This article, by Echo-Factory CEO Mike Schaffer, originally appeared in the April of C-Suite Quarterly.
When I was younger, my mother was fond of looking at me crossways, sighing deeply, and saying, “Well I suppose there’s a lid for every pot.” Today, after more than 20 years of marriage, I have to admit that she may have been right.
If you’re a CMO or marketing director, you don’t need a marketing agency that’s in love with your brand. But you do need one that understands your market and has the right shape to fit your industry, your customers, and your goals.
And if you haven’t found that yet, as your mother might say: “You can do better.”
How We Became a Specialized Marketing Agency
Over the last 15 years, the marketing agency I founded has evolved into a truly specialized agency.
We’ve always answered, “What do you do?” with “We use marketing to help our clients grow.” And we’ve always responded to the question “Who do you work for?” with “Companies looking to achieve rapid growth.”
That is still true.
But what’s become increasingly true over time is that most of our clients fit into about six somewhat niche industries where we have a wealth of experience.
Early on, our clients were in aerospace, manufacturing, and cleantech. We added a few healthcare clients, helped several brands through M&A events, and spent a lot of time with manufacturers and B2B clients.
Before long, we had an easier time connecting and getting up to speed with clients in those six industries. And many of our employees became experts in those industries.
When we get a new aerospace client, we know what trade shows its reps likely want to attend and how to support them best when they’re there. When we get a new healthcare client, we know how to make its digital marketing HIPAA compliant while ensuring it connects with its potential patient population. And when we get a new industrial manufacturing client, we know how to turn its technical CAD drawings into stunning renderings that will grab the attention of even the most cynical engineer.
The truth is, I believe in my team and that they could do a good job for any brand in any industry. But they have a level of efficiency, insight, and knowledge that lets them consistently knock it out of the park in the areas where we’re specialized.
Most C-suite marketing execs like hiring a marketing agency that can consistently knock it out of the park in their industry.
Do You Need a Specialized Marketing Agency?
Maybe. Maybe not.
“Specialized” can mean many different things.
Some agencies, like mine, specialize in specific industries. Our marketing agency expertise includes mergers and acquisitions, healthcare marketing, aerospace and aviation marketing, clean technology like solar, B2B marketing, and manufacturing and industrial marketing. Others specialize in distinct services (video production, social media, app development, branding, digital advertising, etc).
And some that wouldn’t call themselves specialized marketing or advertising agencies actually are. It’s just that “advertising agency” is often used as shorthand for “consumer goods advertising agency.”
Suppose you’re a big consumer brand selling potato chips, sedans, sneakers, beer, or car insurance to the general public. In that case, you’ll probably be well-served by one of Madison Avenue’s big-name marketing agencies.
Please don’t think I’m being dismissive of the potato chips and soda agencies. Those are crowded spaces, and standing out from the crowd and connecting with consumers in crowded spaces require tremendous talent and expertise. Some of the big agency names have become big agency names because they know how to do that.
On the other hand, there are two scenarios where you might benefit from working with a specialized marketing agency like Echo-Factory.
The first is if you have a large, capable in-house marketing team and need to do something specific outside your team’s expertise. You might benefit from working with a service-specialized marketing agency that is an expert in the service you need.
The second scenario? Suppose your products or sales cycle takes more than about 10 seconds to describe to the average person on the street. In that case, you might need to look for an industry-specialized agency (e.g., healthcare marketing agency, manufacturing marketing agency, industrial marketing agency, aerospace marketing agency) that understands what’s unique about your industry, customers, and competitors.
It’s Not for Everyone
As Echo-Factory has become more specialized, we’ve learned it’s not for everyone.
Just like “ad agency” has become short for “consumer goods ad agency,” “agency creative” has become shorthand for “people who like working on big, public, consumer-goods-focused campaigns.”
Most talented ad creatives are used to dealing with challenges that revolve around “How do you take a product everyone understands and make it relevant and appealing?”
But that’s a very different problem from “How do you engage a very niche audience with a complex product?“
I’ve learned that if you’re an agency specializing in those types of clients, you need a certain type of creative. One that enjoys complexity. One that’s proud to see their work drive results, not just engage eyeballs.
I’ve built my marketing agency to attract those types of creatives to deliver good work in our specialized areas.
It’s not for everyone but is a good fit for our clients.
Finding the Perfect Marketing Agency for Your Company
How close of a match is your marketing agency to your brand?
If you feel like you haven’t found the lid that fits your company, it might be because you need something more specialized that’s precisely “you” shaped.
We’ll admit we’re not unbiased. Echo-Factory is a marketing and advertising agency specializing in aerospace, clean technology, healthcare, B2B, and manufacturing and industrial companies for over 15 years.
If you agree with our assessment of what you should look for in a marketing agency, you might be looking for us.
We’re not the only marketing agency for specialized companies, but we might be the “odd lid” that fits your company. Contact us today, and let’s have a conversation.
