Imagine you are getting ready to attend your best friend’s wedding. You want to look and be your absolute best. Yet everyone is required to wear the exact same tuxedo or dress – which comes in only one size, no matter how big or small it might fit. That might seriously compromise your experience. Well, the same can be said of how you manage agency partnerships and the type of agency management software solutions you rely on to do so.
Too often, advertisers must conform to using “off-the-shelf” (aka “out of the box” or “generic”) software imposed on them. The results: solutions that are ill-fitting, falling short of meeting expectations. It is now known that “fits all” agency management software commonly fails to meet the constantly evolving needs of leading brand advertisers. Most advertisers have unique business and operational requirements. They have their own taxonomy and workflows, many of which have been developed, refined, and matured over the years. The idea that they should throw those away and start from scratch to adopt the generic requirements of software written for the masses is nonsensical. Although it might be appropriate in some instances, this type of software is unsuitable to address a new range of agency management activities. Here is why generic software is simply obsolete and ineffective at managing agency partnerships:
Generic software presents some benefits, especially in highly mature industries where there is one commonly accepted way to handle specific tasks. In managing agency partnerships, however, the reality is that this type of software presents far greater downsides than upsides:
No company is ever set up to operate the same as another. Not even in the same industry do they operate identically or manage agency partnerships the same way. After all, this is often what makes them so successful. Conformity rarely contributes to greatness. Every company has a different model, different agencies, different expectations, and different ways to engage with their agencies. Contrary to generic software, custom or “bespoke” software is intentionally designed around the unique requirements and needs of every client.
As a result, the learning curve is short to non-existent, as the software behaves in the way people naturally complete their existing tasks. It’s simple where it needs to be and more complex when required. Adoption is high as users tend to enjoy the simplicity of tasks so intuitive and familiar to them. Finally, brands are not stuck with out-of-date software, as a custom solution can easily be updated to respond to the changing requirements of the organization. So why conform to something that is not designed for you and simply won’t fit?
As managing agency partnerships becomes more complex, “off-the-shelf” agency management software simply doesn’t belong on the shelves of demanding advertisers. In recent years, many advertisers have shifted to a more custom approach, perfectly adapted to their needs, allowing them to manage their agency partnerships more effectively and drive greater ROI and value for their organization. A solution must always be built around expectations, not the reverse.
Article originally appeared here