CMOs often turn to outside marketing agencies for help with their campaigns. When they’re deciding which agency to work with, should they place a premium on the agency’s industry expertise? Let’s find out…
There’s a question that, at some point, almost every CMO or Marketing Director for a business-to-business company in the telco industry has to answer: “I want to hire a marketing agency but what is more important to make the right choice…the agency’s knowledge of my industry or its general track record in successful campaigns regardless of industry?” In other words, should I put a premium on specialisation and industry knowledge? In this blog, we’ll try to find the right answer.
While to some extent the obvious response is that both matter, the reality where the rubber hits the road isn’t quite that simple. And for our purposes, we’re looking for an answer that specifically applies to the telecoms industry. Here, expertise really counts for six reasons.
First, in complex, regulated, industries, an agency must understand issues of compliance, buyer psychology, and jargon (anyone who’s ever worked in telco will know you can’t get through a sentence without an acronym!). That’s not least because mistakes can be costly and explanations impossible without it.
Secondly, in an industry that relies on technology, where products are often highly specialised, it’s hard if not impossible to develop effective messaging without understanding the industry’s “language” and landscape.
Thirdly, in telco CMO’s are often selling to narrow and hard to reach buyers. Prior knowledge of where they are, how to find them, and what’s required to persuade them is a significant advantage.
Fourthly, the telecoms industry generally involves complex buyer journeys. Telco buyers are typically technically minded, risk-averse, and usually buy via RFPs, have long sales cycles, or even consortium decisions. An agency needs to understand all of these realities and be able to adjust messaging accordingly (it’s less about catchy slogans, more about credibility, ROI, and compliance). Experience doing so, obviously, helps.
Fifthly, ecosystems are often in play in the telco. So, it helps to have an agency that’s familiar with the risks of developing messaging that must be right for and resonate with more than one party.
Sixth and last, in a similar vein, channel relationships also matter perhaps more in telco than in many other industries. In telecoms, marketing often happens through trade shows, technical journals, and niche platforms — not just LinkedIn ads. An agency with telecom or enterprise tech experience will already know the right media mix.
Of course, that’s not to say a strong general track record of running successful campaigns in other industries doesn’t matter, but in general the less complex the industry, the more creative and execution without expertise is likely to be effective. What is certain is that working with an agency with no or few telecoms clients is likely to be a major gamble.
Lastly, when you’re considering a marketing agency to work with, here are four questions you should prioritise asking:
- Have you worked with clients in the telco industry before (also, in adjacent industries)? Ask for names and case studies.
- What challenges do you see companies in telco facing right now? You want to find out if the agency understands telco market dynamics, regulations, and buyer behaviour.
- How would you approach creating messaging for a telco target audience? Here, you want to see whether the agency can “speak the language” of your buyers.
- Does the agency have relationships with relevant trade publications, events, or platforms? In other words, can it tap into existing industry channels.
If the answers to those questions satisfy you, you’re probably on the way to finding the right telco industry expert marketing agency.
E-Contact Services are the leader in Telco Lead Generation. To find out more about how we work and what we can do for you get in touch.
When you’re considering working with a marketing agency, how much does industry experience matter?
CMOs often turn to outside marketing agencies for help with their campaigns. When they’re deciding which agency to work with, should they place a premium on the agency’s industry expertise? Let’s find out…
There’s a question that, at some point, almost every CMO or Marketing Director for a business-to-business company in the telco industry has to answer: “I want to hire a marketing agency but what is more important to make the right choice…the agency’s knowledge of my industry or its general track record in successful campaigns regardless of industry?” In other words, should I put a premium on specialisation and industry knowledge? In this blog, we’ll try to find the right answer.
While to some extent the obvious response is that both matter, the reality where the rubber hits the road isn’t quite that simple. And for our purposes, we’re looking for an answer that specifically applies to the telecoms industry. Here, expertise really counts for six reasons.
First, in complex, regulated, industries, an agency must understand issues of compliance, buyer psychology, and jargon (anyone who’s ever worked in telco will know you can’t get through a sentence without an acronym!). That’s not least because mistakes can be costly and explanations impossible without it.
Secondly, in an industry that relies on technology, where products are often highly specialised, it’s hard if not impossible to develop effective messaging without understanding the industry’s “language” and landscape.
Thirdly, in telco CMO’s are often selling to narrow and hard to reach buyers. Prior knowledge of where they are, how to find them, and what’s required to persuade them is a significant advantage.
Fourthly, the telecoms industry generally involves complex buyer journeys. Telco buyers are typically technically minded, risk-averse, and usually buy via RFPs, have long sales cycles, or even consortium decisions. An agency needs to understand all of these realities and be able to adjust messaging accordingly (it’s less about catchy slogans, more about credibility, ROI, and compliance). Experience doing so, obviously, helps.
Fifthly, ecosystems are often in play in the telco. So, it helps to have an agency that’s familiar with the risks of developing messaging that must be right for and resonate with more than one party.
Sixth and last, in a similar vein, channel relationships also matter perhaps more in telco than in many other industries. In telecoms, marketing often happens through trade shows, technical journals, and niche platforms — not just LinkedIn ads. An agency with telecom or enterprise tech experience will already know the right media mix.
Of course, that’s not to say a strong general track record of running successful campaigns in other industries doesn’t matter, but in general the less complex the industry, the more creative and execution without expertise is likely to be effective. What is certain is that working with an agency with no or few telecoms clients is likely to be a major gamble.
Lastly, when you’re considering a marketing agency to work with, here are four questions you should prioritise asking:
If the answers to those questions satisfy you, you’re probably on the way to finding the right telco industry expert marketing agency.
E-Contact Services are the leader in Telco Lead Generation. To find out more about how we work and what we can do for you get in touch.
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