It's better to be polarising than all things to all people - JFDI MD Camilla Honey's advice to agencies struggling to stand out

“People used to cold call and send out newsletters and emails but they didn’t really bespoke things,” she said. “And now because there are over 17,000 marketing communication agencies, calling doesn’t cut it anymore because it’s so hard to get through to decision makers.

“We’re very lucky because of the digital space, we’re able to do a lot via in-bound marketing, and by giving value added through thought leadership, blogs, seminars, conferences and video etc.

“That way, you can give value to the marketing community and they can come to you when they’ve got a need and they can see the chemistry’s right between you. It’s about filling the pipeline via in-bound marketing rather than going out and pushing yourself onto people who might not necessarily want you.”

Honey spoke ahead of an event later this month from JFDI and The Drum aimed at helping agencies learn how to stand out from the crowd. Speakers at the Marketing to Marketers event include Simon Burridge, former Virgin Games CEO and once the right hand man of Sir Richard Branson, who will offer insights on agency marketing from a client’s point of view.

Katy Howell, social media strategist and CEO of Immediate Future, will discuss social media marketing and generating ROI, and Adam Gordon, CEO of Connecting Corporates will take a look at how the business community can utilise LinkedIn to generate dialogue and new clients.

According to Honey, standing out in the growing agency world takes a real belief from agency staff in what they are offering, and the confidence to be polarising to sell their strengths.

“Agencies need to have a strong positioning, and that’s very hard,” she said. “It’s harder to do than it is to say, because there are so many. In the old days there were just a handful of ad agencies; then you got PR, social media, and now digital and experiential, and shopper marketers – you have to be different and you have to stand out.

“On the other hand, it’s incredibly hard to do so. Everyone uses the same language – collaborative, integrated, 360 degrees – but I think you really do have to have a passionate belief for what it is that you’re offering and I think it’s better to be polarising than it is to be all things to all people.”

You can find out more information about the Marketing to Marketers event and book tickets here.