Why You Should Outsource Production of Your Marketing Materials and Ads

I work closely with clients and partners in the promotional products industry, so this post is largely geared to their situation, and things might be somewhat different in other industries. But for promotional product suppliers, distributors and decorators, the reasons for outsourcing may never have been this compelling.

Outsourcing allows you to focus on product development and overall operations. Why hire additional staff or overwhelm your existing staff with marketing design? An outsourcing provider can provide the same service as an in-house marketing department, but at half the cost.

• An outsourcing partner is available whenever the need arises: With outsourcing, you need only pay for the services as and when you need them. Outsourcing will allow for additional, low-cost resources for operations that have seasonal or cyclical demands. We are all familiar with the swings that occur in the frenetic, fast-paced world of ad specialties.  The creation of a Flash ad for your website isn’t something you do every day. Nor is the fresh layout of your images for your next catalog issue. Print ads and brochures are created at certain times of the year or as needed for a specific event. A successful strategy might be to bring on additional resources for your important projects when you need them and release them when you’re done. With this type of predictable scheduling, it makes more sense to develop a strong outsourcing relationship rather than maintaining in-house staff. Of course, a good manager is needed on site to direct these tasks, just as you would have in place to manage in-house team members. Because he/she is able to focus on the output, the opportunity for new innovations in process and delivery becomes greater.
• Tap into agency-level creativity and expertise without agency prices: In these tough economic times, this is point is critical. Your need for the broadest exposure of your products has not changed. In fact, it is probably more important today in the current competitive environment. What has become more critical is your need to reduce costs. An outsourcing model can effectively support this goal.
• Gain expertise for success: An effective outsourcing partner offers a breadth of expertise for what works effectively and what doesn’t. By drawing on the expertise of an effective outsourcing team, you have the ability to gain more power for your advertising dollar.
• A different perspective offers a new look: An outside perspective on your business and industry can be highly beneficial, particularly when that perspective brings knowledge and experience from unique and diverse industries.

Do you agree with my perspective on outsourcing? If you are considering or have already entered into an outsourcing arrangement, watch out for my follow-up post next week: I will tell you how you can make your outsourcing program more effective.