Creative Partnerships vs. Outsourced Marketing Services? Know Your Risks.

Transportation and logistics marketing leaders have relied on the power of outsourcing for years to scale, grow and optimize their efforts. Ideal for small in-house marketing teams and organizations that don’t have the infrastructure to target growing audiences, outsourcing has always been an invaluable tool to logistics firms.

But outsourcing marketing functions isn’t without its own set of challenges. Outsourcing marketing and advertising on a project-by-project basis can come at a detriment to brand consistency and identity while putting time, money, and resources on the line. Savvy companies like Saddle Creek Logistics have sought an alternative to traditional marketing outsourcing: creative partnerships. 

Creative partnerships are long-term relationships between a company and its chosen marketing vendor. These relationships are built on trust and understanding to help preserve brand identity while achieving pre-set goals and expectations. Agencies become an extension of their partner’s marketing department, rather than within the confines of a strictly transactional relationship.

Great Relationships Lead to Better Leads 

Jill Jones, the Sr. Program Manager of Digital Marketing at Saddle Creek Logistics, has experience making creative partnerships work and offers insight into how to manage these unique relationships to maximize results. 

Among the most important elements of a creative partnership is the time investment made by both parties. A company’s brand, sales funnel, and values are critical to capturing and converting leads – and a creative partner needs to have a thorough understanding of every aspect of the business. It is the role of a creative partner to dedicate time and attention to understanding the client’s business and learning how they communicate with customers. 

Nurturing this relationship is the first step in evolving the partnership and is the foundation upon which results will grow. Jones notes that her team and chosen creative partner, Tampa-based digital marketing agency Roger West, work together on multiple concurrent projects to devise a strategy, execute the plan, and adjust in real-time as needed.

“Maintaining a creative partnership with a company like Roger West feels more like adding people to the team than anything else. They’re an extension of Saddle Creek and have the same goals. I’m not managing Roger West; I’m working alongside them and using their expertise. I can bring an idea to the team, and they’ll know how to execute it and turn it up to the next level,” Jones said.  

Make It A One-Stop-Shop for Better ROI 

Creative partnerships should endure a vetting process before contracts are signed, but this process will deliver high ROI. Agencies or marketing firms engaged by transportation and logistics firms should be experts in most, if not all, areas of critical marketing needs. Agencies with web development, messaging and content, SEO and paid media, and design can serve as a one-stop-shop for companies looking to generate more leads and prepare for a future-proof operation.  

To learn more about how Saddle Creek Logistics leverages a creative partner to extend the capabilities of their in-house marketing department and develop strategies fit for growth, read the full interview here.