In-house Marketing Partnerships are Built Upon Shared Benefits and Trust

Yesterday we received a call from a long-term client.  Like many of our clients, they have been adding creative staff to their marketing team over the past few years.  Fifteen years ago, they were a small 2-person marketing department. Today their marketing team consists of about 7 people…a Vice President, Director, 2 project managers, an inside designer, a research manager and a community development manager.

The reason for the call: They are adding a new graphic designer to their mix and they wanted our team to interview their top candidates.

Our client’s interest to have their primary marketing partner (PSB) involved in the selection process of their internal marketing team member is a great example of a “shared ownership” in the outcome our respective departments.

This type of synergy is what will allow progressive organizations the ability to compete in a changing business environment where collaboration is key, and shared ownership of a powerful outcome is the goal.

In house marketing staffs are growing and redefining traditional relationships

Our client’s growth in their marketing team is in line with the trend of increasing the in-house creative marketing team growth among all industries.

It’s been driven primarily by cost and technology.

The squeeze being placed on marketing leaders to do more with less is forcing them to look inside and hire staff that share both creative and administrative disciplines. The low-cost of the technology and content removes some of the old hurdles necessary to acquire adequate creative equipment.

The in-house marketing creative person today is a hybrid…an equal dose of idea creation… along with a healthy competency in project management that keeps things on task.

The in-house staff can’t do it all alone

Just because somebody can do something doesn’t mean they always should. Nor does it mean that somebody else might be able to do it better…and faster. That’s why a healthy in-house team needs the support of an outside marketing partner to deliver in the areas that the in-house team needs the most.

Things like:

-Complex promotional campaigns

-New brand development and concepts

-Innovation and new approaches

-Best practices, training and troubleshooting

And sometimes, it’s just an extra set of hands that helps to get things done when the team is extra busy or they are short on staff.

Start with a healthy trust, appreciation and good communication

The new model is one of making the weak stronger and the stronger even more so. Understanding the client’s team and the respective member abilities allows a company like PSB to contribute to the growth of the organization

A marketing supplier’s goal should be to add, not replace that which is already being done…to make the outcome better than it would have been without them.

To do that requires great communication and an appreciation for the strengths and limitations of each team member from both teams.

The next time your in-house team gets into a bind, reach out to your marketing provider. The enlightened providers will help you work through your challenges and opportunities and make you stronger at the same time.