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Managing multiple external agencies

In this step you will learn the importance of effectively working with external agencies.
Working in a marketing department means that you often find yourself working with external agencies. Crafting a tight brief also has the added benefit of making it easier to compare different agencies.

It is useful to have a few agencies ready to quote for any work required, allowing you to share the brief with a number of agencies before appointing one. This keeps things competitive and ensures that the agencies are keen for your business. Ideally, you are looking for two or three agencies in each key area.

You must be able to evaluate these agencies so you can understand which one delivers the best content for the best price. It’s important to make this evaluation as easy as possible.

It is good practice to create a response form for each of the agencies to use when getting back to you. This will make sure that you obtain all the information you need to evaluate the job the agency has done and compare it with the other selected agencies.

If you are working in high volumes, comparing like for like costs can be challenging. When costing up direct mail, door drop or advertising, you may find it useful to use cost per thousand to compare printing, postage, advertising, clicks, or impressions, when you are working in high volumes.

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What do you think are some of the positives about working with external agencies? What are some of the challenges? Write your comments below.

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Introduction to Marketing: Fundamentals of Marketing

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