Running a marketing consultancy or agency

SUMMARY: Downsizing is part of business, whether the reason is based on economics or a change in corporate structure. And sometimes less can be more.

Find out how one start-up cut two-thirds of its marketing department, but nearly doubled the number of campaigns it was able to run. A tight integration of marketing automation and the CRM coupled with a smaller, but re-energized marketing department helped achieve these results. read the complete case study

SUMMARY: The customer comes first. We all know this isn't always the case, but employing this attitude when looking at the B2B marketing and sales process can really pay off. Benefits include a better integration of Sales and Marketing, which allows Marketing to offer tangible results and a streamlined buying experience for the customer that will lead to more revenue.

One former VP and current business growth consultant has spent more than 30 years working to promote alignment between Marketing, Sales and leadership, and offers four tactics Marketing can use to improve the marketing and sales cycle through a customer-centric approach. read the complete article

SUMMARY: "Chief Marketing Officers at top U.S. brands place the highest value on creative thinkers and leaders in their hiring practices, but 39% of the executives revealed they are somewhat to very unsatisfied with the availability of qualified employment candidates." "The CMOs identified the following as the most important characteristics they look for in a new employee: creative thinker (70%), provides good leadership and inspiration (64%), ability to complete projects efficiently (63%), forward thinking and modern in... view the complete research record

SUMMARY: When you outsource marketing to an agency, you expect them to handle most of the work. But that doesn’t let you off the hook in your marketing. Far from it.

You remain a key partner with the agency, which means you have to be a great communicator … and that takes effort. See what the head of one marketing agency says they need from their clients to work effectively. Plus, tips on how to help your marketing by helping your agency. read the complete interview

SUMMARY: Do the members of your marketing team know what success means for their roles? For most marketers, having a clear understanding of roles, responsibilities, and a formal channel for advancement are critical to success in their jobs.

We asked more than 1,600 marketers about their organizations' practices regarding job descriptions and advancement procedures. See this week’s chart for their answers. read the complete article

by Anne Holland, Founder

If you, like many marketers, are in charge of deciding which domains to buy for your company or brand, this news is for you.

Over the past week, several Sherpa readers received emails purportedly from Internet domain officials in various Asian countries. The letters explain that someone in that country is trying to register a local version of the domain the US brand already has registered as a ".com." So, for example,... read the complete blog post