Sometimes, youth entertainment marketing can feel a little like a video game. The minute you think you’ve cleared a major hurdle, here comes another, larger problem to manage against seemingly impossible odds.
Finally secure the funding for a new app you’ve been working toward? Well, now you’re left trying to come up with a campaign on your own in time for your launch date. Have a great, out-of-the-box idea to promote a new upcoming title? Unfortunately, your brand’s internal team is already stretched too thin trying to wrap up work for last month’s release. And where are you going to find someone to design something that cool so quickly anyway?
Deadlines, staffing issues, logistics — these are the monsters coming out of the woodwork to block you from promoting what your brand has to offer. In gaming terms, you need a power-up to reach the next level. And this is the real world: Quitting is not an option.
Fortunately, you can call for reinforcements by working with an outside agency that specializes in youth marketing. Outsourcing your marketing brings a targeted solution in the time frame you need with a more manageable level of risk. When your back is against the wall, adding proven expertise from the right agency feels like discovering extra life.
How calling on a specialized agency provides a competitive edge
No matter your brand's size, you may feel like you face a steep climb when reviewing the marketing calendar. Maybe widespread economic uncertainty has led to losses on your team, which means hours of your time goes to writing job descriptions, conducting interviews, and onboarding hires. Ultimately, you and your team are stretched too thin. And the deadline to deliver keeps applying more pressure.
Hiring an outside agency shrinks the distance between the resources you have and the work you need. But for all the sensitivities and potentially bruised egos associated with outsourcing your work, the right digital agency isn’t aiming to replace the team you have.
At its best, an outside agency partnership is a close-knit collaboration that’s committed to extending your brand’s reach. Plus, teaming with an agency that specializes in your industry and the vertical you need delivers results that much faster.
Economic conditions unfortunately cut both ways in terms of working to add internal team members. For one, hiring isn’t often a quick or easy process given the searching, interviewing, and training required to bring on the right person. And for two, the experienced marketers with the skills you need are already making top dollar in their roles. In an uncertain climate, many of these specialists are unlikely to change positions.
When you’re in survival mode and understaffed trying to hit the next deadline, outsourcing to an agency is often the best option.
Choosing a marketing agency comes down to knowing your brand’s needs
Determining the right outside agency for your needs requires careful consideration. Do you stake your limited time and budget on a smaller, lesser-known firm who are specialists in your area of need? Or do you go with a big generalist agency with a familiar name that will impress your bosses?
Your choice of an agency partner is crucial when you’re in a bind and your audience is hungry for new content. Though briefs and meetings set the groundwork for any engagement, evaluating an agency is a two-step process.
1. Ensure a prospective agency partner specializes in the right vertical
Whether you need an expert in digital marketing in specific domains like sports or entertainment, a generalized agency is far less likely to provide the skill level you need. Agencies that commit years of focus to one domain are able to dig deeper into that discipline than creative specialists who need to retain a broader focus.
It’s simply impossible for a generalist to be as well-versed in a vertical as a person whose work experience has been dedicated to a specific area. Large agencies offer name recognition, but your first priority is securing the right kind of help in the area you need it most.
2. Build confidence that any agency partner will make your job easier
Before you can resolve your deadline pressure, you need to ensure an agency partner will take work off your plate rather than add to it. You might find an agency that specializes in the right domain, but it may not have enough experience. Maybe the agency is still finding its footing, or its creative team doesn’t have the confidence to run with your project without some hand-holding.
At We The Collective, our team has 15 years of experience running an agency that’s focused on youth entertainment. Though other agencies may skew younger in a way that appears tapped into the right demographic, that’s not necessarily what you need. You need a partner to tackle your deadlines more autonomously. We’re not just experienced enough to get your project up and running fast. We can clarify the details behind what your brand needs to solve your marketing problems as well.
How outsourcing to a specialized agency delivers benefits beyond creative work
Outsourcing to an outside agency ultimately means you’re adding more hands to create the work you need. And that’s always a big help. But sometimes, the amount of work you have stacked up is so daunting that you’re not sure what you need. In those moments where you need to get your feet under you, an experienced specialized agency provides strategic support.
Hiring the right agency also means you’re hiring a plan. Depending on your situation, your campaign may need a social media person, a data analytics specialist, or an SEO strategist. As your campaign comes together, your agency partner will provide a structure to let you know when you need additional resources to offer support.
Instead of throwing your budget in all directions, an experienced agency ensures that you’re bringing on the right people at the right time to ensure your marketing does more than hit a deadline. It delivers sustainable success for your brand. If this sounds like the kind of help you need, let’s talk about it. We’ll make sure you and your project reach the next level.
