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For most of us, the 2009 marketing planning and budgeting process is right around the corner. And many of us will go it alone. That’s right. Believe it or not, while most marketers use outside agencies to implement their marketing programs, very few get them deeply involved in the annual planning and budgeting process.
There are significant benefits to collaborating with these trusted partners:
Get an outsider's perspective. Agencies have an unbiased perspective and can bring ideas to the table that you may be overlooking.
Tap into their creativity. Start the planning process with a blank slate and put their brains to work. Have a creative session to surface some new, innovative campaign ideas.
Leverage what's worked for other clients. Find out what has worked for their other clients in other industries. It may very well work for you.
Let them do the heavy lifting. You don't have to do all the number crunching. Have them gather the numbers, data and intelligence you need to construct an effective plan and budget (media buys, printing, online advertising, direct mail, etc.).
Create buy-in and accountability. If your agency is part of building the plan, they are accountable for the results. This is critical as you learn what does and does not deliver results throughout the year.
Leverage the marketing partners you have in place and your annual budgeting and planning process will improve significantly.
Tags: budgeting