When meeting with clients about marketing services, there are a few questions that regularly get asked as part of the discussion. In their latest episode of “Beyond the Scenes”, our very own Melanie Querry (President & Founder) and Andreas Beck (CEO) break these questions down.

Question 1: “What budget do you recommend?”

“When we're working with a business, or engaging with a business, we like to say that we work backwards,” says Querry. “We are not an agency that's going to throw a budget at you to say ‘this is what it's going to take’ because if you don't have that kind of budget, it's our job as professionals to provide you with media or marketing tactics that are going to fit within your budget.”

It is generally recommended that companies allocate between 3 and 10% of their annual revenue toward marketing and advertising efforts. That said, all budgets are respectable, and an agency can help you work within any budget to ensure that you end up with a fully-fledged marketing plan.

When it does come time to sit down with an agency to discuss marketing services, however, Beck recommends that you “think about what your budget is before coming in.”

Question 2: “How do you select the media breakout?”

Once a budget has been established, an agency can then get started on determining how best to spend those dollars. This will often consist of a layered approach, with options including, but not limited to, TV, billboard, radio, print, social media, and digital advertising. 

“That budget allocation is going to determine where we advertise, but how we advertise and the messaging behind it is equally as important as the media itself,” says Querry. 

Each media platform has its own unique formula of what works and what doesn’t for its audience, and in turn, each business has its own unique messaging that is crafted to resonate with a specific audience. So, when it comes to selecting which media to engage with, both the budget and the messaging will influence that choice. 

Question 3: “What is your process for developing messaging?” 

Just as messaging will influence the choice of media platform, the same is true of media influencing the messaging.  

When developing messaging for a campaign, an agency will first establish where that messaging is going to be distributed. If your budget allows for a combination of TV, billboard, and radio advertisements, that messaging must be adapted to fit the length and visual requirements of each advertising medium.

The next thing an agency will do is make sure all messaging is cohesive. For example, we will want to ensure that the messaging and creative seen on a billboard advertisement will complement the messaging and creative style of the TV advertisement that people will see when they get home. 

And when it comes down to developing the content of that messaging and creative? 

“Most companies [already] have well-developed brands,” says Beck. “We're here to take your color scheme, and your branding, and then elevate it.” 

Follow the latest updates from “Beyond the Scenes” and find past episodes at beyondspotsanddots.com/about-us/beyond-the-scenes.