Now's the time to sharpen your agency's focus
In the toughest of climates, you must think more strategically.
The world’s in lockdown. Remote working is likely the norm for your clients as well as your agency. Video chats are a way of life, professionally and personally.
We’ve all had projects paused, postponed or cancelled. These are testing times. For anyone working with clients in the hardest-hit categories, such as travel and hospitality, it’s particularly brutal.
Protecting the health and job security of your team, and the long-term survival of your agency, are the order of the day. You need to hit the ground running once the dust settles.
To do that, it's more important than ever to review what, and who, your agency is for. Short-term cashflow from current clients is key, but you must also keep communicating to prospective clients why design is an investment, not a non-essential cost. Of course, you must also convince them that your agency is best placed to add that value.
That's where your content strategy comes in. When all the hatches are battened down, it might feel like you're running to stay still. The priority list is long, and there are plenty of fires to fight. Clarity is what you need.
Read more: Why your design agency needs a content strategy
In recent months, I’ve been collaborating with three very different agencies to help clarify and communicate exactly what makes each of them special.
Two of them are industry veterans with already stellar client lists, looking for laser focus to explain the unique appeal of their purpose and process to the next great client.
The third is an exciting start-up with a compelling niche, keen to persuade brands of the value it can add.
With every brand imaginable filling inboxes with their take on the outbreak, news feeds stoking anxiety and uncertainty, and the day-to-day filled with the practical challenges of handling the crisis, it's hard to see the wood for the trees. But it's essential to do so.
Need help getting focus amidst the chaos? Drop me a line and let's chat.