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Site Search OPINION: READY TOGETHER: 3 WAYS THE BRAND-AGENCY PARTNERSHIP CAN DRIVE GROWTH IN 2021
To explore this evolving dynamic, 4A’s partnered with Google on a new study conducted by Forrester Consulting
In 2020, healthcare, economic and social crises disrupted all of our plans, prompting brands and agencies to revisit their relationships. Those that worked together, focusing on resilience and transformation, weathered the storm and came out stronger.
This past year, agencies achieved tremendous client satisfaction by leaning into areas where brands critically needed support. In a world that remains uncertain, there’s a huge opportunity for brands and agencies to come together to be ready for the year ahead.
To explore this evolving dynamic, 4A’s partnered with Google on a new study conducted by Forrester Consulting.
The findings are clear: As we enter another fast-paced year, strong brand-agency partnerships will be instrumental to driving growth and preparing for whatever’s next. Here are some of the key ways agencies can become exceptional strategic partners, in 2021 and beyond:
Embrace automation
Some agencies are skeptical of automated solutions, but our study shows that brands are increasingly looking for agencies to inform their automation strategy and vision. A staggering 86% of brands say they’re not very effective at leveraging technology to automate aspects of their marketing, and only one in three have connected automation to growing revenue.
Adopting automation can be game-changing for several reasons. It enhances brand-agency agility to respond to consumer demand in real time, optimizes campaigns, and improves performance—all of which are increasingly critical as behaviors shift and the path-to-purchase continues to become less linear. More importantly, it frees up time and resources for agencies to focus on the strategic, high-value work and data-driven best practices that deliver the greatest value for their partners.
Automation isn’t a cost-cutting exercise, but an opportunity for growth. Right now, brands should empower their agencies to co-develop a vision for automation so that together they can meet consumers in the moment and get ahead of the curve.