There are two types of marketing pros – agency marketers and in-house marketers. For some, like myself, they’re born to live the vibrant, lightning-fast agency life, while others prefer to be heads down on a single brand. Then there’s those who value time spent at agencies as a must-have. While everyone has different thoughts on agencies — the good, the bad, the awesome — I think the agency world is worth a try. Here’s why:
No Dull Days
One thing’s for sure: You won’t be bored. Tuesday, you could be working on a famous athletic brand. Wednesday, a new VR bar concept. Or both in one day. Yes, the pace is fast, but it pays off. It’ll sharpen your ability to make quick decisions — and every employer, agency or not, loves that. Plus, you’ll get a peek into how industries like these behave differently from one another, how different companies roll, how buyers approach brands, and how marketing tactics play out in real life.
A Career That Won’t Quit
At an agency, you get a ton of clients. The more varied the clients, the more you’ll learn and the stronger you’ll become as a marketer. From public companies to private, small and international, each has a different company structure that drives them to behave differently. Think budgeting, timing, ROI, and more. Drill down to the brand level, and there are even more differences, like the sales channels and marketing strategies they use. My advice: Soak up all of these perspectives. That way, everyone will want to hire you, no matter the industry. Jackpot.
Top Marketing Tactics
Behind every brand is a unique set of marketing tactics. Some brands are heavy in paid media, others are big on earned tactics, or tend to balance their efforts in a cross-channel type of way. If you were client-side, you’d get exposure to just a handful of strategies. But at an agency like ours, you get your hands on all tricks of the trade. If you love marketing — and I bet you do — then an agency is the best place for you.
Connections (Lots of Them)
Naturally, when you work with different clients, you meet all kinds of people. That means new points of view, new friends, maybe new music (or favorite restaurants), and even — a new job. That’s right, the connections you make at agencies like Red Door can help get your foot in the door at other companies. Because, as much as we’d like you to become a “lifer,” building your own network and exploring new opportunities is important, too.
Job Security = Locked In
All industries have highs and lows. When you work in-house, for one client, you feel the pain when they hit a low. If the company begins doing poorly enough, they may lay people off. A well-diversified agency, instead, can give you some insulation from economic cycles, downturns, or industry challenges. Let’s say one of your accounts slashes their budget, but you have other clients to balance things out, you’re in a much better spot. Agencies can operate more like a mutual fund, while residing in-house is like betting on a single stock.
To be fair, not all agencies operate that way, so it is worth doing your homework on an agency’s portfolio from a diversification standpoint.
Next-Level Creativity
Agencies will push their clients to try new things. That’s why we get hired. We want the latest strategies and marketing tools, so we can wow our clients. What was hot yesterday just doesn’t cut it for us today. We’re blessed to have solid media and tech partners, keeping us aware of the next big thing. Sometimes it’s so many ideas that we have to cut a few. A good problem to have. So, if you like knowing what’s next, then agency life is for you.
Always On-Trend
Trends. For some, the word makes them cringe. For us, we can’t get enough. Why? Trends help our clients react and adapt to the changes around them. If they don’t, they risk falling behind the competition — and we don’t want that. Plus, it feels good to stay on top of what’s hot and what’s not. From food and fashion, to arts and culture, politics and economics, these are things that we constantly watch. What about you?
Ready. Set. Go.
If you were nodding along, thinking “Yes! Sounds like my kind of place,” then apply to one of our marketing gigs. We can’t wait to chat.