Business process outsourcing is a common practice. Many manufacturing companies, for example, routinely outsource their IT, HR or logistics operations. Increasingly, however, they are beginning to outsource functions that are generally perceived to be core; research and development, testing, prototype production and specialised manufacturing. It also includes outsourced marketing.
Outsourced marketing can provide a wide range of benefits: flexibility, cost reduction, access to specialist skills, resources and market knowledge, reduced time to market and future-proofing to name just a few.
Realising these benefits, however, depends on the ability of the two companies involved to build a relationship that is mutually beneficial, based on a combination of trust, transparency, clearly defined processes and realistic KPIs.
To reap the maximum benefits, it is important to partner with a specialist with a track record of success in your sector, who shares your business principles and your enthusiasm for what you do. You then need to allow them to become embedded within your business to ensure that they are able to deliver the best possible level of results and value, while retaining the objectivity of an external organisation.
In the last decade, we’ve partnered with a number of industrial companies, with shared values and passion for manufacturing, to provide a fully or partially outsourced marketing function.
We either act as clients’ complete external marketing team, providing the strategic planning and tactical delivery of results-driven activities to meet their business goals, or the provision of specific services that fill gaps in their internal teams, where they lack the time, skills or resources to implement a full range of marketing campaigns.
This relationship is perhaps best summed up by Les Reeves, Joint Managing Director at Dawson Shanahan, “We have partnered with 4CM for almost ten years. They’re a great business to work with, providing us with fully integrated outsourced marketing function. This includes strategic planning, plus tactical implementation of a full range of tools across all on- and off-line channels. They have an excellent understanding of our business, customers and markets and, working with our sales team, have had a significant impact on our on-going success.”
If you’d like to learn more about outsourced marketing then please contact our Managing Director, Nick Brooks, or download our free guide above.
