bring deep knowledge and experience in areas like public relations, digital marketing, social media management, and creative strategy. Clients often appreciate the agency’s ability to provide fresh perspectives, innovative solutions, and industry-specific insights that they might lack in-house.
Agencies stay on top of the latest trends and technologies in their respective fields, which can be invaluable for clients who may not have the time or resources to do the same. This external knowledge is frequently cited as a significant advantage, as it helps clients stay competitive in rapidly changing markets.
2. Efficiency and Focus
Agencies are often seen as extensions of a company’s marketing or PR departments, providing the manpower needed to execute larger campaigns or projects. Their ability to hit the ground running without the need for intensive training or onboarding is appreciated by clients with tight deadlines. This efficiency allows in-house teams to focus on core business activities while the agency handles more specific, often time-consuming, tasks like content creation, campaign management, and media relations.
3. Creative Ideas and Innovation
Clients frequently mention that they appreciate the creative input agencies bring to the table. External agencies are not bound by internal biases or organisational constraints, which often allows them to generate more innovative and bold ideas. Clients find this creativity valuable, especially when trying to differentiate their brand or message in crowded markets.
4. Scalability
For companies, particularly smaller businesses or start-ups, working with external agencies allows them to scale their marketing efforts without making long-term commitments to hiring full-time staff. Agencies can adjust their resources based on project size, providing flexibility that is crucial in today’s business environment.
5. Accountability and Measurable Results
Many agencies employ data-driven strategies and use performance metrics to track the success of their campaigns. Clients like the transparency this provides, as they can see the ROI from their investment. Regular reporting and analytics enable clients to assess what’s working and make informed decisions about future campaigns.
What Clients Hate:
1. Cost Concerns
While agencies can bring a lot of value, they often come with a hefty price tag. Clients, particularly small businesses or those with limited budgets, sometimes find agency fees to be prohibitive. Additionally, some clients feel that agencies are not always transparent about pricing structures, which can lead to unexpected costs down the line. In short, they hate surprises on the financial front.
2. Lack of Control
Clients sometimes express frustration over the perceived loss of control when outsourcing to agencies. While agencies bring their expertise and creative ideas, clients occasionally feel disconnected from the process, especially if communication is not frequent or clear. This can result in campaigns that don’t fully align with the company’s vision or brand.
3. Inconsistent Quality
The quality of work can vary between agencies or even between different teams within the same agency. Clients dislike it when the initial energy and creativity wane as projects progress, leading to inconsistent output. This inconsistency can also result from high staff turnover, which is common in some agency environments.
4. Communication Issues
Effective communication is vital in any collaboration, and poor communication is one of the most common complaints clients have about agencies. Whether it’s slow response times, unclear expectations, or a lack of regular updates, communication breakdowns can severely impact the client-agency relationship. Clients want to feel involved and updated, and when this doesn’t happen, frustration mounts quickly.
5. Over-Promising and Under-Delivering
Some clients experience agencies over-promising on results or timelines during the pitch process but failing to deliver when the project is underway. This can lead to disappointment and strained relationships. Clients expect agencies to manage expectations effectively and deliver on their promises, particularly when they’re investing significant resources.
Conclusion
Working with external agencies can offer many advantages, from access to specialised expertise and creative innovation to increased efficiency and scalability. However, clients should weigh these benefits against potential downsides such as cost, communication issues, and the risk of losing control. For the client-agency relationship to flourish, open communication, clear expectations, and mutual respect are essential ingredients.