Marketers are demanding more while agencies work with less, study suggests
RSW/US, the nation's leading outsourced lead generation firm for marketing agencies, just completed its 11th annual New Year Outlook survey. One of the most compelling questions that has hit a nerve with marketers and agencies is whether 2017 is going to include more project work with agencies needing more revenue and marketers demanding more as agencies work with less.
The survey notes that after less than a month into the New Year, 2017 is shaping up to be an interesting and unpredictable year. The survey suggests that agency business is strong but driven by a lot of project work.
Further, while marketing tech is surging, both marketers and agencies alike feel that the other is chasing shiny objects. With agencies needing more revenue, those same agencies that seldom went after small pieces of the pie are now vying for this business because the networked agencies need revenue. With marketers demanding more from their agencies and giving them less, the survey also found that the talent pool is somewhat sporadic, which makes marketers feel like agencies aren't equipped to manage their business.
With more marketers bringing business in house, there are market forces at play making 2017 one of those years where agencies want to steady themselves so it does not become another 2008. The survey suggests that agencies and marketers alike must curate strategic partnerships, and stay ahead of clients bringing new ideas and technologies to the table that make good business sense. Being agile and nimble means that old models may not work. The survey notes that being aggressive with new business can either strengthen the internal process or hire a firm dedicated to agency new business.