Why CRM agencies are still a thing in the age of performance
Lida into M&C Saatchi. OgilvyOne into Ogilvy. Wunderman into Wunderman Thompson. At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking that CRM specialists are folding into their bigger, more lucrative peers because that’s where the money’s heading.
Certainly, the majority of Campaign‘s commentators suggested that the age of the dedicated CRM agency is drawing to a close, with phrases like integration and multichannel communications ringing through strongly.
For me, though, the recent mergers don’t sound the death knell for the CRM agency. Perhaps unsurprising because I run a CRM specialist, but this goes far beyond our own self-interest. The trend we’re seeing is actually the opposite.
CRM hasn’t been a post-sales process or “email newsletter” for quite some time – perhaps for those who believe it starts and ends with that, it really is a dying discipline.
CRM actually encompasses every step of a brand’s customer journey. Each time an individual experiences a brand, that’s a potential moment to capture first-party data and use insights and understanding to deliver greater value, increased relevance and, crucially, deliver sales. It’s about triggering an action – whether it’s raising awareness, driving a purchase, building affinity or encouraging advocacy.
Google’s rollout of SameSite, the changes to third-party cookies combined with the CCPA and GDPR, and privacy by design, all impact on the ability to measure the effectiveness of digital media and programmatic marketing.
Brands are seeing these shifts in the digital media landscape and understanding that first-party data needs to be at the heart of their approach to marketing. In the past 12 months, we’ve been approached by more, not fewer, brands to discuss helping them build capabilities to acquire and leverage first-party data.
Far from looking for a channel-neutral solution, we find that most big brands either already have or are in the process of introducing CRM specialists into their marketing team. CRM is a growing discipline and that’s because it’s fundamental to everything a customer does. And that’s why the big brands are at pains to draw that specialism closer to the rest of their operations.
With a lot of these brands looking to move more and more aspects of their CRM in-house, lines are becoming increasingly blurred. But this is also an opportunity for specialist CRM agencies.
We are working actively with brands to empower their CRM teams to deliver the elements of a programme that they can manage in-house. This means we can use our expertise to direct the strategy, interrogate the data and identify insights that support a baseline CRM programme, enabling us to focus on delivering innovative solutions that continuously evolve and improve the way we connect with their customers.
Integrated and traditional advertising agencies are seeing these changes and realising that they need to increase their strength in data and CRM. Which may go some way to explaining the recent changes among our competitors.
Being specialised and focused on CRM means we are able to collaborate with other agencies, working productively for the common good of both the brand and their consumers. We’re not trying to deliver everything, all the time. Instead, we look at where we can have the biggest impact on the customer journey, delivering individual elements that benefit both the brand and individual customers.
Far from its days being numbered, this could represent the triumph of CRM, as it becomes a more influential part of the overall marketing mix. That’s arguably why brands will retain a specialist.
By James Ray, Chief Executive Officer of Armadillo.
This review first appeared in Campaign on 30/01/2020.
ibet is the new online gambling platform developed by the tech whizzkids of Silicon Valley. It’s rumoured to become the standard by which all future online gambling platforms are measured. By marrying together emerging technology, ibet will provide more immersive user experiences that brings players closer to the live sports they love. The rapid scale of eSports has provided a rapid shift in R&D and technological advancement, all of which is supporting richer, more secure playing environments.
Following success in Asian markets, the senior team at ibet have turned their attention to Europe by incorporating the Claymore Group of gambling brands and hiring a team of industry veterans. Alongside them, COO David O’Callaghan has been instrumental in the user design and operational development of the platform, and is leading the launch of ibet ahead of Euro 2020 this summer.
AgencyUK have been appointed by ibet with a clear remit to develop the brand identity and support their rollout across a number of European territories.
‘We were pleased to appoint AgencyUK after consulting with a number of European brand communications agencies. The AUK team has a significant amount of experience launching and supporting gaming brands that have a commitment to improving the gambling experience for players. ibet is a new type of platform where we’ll be able to push the technology to provide safer and more secure playing environments. One where we can enable our customers to have more visibility and control over their gambling behaviours” says David O’Callaghan, COO, ibet.
The AgencyUK team have worked with Ladbrokes, Coral and Gala for a number of years across a number of their sports betting and casino brands.
“We understand the current European legislation, and the future of regulatory procedure, so we are better placed to unleash our creativity in ways that are disruptive and ethical. ibet has the potential to be a real step change in the European markets, and we’re excited about where the brand and Euro 2020 will take us” says Sammy Mansourpour, MD, AgencyUK.
AgencyUK were ranked the UK’s top independent agency in 2019 by The Drum and have previously won the highly regarded creative D&AD award for their advertising work with Hornby.
Founded in 2008 as an integrated brand communications agency with a high level of expertise in emerging technology, web and eCommerce sitting alongside strategy and creative, AgencyUK have become a well known agency in Europe, operating across a number of industry sectors, from food, drink and retail to health, wellbeing, financial and pharmaceutical. Today the AgencyUK team work with international brands as well as Direct to Consumer businesses.
The BMAA was hugely successful last year and, after recently announcing Okori Lewis-McCalla as this year’s winner, we’re keen to hear from businesses who would like to support the initiative in 2020.
16% of Bristol’s population is from a BAME background, but these groups are still vastly underrepresented within our creative sector. Diversity and inclusion is somewhere on the agenda for most businesses but it’s often difficult to know how to make a difference.
The BMAA was launched in 2018 in memory of Ben Martin, a local agency MD who passionately believed that success was achievable regardless of background or education. The Award supports young people from underrepresented backgrounds by offering them work experience and opportunities with local creative businesses (as well as a trip to SXSW for one lucky winner).
This year, Okori and 3 runners-up have been selected to participate in the programme. Okori is currently preparing for SXSW in March, after which he and the runners up will start their paid internship programme with sponsoring agencies, taking their first steps into professional life. During their work experience they will be coached and supported for employability, setting them up for their future career within their chosen area of interest.
Marissa Lewis-Peart won last year’s BMAA and completed over 5 months of internships with 16 different agencies, gaining valuable experience across a range of creative sectors.
“Nothing compares to gaining real industry experience and I’m so glad to have been given this opportunity. Winning the Ben Martin Apprentice Award provided me with connections to people within the industry and the rare opportunity to experience some of the biggest creative agencies in Bristol. The experience and support really helped me to feel more confident in getting ready to start my career.” Marissa said.
Alongside Bristol Media, the headline sponsor for the 2020 BMAA is ADLIB with continued support from Babbasa. ADLIB are very excited to join the initiative as this year’s key sponsor.
“We all want to make our industry more diverse and inclusive, but when you run a small business it’s not always easy to know how to make a practical difference. By coming together as the Bristol Media community to support the BMAA, every member business, regardless of size, can do their bit to help young people get that all important foot in the door.” ~ Chris Thurling, Chair, Bristol Media
“Diversity and Inclusion isn’t a tick box exercise; it requires an engaged commitment to drive change and live and breathe an all-inclusive environment. Building a diverse and inclusive team is proven to drive increased employee engagement, creativity, innovation and profitability (and that’s just for starters). We have founded the True Diversity initiative with the mission to help Technology, Data, Marketing and Creative businesses identify where they are at on their journey towards diversity, what they could improve and how to go about making those adjustments.” ~ Nick Dean, MD, ADLIB
This year, we’re looking for agencies and businesses to be involved as corporate sponsors, to provide additional funding and further reach for young people. The BMAA will offer corporate sponsors the chance to promote their workplace diversity and inclusive work environment, highlighting their company values and adding to their attractiveness as an employer. Sponsors will have access to an exclusive workshop and branding opportunities.
The package costs £350 and includes but is not limited to:
To be involved in supporting this fantastic initiative, please contact Alli Nicholas at Bristol Media at [email protected].
We’re immensely proud of the role we’ve played in leading this initiative and have seen first-hand the impact it has had on both the BMAA Winner and the agencies involved. Thank you to the growing list of agencies who have already joined this initiative – Armadillo CRM, Tallt Ventures, McCann Bristol, Mr B & Friends, Oakwood, Immediate Media, Epoch Design, Halo, Torchbox and Diva Agency – who have committed to making a difference.
Bristol creatives join forces to form new full-service agency
Two of Bristol’s most creative teams have joined forces to form a brand new company, offering end-to-end marketing services for local businesses in the food, drink, hospitality, festival and events industries.
Another Love Affair is the new collaboration between local agencies Duchess Media and Hey! What?, who have come together to form a brand new creative agency covering every aspect of marketing from brand, design, illustration and website development right through to social media strategy and management, PR and events. With an impressive client base between them, the two agencies have teamed up to offer a ‘one-stop-shop’ for businesses looking for marketing support.
Founded in 2014 by Frankie Wallington and Meg Pope, award-winning Duchess Media have established themselves as experts in social media marketing, PR and events for independent food and drink businesses, working with well-known Bristol groups such as Hyde & Co and Season + Taste to name but a few. Specialising in creative design, illustration, animation and video production, Hey! What? was founded by Hamish McWhirter in 2018, and in a short space of time has amassed clients including Glastonbury Festival, Love Saves The Day, Bristol Beer Factory and Oowee Diner.
Speaking about the collaboration, co-founder Hamish said:
“Having worked for our respective clients for some time we all felt we needed to find another agency to work with to offer the things we didn’t necessarily have in-house. After an initial meeting, and a beer or two, we decided we were all the perfect match, and Another Love Affair was born!
“We’re really excited to be able to expand the range of services we can offer to give our current clients and future clients a totally comprehensive service, all under one roof with bags of expertise between us.”
Another Love Affair offers full-service marketing for businesses in Bristol and beyond, including branding, creative design, illustration, animation, filming and video production, photography, web development, social media, content, PR, events and SEO. To find out more contact them at www.anotherloveaffair.com
Press contact: Meg Pope [email protected] 07791896421
**This event has sold out. If you didn’t manage to book your place, please add your name to the waitlist HERE and we’ll be in touch if a ticket becomes available**
This interactive workshop will help creative business professionals understand how businesses make money. We’ll consider the implications of your pricing approach and how the everyday decisions you make affect the bottom line and impact client relationships. Mette Davis, will share different pricing models, strategies and tactics, as well as practical advice on ways to communicate them effectively without compromising relationships.
By the end of the workshop you’ll have the tools and confidence to deliver a positive impact on your profitability.
Tuesday 28th April from 9am – 1pm at Amdaris, Finzel’s Reach, Bristol.
Tickets are £120 +VAT for Bristol Media members, £160 +VAT otherwise. This is a small, interactive workshop for up to 20 people so book early to avoid disappointment. Refreshments will be provided.
Creative agency Workbrands is delighted to have hosted the second in a monthly series of meet-ups for creative businesses in Paintworks, Bristol’s creative quarter on Wednesday 6th January.
The event followed on from the first meet-up which took place in January at the office of communications agency Purplefish.
An array of amazing businesses attended including the Royal Photographic Society, Zeal Interiors and Zeke Creative.
Organised alongside Purplefish and Sundog, the events will move around to different office each time, providing an opportunity for creatives based in Paintworks to get to know their neighbours, facilitate the sharing of ideas and build a community.
Workbrands marketing executive Jasmine Freeman commented, “the events are a really great way to get to know all the exciting businesses that work here in Paintworks over a drink or two.
“There are so many visionary businesses based here but as we’re all so busy most of the time it’s rare we have a chance to find out about their projects and the fabulous people behind them. We’re looking forward to the future events and hopefully welcoming more organisations.”
If you’re a creative business based in Paintworks and you’d like to get involved, make sure you keep an eye on the Workbrands, Purplefish and Sundog social channels for details of the next event.
In 2012, The Wow Company began its agency benchmarking report – BenchPress. The aim was simple; to take an accurate snapshot of agency life in the UK and to share insight and analysis with ambitious agency owners.
BenchPress has grown to become the largest survey of independent agency owners in the UK and is a great way to benchmark yourself against your peers. BenchPress 2020 is now open and we’re encouraging South-West agencies of all shapes, sizes, and sectors to participate. You can take part here.
This year, Bristol Media has partnered with BenchPress to provide a bespoke report for agency owners in Bristol, Bath and the South-West to compare agency performance with the rest of the UK. We need 100 or more agency owners, founders or directors to participate, so please help spread the word. Everyone that takes part receives a copy of the full benchmark results. Here’s 2019’s report.
Last year revealed that confidence remained high amongst agency owners, with their drive and determination to grow in 2019 overriding any doubts about wider market conditions. This was off the back of a strong 2018, which saw agencies grow fee income by the largest amount since BenchPress started. BenchPress 2020 will reveal whether agencies are still on the up and provide an outlook for the year ahead.
This year’s survey will focus on how agency owners can build a profitable and sustainable business, one that can thrive in uncertain times. Alongside this, there will be questions about selling and buying agencies, which will reveal what makes an agency really valuable to any purchaser.
Cloetta UK, home of international confectionery brands that include CandyKing and The Jelly Bean Factory, has selected integrated brand comms agency, AgencyUK, to deliver marketing and communication services for its iconic Chewits brand.
In response to a three-way competitive pitch, AgencyUK has been selected to provide services including creative brand strategy, public relations, and social media strategy and management for Chewits in the UK.
The 2020 communications plan will focus on a brand refresh and NPD launch campaign, with the aim of generating broad consumer awareness of Chewits, uniting fans, old and new, through their love of the well-known sweet.
Chris Hobbs, marketing and services director for Cloetta UK, says: “AgencyUK’s approach to the brief was collaborative throughout. The team successfully got under the skin of the brand to deliver outstanding strategy and creative that demonstrates their expertise across the FMCG market. We are really excited to be working with them and were impressed with their integrated response.”
Sammy Mansourpour, managing director, AgencyUK, says: “It’s a real privilege to be working with such a renowned and well-loved brand as Chewits. We all remember those iconic Chewie ad campaigns of the 80s and 90s! It’s incredibly exciting and rewarding to have the opportunity to build on this rich brand heritage. I couldn’t be prouder of the team.”
AgencyUK was awarded Advertising Agency under 40 at this year’s Drum Recommends Awards.
See us in the press here
Noisy Little Monkey has been awarded Diamond Partner Status by CRM software giant HubSpot. With the CRM market expected to reach £60 billion in the next 5 years, the Bristol-based business continues to cement its position as the agency of choice for brands that are looking to leverage marketing automation.
Talking about Noisy Little Monkey’s new Partner status, founder and director Jon Payne said, “Bristol is fast becoming the place for businesses across the globe to come for creative marketing strategies driven by AI and emerging technology. HubSpot is one of the fastest growing players in the software market in the world right now and I’m delighted that they’ve recognised Noisy Little Monkey as a top-tier HubSpot agency.”
HubSpot awarded Noisy Little Monkey Diamond Status in recognition of the number of happy clients they service who use the platform. It’s no surprise these clients are delighted, with scare stories all over about the economy shrinking, Noisy Little Monkey are helping Bristol businesses see sustainable business growth.
Harriet Williams, Marketing Executive at Bristol based law firm, Thrings, said: “What Noisy Little Monkey don’t know about HubSpot isn’t worth knowing, and they know a lot. They mould seamlessly into our marketing team and are always on hand to help, no matter how trivial the question or how close to tearing our hair out we are, they always come to the rescue.”
Over the past year this boutique marketing agency has delivered millions of website visitors for their clients, generating tens of millions in profitable revenue.
Jemma Legg, Digital Marketing Manager for Bristol software provider Tribal Group, said: “The most valuable part of Noisy Little Monkey’s service is their wealth of knowledge. Noisy Little Monkey take all those things that you need as a digital marketing manager and have created one company which can provide you with all that information.”
Noisy Little Monkey are currently hiring at all levels.
Founded in 2000, Verm-X are one of the world’s pioneering natural animal health and wellbeing companies. Passionate about taking a holistic approach, they explore the alternatives to artificial chemical treatments and pharmaceutical products by conducting research into herbs and naturally active ingredients that promote complete health for generations to come.
Company founder Philip Ghazala has spent years working with scientists, researchers and veterinary experts to develop natural products that help manage animal gut health, and provide nutritional supplements.
Over the last 20 years, Verm-X has developed and launched more than 20 natural animal health and nutritional products, experiencing steady growth in UK, EU and US consumer and agricultural markets. As awareness of natural health alternatives has continued to rise in human conditions, so has it influenced the way people administer treatment to their animals. Wishing to remain at the forefront of natural animal health, AgencyUK were tasked with refreshing the master brand and developing a direct to consumer proposition, ecommerce strategy and web platform.
“We were looking for an agency with the experience of launching and supporting growth of natural health brands in UK, EU and US markets. But it was equally as important to have a team with real creative flare and strong technical capability. We felt AgencyUK would make a passionate partner and the results so far have been market leading” says Clementina Davies, Director, Verm-X.
“We love working with passionate people, and purpose driven brands. The Verm-X team are very ambitious, but are equally committed to reducing the environmental impact of chemical based treatments in agriculture and the home. We were delighted to have been invited on this journey with them, and felt the creative freedom we were given really helps us to produce work that creates stand out from their competitors, and resonates fully with the different customer audiences we researched. Growth of Verm-X and this sector is evidence that people are increasingly looking for ways to live a more natural and environmentally low impact life” says Sammy Mansourpour, Managing Director, AgencyUK.
AgencyUK are an integrated brand communications agency, and have become well known for promoting natural food and drink producers, as well as a host of natural consumer brands and medical treatments. The Verm-X appointment followed a successful year, where AgencyUK were awarded Advertising Agency of the Year 2019 by The Drum. AgencyUK launched the new Verm-X eCommerce platform in January and it is being nominated for a number of industry awards throughout 2020.
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