6 Danger Signs: Time to Streamline Your Marketing Management
We had a call the other day from the lead doctor in a group practice. She wasn’t exactly in a panic, but it was obvious that a festering marketing problem was close to bursting. It was a familiar story, and many readers can probably relate to the red-flag warnings she described.
The problem for this practice—like many others—is that they were frustrated by the time and effort required to manage multiple vendors. Their marketing and advertising program had grown to the point that it was time to consolidate and streamline.
Competition in the marketplace was tougher than ever and various marketing efforts were a patchwork effort divided among several contractors and vendors. The problem was that too much time was required to properly oversee all the moving parts.
Sound familiar? Here are some of the common danger signals that your marketing ducks are way out of proper formation:
- A lack of focus produces a lack of results.
- Inefficient use of budget and resources.
- Everyone is competing for bigger slice of the budget.
- Coordination and integration is an illusion.
- Nobody is clearly accountable for results.
- People are quick to avoid blame or point to the “other guy.”
What could possibly go wrong?
More often, the question we hear is, “what could possibly go right?” One or more of these danger signs means you probably should stop trying to be your own “general contractor” and consolidate your marketing and advertising bits-and-pieces.
This is precisely what full-service ad agencies are professionally equipped to do for clients. And before you ask, yes, we are such a firm, and we’d love to hear from you. But if not us, find someone. There are many good agencies. Our point here is to recognize when it’s time to streamline your marketing management approach.
You will have greater success—and use your budget and resources more effectively—as a result.
By the way, good people and resources are not always easy to find. When they are good at what they do, they are often in demand. We have often started client relationships with a particular project or assignment, and as trust and confidence grow, become the agency of record for their entire growth plan.
Related Reading: Your In-House Marketing Person: A Terrific Investment or a Disastrous Mistake?, and Rethinking Healthcare Marketing: What Would You Do If You Could Not Fail?
