Collaborating with in-house marketing teams is one of the best parts of our job. Why? Because smart collaboration can drive big results for clients that wouldn’t be possible if we both stayed in our silos.
The idea that agencies and in-house marketing teams are intrinsically at odds or combative is outdated. Often, collaboration between teams is the key to managing fast deadlines, executing always-on media strategies and maximizing shrinking budgets.
So what’s with the stigma? True partnership isn’t easy. It goes beyond sharing goals. To achieve those goals AND enjoy the journey, both teams must be well-matched, agree on how to work together and respect each other’s perspectives, differences and areas of expertise.
In short, it’s all about building strong relationships — which is why our philosophy and processes for working with internal marketing teams focus on building trust and connections.
Our philosophy for building partnerships.
- Be a guide: As an agency partner, our top priority is bringing the client team along the journey with us. We openly share what we know and offer insights and perspectives to help us stay on the path toward our shared goals. However, our team is also open to changing direction or carving out a new way forward if it could create more alignment.
- Integrate & elevate: We’re not here to overhaul. Our sweet spot lies in learning from our clients. By taking the time to analyze what’s working and where we can most effectively fill in any gaps, we build on our clients’ successes and jump in with any needed support.
- Don’t be precious: A good idea is a good idea. And we’ll work together to implement the best ideas, whether they’re our own or from the client team.
- Focus on compromise: Our team makes sure everyone’s voice is heard. Even when we believe we have the right plan, we’re always open to changing our minds or meeting in the middle to find the best solution for all.
- Honor expertise: We’re all marketing experts, but we all have different focuses and skill sets. By treating each other as equals, we get things done faster because we aren’t wasting time second-guessing or duplicating work.
- Make the internal team look good: A win for the in-house marketing team is a win for E&S. We’re always pursuing opportunities to support internal initiatives.
- Bring the fun: Snacks and drinks. Creative presentations. Well-timed jokes. True to our Make it Fun core value, we strive to be the most exciting meeting of our clients’ day.
- No bullsh*t: We’re not just yes-people. We embody our Be Real core value by being honest. Our team isn’t afraid to have tough conversations because we know they can uncover truths that drive results.
Our process for making an impact.
Getting started.
- Define the scope: A scope isn’t just a box to check. It’s the first milestone to ensure we understand an in-house team’s goals and vision for the first project we work on, as well as the year ahead and the future of the company.
- Become experts on the business & industry: We do our research. We learn how the client team works currently: Who owns what? Who works with whom? What tools are needed to succeed? Once we have those questions answered, we do a deep dive on the industry and what opportunities and challenges exist right now.
- Assemble the right team: To ensure the best possible experience working together, we review client needs, skillsets, experience and preferences against our own expertise and personalities. After the optimal team is assembled, we schedule an immersion activity to get everyone together to connect through an icebreaker outing or workshop.
- Assign an executive sponsor: Every client is paired with an executive from E&S who keeps the client’s strategic vision top of mind. They meet with the client executive at a cadence that’s right for them both. This sponsor often stands in as a CMO or director of marketing if those roles are vacant or in transition.
- Establish a measurement approach: For a partnership to last, we need to show our value — to the internal marketing team and C-suite executives. At the beginning of our relationship, we collaborate to develop reports and dashboards highlighting the right measurables.
Getting work done.
- Co-create campaign briefs: Because a brief is a blueprint for a project, it’s important for everyone to get on the same page before beginning work. To gain alignment, the E&S team drafts each brief and then conducts a working session with the internal team for review. From there, we revise and implement.
- Provide project management support: Our client success team becomes an extension of the internal marketing team. They’re here to help everyone stay organized and keep us all on budget, on deadline and on track to achieve success together.
- Keep the work moving: Through regular (but not too frequent) check-ins, we can predict and overcome roadblocks quickly, without letting them derail projects. Everyone’s time is valuable, so we maximize our meetings by sticking to planned agendas, keeping track of action items and always sending out a recap email.
- Offer strategy beyond deliverables: Our team of strategic thinkers always considers how the work affects the larger business. We pride ourselves on being true consultants who can bring in a fresh and holistic perspective. Whenever we pursue new opportunities or pitch additional ideas to the client team, they’re vetted against the overall strategic marketing plan and business vision.
Evaluation.
- Measure performance: By establishing a solid performance strategy at the beginning of our partnership, we can measure and analyze data as soon as a campaign launches. This puts us into a fast-paced optimization workflow where we can see results, refine creative (and reporting processes) and implement updates to see the best ROAs and reach.
- Review & update: Optimization is the name of the game. If there’s an opportunity to improve results, we’ll run it by the internal team and make it happen. If they have additional ideas, we’re all ears. This way, everyone is aligned on decisions and prepared to speak to the why of what we’re doing.
If that felt like lot, it’s probably because we’ve spent 40 years carefully crafting an approach to collaboration. And while we won’t call it perfect — it is proven to create strong partnerships that deliver results with fewer headaches and more fun.
If you’re part of an in-house team that’s looking for the right external marketing partner, let’s connect and see if we could be a good match.