A marketing consultant helps you think through your business approach before a marketing agency enables you to implement it. The consultant takes a commercial perspective to the marketing challenge, whereas the agency takes a creative mindset. For businesses that are new to marketing themselves, combining a marketing consultant and marketing agency can help build capacity and drive results quickly.
Marketing is not about creativity
Marketing is not inherently a creative subject but rather the study of how people interact with products and services of value. It is part economics, psychology and good old commercialism, but it is not art. If you want something creative, you need to get the creatives in, not the marketers – cue, an agency.
Secondly, creativity is a professional career, not something anyone with a weird haircut can do. Just because someone can use a logo design programme doesn’t mean they can design a corporate identity, just like not anyone with a camera can take good photos. The tool doesn’t equal the art. So when it comes to the creative part, where you need stuff that can attract attention, your best bet is to outsource it to the pros, an agency or a freelancer, instead of running to the marketing department.
Agencies can execute
Businesses often reach out to a marketing consultant desperately needing help with a rapid roll-out of a marketing campaign, but this is bound to disappoint. Marketing consultants aren’t execution experts. They don’t have the staffing and expertise to roll out campaigns at scale and in good time. Phone an agency if you want a product launch with jugglers, media representatives, catering and corporate gifts.
Agencies bring capacity to the marketing operations of a business – think of them as marketing factories. They have the contacts, the experience and the people to make things happen. Too many companies battle with marketing because they demand a consultant or internal manager to do it alone without the help of an implementation partner – a small digital or media agency is ideal.
Consultants bring a business perspective
A good consultant approaches the business with fresh eyes and understands the underlying challenges a marketing effort can help to solve. The consultant should start by diagnosing the current situation and presenting a roadmap to address critical issues, such as improving brand reputation and integrating marketing efforts with the sales process. Crucially, a consultant should not be tied to a specific marketing solution or tactic but should keep an open mind and make recommendations based on sound fundamentals.
A good consultant understands that small businesses have different marketing needs to big ones; services marketing is different to product marketing, and different industries have other requirements. Engineering clients want to see technical expertise; industrial clients want to understand product quality and after-sales support; and tech businesses want clarity on uptime, implementation support and customization options. Also, a good consultant does not overstay their welcome. They should empower the company to do it themselves eventually. Consulting engagements cannot be neverending.
Firejuice is a consultancy with a network
Firejuice offers combined marketing consultant and marketing agency services through our established partner network. Over the years, we have built strong relationships with freelancers and agencies in digital marketing, social media, design, web development and traditional PR and media. We also work with your existing suppliers if you prefer this. Our focus is strictly on providing strategic planning and project management services – we are not an agency ourselves.
