What goes into choosing an international b2b agency?
We asked Ward Parsons, Sales and Marketing Manager at Håkansson Sågblad – a Swedish bandsaw manufacturer with global operations – and he didn’t hold back.
What goes into choosing an international b2b agency?
Q+A
with WARD PARSONS
Q: Why choose an international agency?
“When I approached Dark Grey Europe, I wanted an agency that could get up to speed quickly. We had tried local ones, but they didn’t think outside the box – and we struggled with that. We are international, we sell internationally, and we can’t – we mustn’t – think locally. So, we needed someone who could understand what we’re doing and see how that would play in Italy, US, Mexico… everywhere.”
Q: What do you look for when choosing an international b2b agency?
“Marketing agency selection is super subjective. In the case of Dark Grey, the starting point was their positioning statement, something like: ‘We do international SME stuff and we do b2b” (or words to that effect – Ed).
“As I say, beyond that, things get more subjective.”
“The real turning point for me was Dark Grey’s proposal. From the short business briefing I’d given you – and six other agencies besides – you asked all the right questions and tailored it very closely to us. You guys came back rocking!”
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“That kind of responsiveness is what absolutely got you our business. And it wasn’t just me but the whole Håkansson Sågblad management team: ‘Dark Grey’s got us!’, we said.”
“And looking back, I think it was important I put together my 10-pager. That enabled you to perform. It’s any client’s responsibility to get an agency on the right track and headed in the right direction in the first place. Many marketing managers don’t take that initial process seriously, but I think it’s very important to put in the prep time.”
“Again, creativity is a subjective thing but we all love the creative coming out at the moment. It’s a breath of fresh air and something new for everyone. We didn’t have a ‘persona’ to bind things together till you defined one for us right at the beginning.”
Q: How important is the chemistry with an agency?
“As in any business, the sales guys start it all off but it’s the ongoing service that ensures the next sale. Speaking as someone from a manufacturing company, you soon realise that it’s not the individual sale but the follow-up that keeps customers happy. So as long as the team are keeping on top of things, bringing in their own new ideas, responding to my ideas and executing great campaigns then I’m happy.”
Q: And how important is creative work?
“Again, creativity is a subjective thing but we all love the creative coming out at the moment. It’s a breath of fresh air and something new for everyone. We didn’t have a ‘persona’ to bind things together till you defined a brand personality for us right at the beginning. And from that focus, by sticking to that persona, everything else just flows – naturally on message, on brand. It’s also important to be willing to take chances. I don’t expect things to be right straight out of the gate. But I do expect you to learn from your mistakes! In fact, if we’re not failing occasionally, then we aren’t working it hard enough.”
Q: Would you work with a bespoke digital agency alongside your marketing agency?
“I can see in principle why it might be a good idea for some companies. Typically you want to have experts doing what they do best. But right now the digital element of our marketing is working well. On the one hand we’re using it to build brand recognition and on the other to support our distributors. Having digital separate to other marketing channels would make things more difficult.”
“Also in terms of economies of scale, it’s much better for Dark Grey to do the digital because they’ll think of how a campaign will work both online in all kinds of formats and offline too. That way I don’t have to get in between a digital agency and the creatives. And having it all in one place with one point of contact really works for me.”
Q: Any advice for other marketing managers looking for b2b marketing agency?
“You need to get buy-in from the top. I got lucky with my MD. If yours says: ‘Where’s my ROI?’ after three months then it’s not going to work. B2B doesn’t work like that. My boss knows that you need nine, 12, 18 months to really move the needle… but when it does, it moves massively. That’s the goal. And you’ve got to set realistic budgets. Don’t be scared of asking for what you need – otherwise you’re setting yourself up for a fall. You’ve got to do the right thing.”
“It’s not the drill people are buying – it’s the hole. We don’t just sell `bandsaw blades’… we provide a way for customers to do their job better, faster. Where is the value? It’s my job – your job – to find out.”
