Every business, no matter the size of the workforce, amount of revenue it generates or product/service it is selling, needs a marketing strategy and plan. But what happens when your company needs a wide variety of marketing initiatives — a new logo, branding guidelines, website, promotional products and printing various pieces of collateral? Do you hire five different vendors to fulfill these different needs or one vendor that can do it all?

The phrase “too many cooks in the kitchen” is a popular one and is certainly appropriate when it comes to a company’s marketing needs. However, if you do your research and choose a single marketing agency that can meet all your needs, you will save a great deal of time and money, not to mention frustration.

There are many factors that come into play when a company works with multiple vendors which could escalate over time and cause issues in the long run. Here are a few examples of the issues that may arise.

  • Time spent as a liaison with various vendors.
  • Collaboration on a marketing initiative could result with becoming a peace-keeper among conflict and confusion with various expertise and personalities.
  • Spreading budget dollars among too many vendors may lose buying power and economy of scale.
  • Easy to lose control of company’s brand and messaging.

When you choose a single agency for all your marketing needs, the benefits can be numerous. For example, by working with a single agency, you gain a certain amount of buying power within that agency, and the agency becomes an extension of your business.

Nothing is more important than your company’s brand, including your logo, color scheme, designs, content and voice, especially when creating a successful marketing campaign. By working with a single agency, the entire team becomes intimately familiar with your brand and adheres to its standards throughout every project and campaign, thus inspiring your customers to engage with your company, buy your products/services and ultimately become brand ambassadors themselves.

Too many cooks in the kitchen? Not with a single agency, where collaboration among the various team members is an integral and inherent part of every project. Think of how streamlined the process is, and how successful the project will be, when your project manager, copywriter, graphic designer, web developer, promotional product and trade show specialist, digital marketing team and print and production teams are all under one roof and are in constant communication with each other throughout the day on your various marketing initiatives.

Partnering with an agency is crucial, but just as important is finding the right agency to fit your need, want and budget. Take your time to do the research and select the right agency for you; ask to see an organizational chart, check its portfolio, ask for testimonials from previous clients and make sure it can deliver on all its promises.

The right agency will take the time to strategize with you and understand your marketing goals before executing your campaign, but imagine the benefits of having all your needs met under one roof. When your logo, stationery, print marketing, website, social media, SEO and PPC needs are all working together as a unified campaign, it can make a very powerful impression on your current and prospective customers.

Janice Tippett is the president/CEO and founder of Millennium Marketing Solutions, a comprehensive marketing agency in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C., area. She can be reached at 301-725-8000.