Assisting Local Businesses: The Future As We See It

We’ve been involved in advertising or marketing since the beginning of our careers. We’ve seen the slow evolution of advertising agencies around us, the disruption, the shift, and all of the gaps, misinformation, and missed opportunities that come from all sides. As we participated, observed and experimented, we always came to the same conclusion: There should be a local partner that can deliver better digital strategy, experiences and visibility—without costly CRMs, big ad buys, and jaw-dropping retainers—but in a way that makes it easy and lets every local business benefit from effective marketing and a great creative product through one affordable relationship.

Framed by our appreciation for the communities around us, we’ve spent countless hours thinking through what the ideal marketing partner looks like for our clients. To help shape who we are, we asked ourselves the important questions: “How do we bring value to businesses as they face more complex problems? What are the biggest challenges local businesses are facing? And, how can we creatively and technically provide a resource to solve the more pressing, relevant issues? Is strategy superseding design? Why can’t you have both from a local partner?”

Here’s what we know. For the sake of simplicity, there will always be a need for a local marketing and advertising partner that businesses can rely on. For businesses that lack a CMO or a marketing coordinator, it’s next to impossible to take advantage of every worthwhile marketing or advertising opportunity, platform or product. (We’ll save the argument for the need for a Marketing Director or CMO at all for another day.)

We have a clear direction on what the ideal marketing partner looks like. And now that Speedsquare is in existence, we’re pushing forward. The behavior of the consumer is changing, the pace and landscape of commerce are accelerating, and we’re exploiting the capabilities of technology to build brands and create visibility for our clients driven by smart strategy and more effective online experiences. The core of what we do lies somewhere between creativity and technology—with emphasis on interactive—but packaged in a relationship that delivers transparency and sustainability.

Understanding our purpose

With the rise of digital advertising and marketing, certain solutions are being sold from every angle. And that’s to be expected considering the way we consume information. Technology has driven traditional providers to re-think business models in an effort to adapt. While we still find ourselves in situations where we recommend a product from our more established counterparts, we find comfort knowing we have access to solutions with fewer boundaries than some. We don’t offer weekly specials, we’re not rebranding and we don’t offer one-size-fits-all products. Our goal is to provide a unique solution that’s done right with the client’s success squarely in our sights.

Challenges of local business

You live in the world we do. Cost. Consumer behavior. Resources. All of these affect how businesses can reach a consumer. It’s a serious recipe that has a very real impact on growth or decline, especially as some industries feel more stress from online competition. There may be some momentum that can’t be stopped, but we want to see all of the local businesses in our communities thrive. Consumers are searching for the services and products that our clients offer. Our job is to help our local business be present in that buyer’s journey by leveraging cost-effective solutions and strategies to keep their brands and services visible. With the explosion of outsourcing options and a plethora of marketing-specific SaaS platforms, it will become increasingly difficult or confusing for businesses to adopt, learn and utilize all of it. Some may be too robust, too expensive or unnecessary. We see an opportunity to supply progressive, advantageous ideas, consultation, experience and services that give businesses what they need—and nothing they don’t. And we’re not asking for long-term commitments to do so.

Solving new and different problems

Today’s solutions for marketing and advertising look drastically different from a decade ago. Has the Agency of Record adapted to solve new challenges? Has your SaaS rep virtually catered to the local advertising needs? Local businesses should expect the best of both worlds from a collaborator who can navigate this simultaneously. As new platforms, channels, and strategies emerge, it takes creative and critical thinking and the experience to actually build to build complex strategies and solutions. As we see some impressive technology or solutions emerge, our role is to adopt those, become experts, make it available to our clients, and apply our creative execution with an understanding of the context of each. And deliver it in a more meaningful, local relationship.

Availability and accessibility

We want to help businesses that fall below the threshold of needing enterprise-level digital marketing suites. We know there is plenty of movement to make on behalf of SMB-type businesses without the premium. We want to create cost efficiencies for businesses that need best-of-breed benefits, but not top-shelf pricing. We’re discovering ways to reach audiences, increase visibility and improve experiences in a manner that makes it attainable for everyone. We take the best, most appropriate approach and put into practice with a measurable return.

Framework for change

As the separation of design, content, and technology continue to blur, business and institutions will need a partner that can help them solve more complicated issues and still deliver the brand-building creative work needed to grow. We’re excited about the foundation that we’ve built. We’re nimble, experienced and personal. We’ve positioned ourselves to embrace the change around us and act as agents for the purpose-driven clients we admire.