Can all agree? 2020 has been anything but normal.
Budgeting, financials, planning, target audience development, research, etc. – nothing could have prepared us for the past year. Maybe like our team you had grand plans for the year – campaigns you were going to launch, events you were going to have, renovations to your space, or new hires. But things changed. And there’s no turning back now. We live in our “new normal” and we cannot do things the way we did last year or the year before.
But there is something you should still consider doing, if you haven’t already: bring your agency to the table during 2021 planning.
Like I said – this year was unlike anything that any of us have experienced before. But we all learned together and are continuing to learn together. In preparation for 2021, we need to take what we’ve learned and partner together. Sure, Q1 may still be a little fuzzy to all of us, or hell, even Q3. But we can still take a step or two forward together.
Keeping your agency partner at the table gives everyone the opportunity to take a step back, look at what we’ve done together and then determine what to do – together – to make 2021 successful. Maybe it’s reallocating budget or determining what research is going to be needed moving forward as we live in “new normal”. Your agency partner should be there, guiding, brainstorming, debating and bringing you ideas to the table. How can you best use that budget? What’s the right way to go to market? Or the right time?
And if you partner with your agency the way that we partner with our clients – it’s just that – a partnership. The better informed we are as an agency, the more we can bring to the table – new ideas, new tactics or even going back to what we’ve done in the past to help save you money (what?!?).
Not only that – you will be helping your agency partner. It allows us to allocate hours, timelines, and make sure that the team that has done the most successful work for you in the past is geared up and ready to hit the ground running when you are. If you know me at all you know I love a challenge and a deadline – just imagine what your agency partner can do for you when they are better informed with what’s coming. Give your agency an extra two weeks to concept for you and work with that budget that you determined together in December or January. Just imagine…
One of our agency mottos – and probably my favorite one – is Plan Your Work. Work Your Plan. Write it down. Make a budget. And stick to it. Once we all have a path forward, both agency and client will be successful.
Bring on 2021 – Cheers!
