What communications partner(s) do you need?
It seems that the common definitions and delineations of the types of companies that help businesses with their marketing, communications and advertising have all but disintegrated. Driven by client needs, industry trends and new media technologies, firms have expanded beyond their traditional space into new areas. As they have expanded and changed, it has become increasingly difficult to name and classify them. For the client, this means a greater variety of partners and approaches to choose from.
Within JPL, you see elements of a media production company, a web development firm, a professional services organization, an advertising agency, an interactive agency, an e-Learning company and an integrated communications company. Walk through our building and you’ll find all flavors of how clients have chosen to work with us. Some work with us as their strategic partner consulting on strategy and taking care of all of their communications needs. Others work with us through their advertising agency partners on traditional media projects and directly on interactive, internal communications and training projects. Still others bring their agency and JPL together and have each firm focus on a particular part of the campaign or project.
Any of these approaches can be successful as long as the client clearly communicates the responsibilities and accountabilities of each firm. In a world of integrated strategies and tactics, each component needs to work with the other in order to amplify the overall impact of the campaign. Either the client or a lead partner needs to take on the responsibility of making sure that all of the partners are working together effectively and adding value to the communications effort.
At this point, I think it is safe to say that there will be no return to the days of well-defined boundaries among communications services providers. The evolution of client needs, their preferences in partners and rapidly changing technology have disrupted the marketing and communications industry making selecting partners and strategies more challenging than ever.
For the providers, it’s up to us to clearly articulate our value proposition and focus on making our clients successful no matter what role we are playing. In the end, clients will choose to shape their teams (internal and external) based on their needs and not based on perceived boundaries. The best approach for them will be the one that delivers sound strategy, outstanding creative and the highest return on their investment.