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MARKETING SERVICES - TYPES, SPECIALIZATION, IMPORTANCE


OUTSOURCED MARKETING

The complexity of doing business in modern conditions is beyond doubt. To ensure a proper level of efficiency and profitability in a highly competitive and dynamic external environment, a business must excel in every aspect - production, service, marketing, sales, finance, HR, operational processes, and more. Achieving and consistently maintaining the required level of excellence in each element is extremely challenging for a variety of reasons, even for large international companies, not to mention small and medium-sized businesses.

Therefore, it's not surprising that every successful company, regardless of its size, always seeks external support for various divisions of its business. Indeed, it's easy to recall that even with internal employees specializing in a specific field, companies continuously turn to a multitude of external services to obtain more qualified support and reinforce their efforts. These services include HR companies, call centers, advertising and creative agencies, legal firms, marketing research companies, IT services, consulting, auditing or accounting firms, logistics or warehouse operators, and more.

The field of marketing is no exception. The necessity to amplify marketing efforts in a highly competitive environment creates a significant demand for external marketing support, also known as marketing outsourcing. As a result, there is a large number of companies in the market offering services in various niches of the marketing services sector.


TYPES OF MARKETING SERVICES

The following marketing services are in high demand for outsourcing, provided by relevant companies:

• Marketing consulting firms (marketing strategy, consulting, planning, etc.)
• Digital marketing agencies (setting up digital ecosystems, online channel promotion, etc.)
• Advertising agencies (advertising, PR, events, etc.)
• Research companies (quantitative and qualitative research, etc.)
• Creative agencies (design, photography, video materials, etc.)
• BTL agencies (merchandising, etc.)

The demand for specific marketing services is solely determined by the state of the client's marketing complex and their current needs. Marketing, like business as a whole, is a dynamic process that requires strengthening various components of the marketing complex at different times and reaching out to different agencies according to the current requirements.


SPECIALIZATION OF MARKETING AGENCIES

Each of the mentioned directions for marketing services addresses a specific range of tasks and aims to strengthen the particular aspects of the client's marketing plan that require support at a given moment.

• Marketing consulting is a category of marketing services that addresses high-level tasks, including developing an overall marketing strategy for the business, branding and product positioning, planning the marketing mix, selecting effective marketing tools, providing recommendations for improving the toolset and optimizing their usage, and creating or compiling a marketing plan. Marketing consulting is in demand among clients of all business sizes and marketing budgets. Small and medium-sized enterprises, lacking a qualified in-house marketing director and team for various reasons, turn to marketing consulting for the development of effective strategies and marketing plans in their initial stages, for conducting audits of their marketing complex periodically, and for continuous marketing support when needed. Larger companies with an in-house marketing team and a developed marketing complex mostly use marketing consulting services for the audit of the current tools' effectiveness and cost optimization. Due to the constant need to adapt and evolve in response to high competition, companies rely on external consultations and support. This external support, specifically marketing outsourcing services, allows for significant cost savings in managing the marketing process, receiving effective recommendations for further marketing complex development, and optimizing expenses through fresh, qualified external perspectives.

• Digital marketing agencies specialize in promoting clients' products and services in the online environment. Because digital marketing requires knowledge of both marketing and rapidly evolving IT technologies, the demand for online segment marketing services is truly substantial. Digital marketing agencies cover the entire spectrum of business interaction with real and potential customers online, including the development and functioning of clients' websites, e-commerce platforms, landing pages, mobile applications, chatbots, SEO, SMM, and more.

• Advertising agencies have historically occupied one of the most crucial niches in marketing services focused on planning and implementing communication with clients through traditional media (TV, radio, press, etc.), outdoor media (billboards, transportation, etc.), or by organizing and participating in various public events. Advertising, PR, and event agencies fall under the category of external communication agencies.

• Research companies provide essential services such as studying the market, competition, consumers, or clients' products. Indeed, for the effective operation of almost all companies and business models, understanding the market size, the significance of key players, market development trends, strengths and weaknesses of one's own company and competitors, consumer profiles as a whole and within specific segments, and many other aspects is necessary. This understanding enables addressing weaknesses and leveraging opportunities that arise in the market. For companies of any size, it's nearly impossible to acquire all the required knowledge internally without quantitative and qualitative research conducted by research company specialists. Thus, the demand for this type of external marketing, research services, is the least vulnerable to economic downturns - the market needs to be understood at all times.

• Creative agencies are primarily engaged in creating unique elements of the marketing complex, which requires significant artistic abilities and a creative approach. In most cases, the services offered by creative agencies encompass the following directions of marketing services: logo creation, corporate identity design, brand book development, visual branding elements, and more. These agencies provide services related to the development or rebranding of specific marketing elements based on client preferences, without delving into the strategic aspects of business and marketing management. However, the most significant agencies are those that create brands and campaigns, develop new ideas and approaches to marketing in specific industries, essentially creating new realities and altering the competitive landscape, rather than just producing new designs for established practices.

• Below-the-line (BTL) agencies, as marketing service providers, are probably the youngest on the market but have gained widespread recognition over the past few decades by offering services that promote companies' products primarily at point of sale locations, thus reinforcing the efforts of clients' trade marketing teams. Specifically, BTL agency services include merchandising, product demonstrations or tastings, workshops, entertainment programs, in-store advertisements, and more.

Overall, the market for marketing services as a distinct industry is continually growing and evolving. With the development of IT technologies and unrestricted access to information, customers become more informed and demanding not only in terms of price and product quality but also concerning other aspects of brands, such as emotional and image components, brand reputation, social responsibility, and more. This competitive environment intensifies the battle for customers between companies within the same industry, making it nearly impossible to consistently maintain a perfect marketing complex through internal efforts alone. Marketing outsourcing services become a defining element of companies' success, enabling them to choose the most effective marketing strategy, attain and retain leadership, create new concepts, and alter reality and the competitive landscape to their advantage.

Achieving the commercial objectives of a company through effective marketing requires a deep understanding of the market situation, consumer needs, the ability to analyze and explore alternatives, and a creative approach to problem-solving. Our company has extensive experience in defining optimal marketing strategies for our clients' businesses, creating a strong brand and market positioning, as well as developing a marketing mix and implementing the chosen strategy. You can familiarize yourself with the services and solutions our company offers on the "Services" and "Solutions" pages, respectively.