November 2013

Why choose a Virtual Marketing Agency like SEED Communications?

Finding the right marketing agency partner is harder than ever.

With the exponential rise of companies claiming to offer marketing solutions and with the ever increasing complexity of channel selection, many less marketing savvy clients find themselves in serial short term relationships with an array of different suppliers each with a set of prejudices and each offering a fair share of inconsistent advice – and finding that they have spent a considerable sum of money along the way!

Not to mention the lack of consistency that the clients’ brands suffer as a result of this inconsistency.

Having worked agency-side, client-side and more recently as an in-house brand marketing consultant for less experienced marketing teams, my views on this subject are clear cut – when it comes to marketing agency partners – less is more.

One client / agency relationship managing one team without agendas is far more productive, cost efficient and effective than managing an array of different suppliers – allowing strategy and key propositions to be exploited more consistently across the media mix.

This is where a virtual marketing agency partner like SEED comes in.

First we discuss the client brief and we assemble a virtual team based on its requirement. Rather than rely on the general experience within a traditional bricks and mortar agency – a targeted team approach allows us to create a team with expertise specifically relevant to the needs of each and every brief. And we work on a project by project basis so our clients pay for what they need – no more, no less.

Our talent pool is an eclectic mix of senior marketing specialists and entrepreneurs – mostly freelancers with vast experience in their specialist fields. From an ex CEO of a Saatchi & Saatchi company to ex London Creative Directors, Illustrators, Art Directors, Web Developers, Journalists and Project Managers – we can cast the skills and experience to fit the requirements of the individual brief.

With no formal offices and low overheads, cost savings are reflected in the fees we charge.

Whilst a virtual Marketing Agency is not for everyone, hiring one can often prove highly beneficial.

The agency is able to secure significant accounts by tapping into a diverse and wide range of sector / channel experience whilst the client is able to secure senior and experienced people to work with them and their teams at a fraction of the cost of a more traditional full-service agency.

Martin Thurley is an independent brand marketing consultant operating at director level in the UK, Europe and South East Asia. He is founder of SEED Marketing Communications – a full-service virtual marketing consultancy based near Birmingham in the West Midlands providing marketing solutions for business growth. SEED Marketing Communications helps ambitious SME’s with marketing guidance, support and marketing implementation with specialist sector experience in Food Retail, B2B and Not for Profit. A member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing – he has worked for Saatchi & Saatchi as well as for leading UK retailers including Lloydspharmacy and Homebase. His brand growth marketing experience includes work with – British Airways, RAC, Prudential, Capital Radio, Cunard, Stena Line, Amstrad, Selfridges, Imperial Tobacco, CP Foods, West Mercia Police, Poundland and many SME’s.