The internet has revolutionized practically every aspect of marketing, making it more efficient, more precise, and more effective. In turn, our industry has helped drive technology forward, creating exciting innovations and transforming the very nature of how businesses and consumers connect.
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Yet, there's a legacy process lurking in our marketing model that not only hinders our ability to create excellent outcomes, it keeps us from evolving our capabilities and remaining competitive.
It's no secret that the request-for-proposal (RFP) process has long been a thorn in the side of agencies. Practices like "auditioning" for business or doing work "on spec" dilute agencies' precious resources, making it harder to deliver consistent, sustainable results, let alone stay responsive to shifts in the marketing landscape or produce breakthrough ideas and initiatives.
As Linda Boff asserts in this recent AdAge article, "Successful programs are highly customized, which means you need to be really good at articulating your brand proposition. And it means that everyone who comes to the table needs to do her homework about each partner."
It's this exact way of thinking that drives everything we do for our clients at Prove. We consider ourselves to be partners in our clients' success. So rather than functioning like a campaign-generation engine, we prefer to take a more holistic approach to marketing.
What does a holistic marketing model like ours entail? It requires reliance on solid data and insights, rather than speculation; careful analysis of every client's unique value proposition and market opportunities; financial modeling to determine the most cost effective ways to achieve the client's goals; and a customized matrix that enables them to reach the right customers, at the right time and place.
But the one thing it doesn't require? The kind of short-term, short-sighted gains that outdated processes like RFPs and campaigns on spec will only be capable of producing.
We encourage other agencies to follow our lead—and we want all businesses to realize the benefits of enabling them to do so. Of course, we understand that venturing into unfamiliar territory like this isn't always easy. But to us, it's the only way that agencies can ensure a mutually beneficial future for themselves and their clients. Whenever you are ready to take your first steps, we'll be available to help support your transformation.