If you came along to the GM Chamber Action for Business event yesterday morning, will have heard me talking about collaborative working, and the benefits of using the most appropriate resources to deliver marketing results. In essence, this is at the core of the way that BSA Marketing operates. The fact is, marketing is a broad discipline. In addition to having a solid understanding of a business and the market in which it operates, delivering marketing effectively requires a wide range of skills :
- Strategic planning
- Market analysis & segmentation
- Creativity
- Creative design
- Copy writing
- Web development & coding skills
- Website & email hosting
- Knowledge of social media platforms & how to use them effectively
- Technical e-mail skills around design & deliverability
- Knowledge of effective e-mail design & copy creation
- The list goes on……
In any given situation, effective marketing will require a mix of these skills unique to specific circumstances. Furthermore, it is highly likely that some of these skills will be available within an organisation and in these cases, the key to delivering effective joined up marketing is dovetailing in-house and external resources. As a solution to this issue, BSA have developed a model of Collaborative Marketing. We work with clients to combine their own skills with our in-house expertise and where necessary, the input of third party specialists. This approach allows the client to utilise their own resources where appropriate, using only the external resources they need to deliver the best results, thus maximizing effectiveness, whilst only paying for the external skills you need.
Ensuring the Best Resources for the Job
At BSA, we know what we do well; but we also know that there are sometimes the need to use external specialists (For example to create video content, or to undertake specialist photography). In these cases, where clients don’t have their own suppliers to call on, we have built a carefully selected pool of specialists, and because we work with them regularly, we can mobilise them quickly with the confidence that they will deliver what our client needs.
Collaborative Marketing in the Real World.
Collaborative Marketing is a model we use every day, but one particular client, Jones Interiors, demonstrates the benefits perfectly. Because of their industry, Jones have a significant capability in the area of design, so when it came to looking for external support for marketing, they wanted to be able to use this resource. We were able to come in bringing marketing and technical skill to the party, working with the in-house design department to deliver a web & e-mail programme perfectly aligned with their in house style. Furthermore, as it became appropriate for them to put focus on strategic planning, we were able to introduce a specialist consultant into the mix to work with them on this aspect of the business. Again, because this is someone with whom we work regularly, we are able to coherently integrate our ongoing work into the longer term strategic plan as it develops. Through collaboration we are able to seamlessly combine high level design, strategic consultancy and practical marketing into an effective joined up plan to support our client’s growth.
