Is Your Agency a Walking Dead Agency with No Strategic Thinking?
In the competitive performance marketing landscape, falling behind is not an option. Yet, some agencies feel like the 'Walking Dead,' trapped in outdated strategies, losing touch with innovation, and struggling to deliver results that resonate in today's fast-paced marketing environment. This is where a strategic marketing agency becomes an advantage and a necessity for survival. While some agencies are great at execution, they are stuck in the world of Google, Meta, and last-click attribution, leading to zero growth as the market does not expand, and their efforts are rooted in chance versus proven research.
The Full Funnel Approach
Strategic agencies understand the importance of taking a full-funnel approach to marketing. The full-funnel marketing approach starts with awareness (i.e. TV, Radio, Press) at the top of the funnel, engagement media such as social ads at the middle of the funnel, and conversion or search at the bottom of the funnel or closest to the purchase. Walking Dead agencies only focus on specific media strategies like paid search and social media because that's what they get paid for and do not stray from this recommendation. However, a strategic agency may partner with a third party such as a TV or Radio media agency to access capabilities that the current digital agency may not have. It's not just about converting lower-funnel leads or competing on price; it's also about building awareness among the target audience who may not know about the product or solution. This awareness or brand equity also improves paid social and search ads by giving consumers brand recall. A strategic agency guides prospects through every step of the customer's journey, from awareness to consideration and conversion, using data-driven insights to engineer a path to success.
Attribution Modeling
Proper attribution is another critical element often missing from 'Walking Dead' agencies. Knowing which marketing efforts drive results allows more intelligent decision-making and budget allocation. A typical "last click" zombie agency will only place investment in search and eliminate middle-of-funnel and top-of-funnel marketing channels as worthless. You need to pick an attribution solution with a diverse measurement platform, which includes Direct From the Customer or DFC surveys, media mix modeling or MMM, spike attribution for Linear TV and Radio, plus view-thru attribution to have a complete picture of your customer journey. Your Walking Dead agency will be satisfied with your Google Analytics last-click methodology as it validates their bottom-of-funnel search efforts. An agency can precisely determine campaigns' ROI with advanced attribution models and adjust strategies and media accordingly.
Organic Efforts
In today's marketing climate, every brand must have an aggressive organic strategy or earned media approach to offset paid advertising costs and lower customer acquisition costs (CAC). The Walking Dead agency may recommend some SEO improvements. Still, they prefer to stick to paid search, and their social efforts are tactical without an overarching content strategy. A strategic agency partner will understand the content strategy to drive prospects via SEO and engagement with your base. The content strategy should be grounded in your value proposition so the content can be used to drive organic traffic via social and search. Understand the keyword building that can drive growth via Search Engine Optimization and make content engaging with video and user engagement, such as webinars that can be used for user nurturing and archived for SEO. Organic does not stop at SEO and live video selling; you need a PR strategy beyond product placement and fundraising. A modern PR play should highlight your brand and how the brand is doing good beyond the transaction ~ sustainability efforts, Unhoused efforts, global warming impact, etc.…
In-Depth Target Audience Research
A Walking Dead agency uses a spaghetti marketing approach to growth. They start with what worked for other clients regardless of the target audience. They optimize based on return on ad spend with faulty last-click attribution. This continues until the client says, let's throw this out there and see if it sticks... The Agency is used for execution rather than their mental or research capabilities. This approach is costly, and a typical agency will focus on a robust new biz approach as they know a brand will walk away within 6-12 months. Strategic agencies invest considerable time and resources into understanding the target audience. Deep dives into audience behavior, preferences, and pain points inform targeted and tailored campaigns, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates. At the beginning of a client engagement, this research lays the groundwork or a blueprint for testing and expanding your audience. If research is not present, you have a Walking Dead agency.
The example below shows how LAB415 targets an audience with proven research using MRI
User Experience at the Forefront
The success of a campaign is often linked to the user experience. Strategic agencies prioritize refining components such as a user-friendly website, engaging content, and reducing conversion dropoffs. On the other hand, a less effective agency may claim expertise in CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization). Still, closer examination often reveals a one-size-fits-all approach lacking in operational experience. As a result, recommendations tend to stagnate, leading to prolonged disengagement.
In contrast, a strategic agency collaborates closely with brands, offering customized flow recommendations based on data-driven user journey analysis. This approach emphasizes impactful strategies over exhaustive efforts, gaining support from leadership and tech teams. Getting the buy-in from the tech team is crucial for success. It is vital to demonstrate how their efforts can impact revenue rather than just being seen as another mundane marketing task.
Adapt or Become Obsolete
For Brands, if your agency feels stagnant—more 'Walking Dead' than 'Waltzing Ahead'—it's time to inject strategic thinking into your marketing. Consider how a seasoned strategic agency such as LAB415 can breathe new life into your marketing efforts and guide you toward concrete, measurable success.
For Agencies, collaborating with a strategic ally like LAB415 could provide valuable insights. The brand will welcome these recommendations because of their innovative, research-driven approaches. Some suggestions may not directly impact media fees but will help build a more enduring relationship with the brand.
About LAB415
LAB415 is a growth acceleration company located in the SF Bay area. We were founded in 2023 to help pre-IPO companies solve their growth challenges. Our team has over 30 years of experience in dotcom marketing and can provide you with a blueprint for sustainable and long-term growth to make your business successful. At LAB415, we understand that success is not a one-size-fits-all proposition, so we tailor our solutions precisely to each client. Contact us today at LAB415.com to learn more about how we can help you achieve your goals or partner with your existing marketing partner.
About the Founder
Marc Viale, a dotcom veteran, led Marketing, Business Intelligence, & Sales initiatives for TheRealReal that enabled TRR to become the industry leader in Luxury Resale, ultimately leading to a successful IPO in 2019.
