MARKETING SERVICES
undermining their own in-depth expertise. Whether or not you decide to go ahead and change your outsourcing partner, this will act as a valuable exercise, giving you greater insight into your marketing operations and control over processes.
STEP 3: SCOPING THE ROOM FOR A NEW PARTNER Once you’ve assessed the risk of transitioning and have gained a clearer understanding of your current operations, you may feel ready to get out there and search for a new partner. Te same advice stands here – we’re looking for total transparency around capabilities, systems, protocols, methods and metrics and we’re staying clear of any hint of wizardry.
Finding the right ‘fit’ On a human level, you’ll need to find out if a potential partner is the right ‘fit’ for your business. Tis is a personal assessment of their company culture and team spirit in relation to your own. If you’re looking for a truly bespoke service – which is more likely to make your brand stand out and make your customers see your individual value – it may be useful to find out how much of the service you will be receiving is “cookie cutter” and how much will be tailored to your company’s needs.
Facilitating a smooth transition Another key point of consideration will be assessing the extent to which a potential partner is willing to honour the past by respecting the incumbent and their work – or whether they are determined
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to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Any change involves risk, but sudden and major change is most risky so a well-managed transition should be gradual. If the prospective partner favours a wholesale change, they should be able to demonstrate how implementation will be smoothed and what the hard commercial benefits will be. You may even wish to include a SWOT analysis of the current service provision as part of the tender process to help differentiate between change for the sake of targeted benefits and change for the sake of change.
From a customer perspective, small shifts in communication style can have a huge impact – even if it’s simply removing or adding a salutation – and has the potential to undermine the loyalty of some high-value and high-loyalty groups. Likewise, increasing cross-sell offers too drastically can be overwhelming for customers.
Accommodating a hybrid approach Finally, an ideal marketing partner will be willing to work collaboratively with in-house teams and recognise the expertise and capabilities of your own people. If an outsourcer is confident enough of their quality, they should have no problem with only delivering outsource provision where it adds value. Tis hybrid approach may require more effort since there may be a cross-over of reporting lines and performance targets, but ultimately it will be beneficial in that it helps retain corporate memory around skills and processes.
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