Is the Whole Greater than the Sum of it's Parts? Creative Agencies and Marketing Automation

Traditionally, hotels and restaurants have hired creative agencies to develop marketing campaigns and creative collateral. The process of deploying marketing materials was time consuming and expensive, especially on a property level.

With the emergence of local marketing automation technology, new vendors presented hospitality brands with the opportunity to streamline this process. But how does this new technology work within the current system? What happens to the development and deployment of creative? What is the relationship between the client, agency, and the marketing automation vendor? Are local marketing automation software companies out to take down creative agencies?

While creative agencies originally saw marketing automation vendors as a threat, the reality of the situation has proven to be much different. At Pica9, we like to think of ourselves as a marketing engine, and agencies are the high-octane fuel that keeps the engine running for the client. We believe that when local marketing automation firms work in conjunction with agencies, everybody wins.

Here's why.

Local marketing automation platforms are deployment mechanisms for the creative materials generated by an agency. While many agencies offer their own solution for this process, it is often dated and over-simplified. After all, agencies are known for their creative genius, not their experience in software and technology development. So, when an expert local marketing automation firm teams up with an agency, the client ends up with software that is comprehensive, cutting edge, and ever-improving. In the end, the client's creative has further outreach and greater flexibility amongst local marketers.

Greater accessibility of creative, leads to increased usage of the system and the creative marketing materials that fuel it. Increased usage results in a better consumer response to the marketing materials generated by the system. That positive response encourages end users to return to the system to find and utilize more creativity. This leads to more business for the agency, as well as an overall more efficient and effective system for the client.

Are you with an agency? Do you work for a major brand that uses agencies and technology providers for marketing automation? We would love to hear your experiences with this process and the nature of the partnerships you maintain to keep it going.