Rethink the Traditional Agency of Record Model
White Paper 2.9
Find the Right Fit for Your Marketing Needs
Rethinking the Marketing Agency Model
Say a friend has a car that needs a bunch of different repairs all at once—an oil change, two new tires, new brakes, and a windshield replaced. What should they do?
They can bring the car to four different mechanics, each one specializing in one of the services, but none really know the car inside and out. Or they can take the car to one mechanic (the dealership, perhaps) with the expertise and folks in-house to do all the repairs in one place. In the end, the friend’s car will be repaired, but which option is the most efficient and offers the greatest value for their money?
All organizations face a similar question when partnering with a marketing company—choose one partner that can perform all marketing needs in house, or have a stockpile of different partners for different projects or capabilities (web development, printing, graphic design, etc.)
Enter the agency of record (AOR). Think of an AOR as a full-service marketing machine. From concept to creative to production to evaluating and testing, an AOR can handle all marketing capabilities across several platforms and mediums. Unlike hiring several experts in different marketing areas that rarely collaborate or share the same vision, an AOR is one marketing firm with all of those experts in-house and ready to address each element of a marketing campaign, wherever needed.
Today’s AOR is a full-service marketing machine—with in-house experts, an AOR handles all marketing and branding from start to finish.
Choosing to partner with an AOR provides:
- A holistic experience, from concept to creation to completion
- Stronger, more consistent branding
- Increased efficiency
- Streamlined communication
- Shared experience and mutual understanding of goals
- Deeper collaborative and strategic relationships
- Better brand awareness
How to Choose an Agency of Record
Selecting a partner to trust for all marketing and branding involves major consideration. Looking at an agency’s history, vision, goals, and how they are regarded in the industry provides a good sense of who they are and how they work with their clients.
What to consider:
- Their previous work
- Their strategic direction and core values
- Their vision
- Their company culture
- Their authenticity
- Do they show who they are, who they are not, and what they stand for, and not pretend to be what they think a brand wants?
- Their influence in the space
- Do they practice what they preach?
- Are they connected with top influencers and important events in the industry?
- Their reputation
- Their thought leadership
The key factor in all of these observations is alignment. The beliefs, culture, work ethic, personality, etc., of the agency should be similar to the organization. Aligning these values will produce the best partnership, products, and returns for the brand and outreach.
To gauge the relationship with a potential AOR, consider asking these questions:
- Why do you do what you do?
- What do your clients mean to you?
- How do you help clients differentiate themselves from competitors?
- What kind of ROI have you delivered for previous clients?
- What clients have you worked with in the past?
- How is your agency a good fit for our company?
A Partner With A Purpose
A good AOR doesn’t just create content or design a brochure—they inspire. Selecting a marketing partner is more than just stats and case studies; it’s finding a partner that understands the brand and works for something bigger than just the end product.
The AOR selected should empower the audience, not just convince them to purchase a product or donate to an organization. They should help the audience understand why purchasing a product or donating to a cause matters—it’s that connection and mutual understanding that compels the audience to take action over and over again. Finding a partner that knows how to take an audience every step of the way from point A to point B is what sets AORs apart.
Who is Graphcom?
Graphcom is a full-service marketing firm of more than 100 professional, energetic, creative pros. Not only are we fun to work with, but we also have the expertise to help you reach your marketing goals.
We’re not a one-stop shop that does everything at the expense of quality, nor are we a one-hit wonder that can only do one thing really well. We bring together a stellar team with diverse expertise to solve just about any marketing puzzle—keeping it in-house, under-budget, and high-quality. We plan, design, develop, execute, deploy, and analyze campaigns all under one roof. Beyond this, we can create additional marketing communications that integrate seamlessly with campaigns to boost engagement.
To put it simply, we take the traditional agency of record model one step further with an array of creative, production, distribution, and signage capabilities. Our expertise makes us an ideal partner to bring your company’s vision to life.
Our Capabilities
Strategy & Concept Development // Data Analytics & Reporting // Market Research // Graphic Design // Editorial // Photography/Videography // Printing // Email Marketing // Web Design & Development // SEO/SEM // Social Media/Mobile Marketing // Signage // Trade Shows/Event Marketing // Vehicle Wraps // Custom Printing // Custom Mailing Solutions & Distribution
Does Graphcom Sound Like a Good Fit for Your Organization?
Let’s talk. As your partner, we’ll help to tell your story and bring your vision to life.
