Marketing agencies operate in a real-time digital environment, with instant access to information and data. Challenges can include disruption associated with technology as well as traditional ones like achieving results for customers. More than ever, marketing agencies need to have tools that help them manage and run multiple campaigns. Agile project management and one of its particular methodologies, Scrum, could be the answer. This approach can help identify challenges and quickly address them.

The challenges faced by marketing agencies

The top challenges faced by marketing agencies include the following:

• Digital landscape – Emerging technologies in addition to the rapid flow of information and communications means marketers are operating in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment. Staying ahead of trends and being able to act quickly are essential.

• Changing trends – Marketers work in a drastically-changing media environment with significant fragmentation. Drivers of disruption include mobile, big data, AI and access to detailed analytics. With multiple devices to target and channels that range from social media to display advertising, marketers are faced with shifting trends they need to adapt to  quickly and master.

• Getting results – Achieving marketing impact can be a challenge if your client’s marketplace is a crowded one. If your client has no established recognition, as a marketer you’ll be starting from scratch. Other clients might have a tiny budget you have to work with, and it can be hard to get their organisation or product to stand out.

3 Ways agile project management helps marketing agencies

Agile could be the key to building better marketing teams that deliver on time and within budget. Agile originated in IT but is today successfully used across many industries. The outcome could be improved communications, enhanced teams and better planning and management of multiple client accounts and marketing campaigns. Scrum can also allow you to improve prioritisation so you can quickly identify current challenges and manage your team to address them.

1. The iterative approach for effectiveness

Marketers have already used Scrum to boost outcomes and effectiveness. For example, the iterative approach to planning and guiding project process allows you to target multiple campaigns in increments known as iterations. Work can be broken down into, say, two-week sprints. This way outputs are divided into manageable chunks and ownership is assigned.

This could result in more accountability as well as rapid iteration and correction for better marketing outcomes. A daily scrum (short, 10-minute standing meetings) lets the whole team get together to identify any new challenges and address them.

2. Agile for a rapidly changing digital environment

Marketers have had to keep pace with the internet-centric, digital-focused omnichannel environment and some have found agile to be a valuable tool, especially for managing workflows and innovating quickly. Switching from a focus on annual marketing plans to using data to improve marketing outcomes has been effective for some.

A 30-day plan that uses real-time data enables marketing agencies to respond rapidly and directly to clients and leads. These shorter time frames requires faster execution by your marketing teams, and this is where agile comes in.

Moving away from the traditional waterfall workflow where the entire marketing campaign is designed from start to finish means your teams can stop working on nonexistent static targets. Instead, your teams work in small iterative steps (again, organised by sprints) with constant reevaluation built in. This ensures the work stays relevant to current conditions and feedback.

Learn how Amazon and Spotify used agile methodology to improve the way they work

3. Improved collaboration and teamwork

Another way Scrum has enhanced the work of marketing agencies is through boosting collaboration. The teams at the centre of the agile way of working can come together to collaborate on high-value projects. The iterative approach facilitates collaboration by allowing teams to complete projects, assess results (and failures), and improve results – all collaboratively.

For marketing agencies juggling multiple campaigns and ever-changing challenges, agile project management could be a way to supercharge improvements and productivity by unleashing the collaborative power of your teams. Because you’re producing rapid campaigns that can be tested and optimised quickly, you’re responding more effectively to feedback and data coming in.

Scrum is made for marketers

Marketing agencies face traditional and disruptive challenges: the digital landscape, an ever-changing marketing environment, and customer demands and tight budgets. Using Scrum methodologies can allow marketers to face these challenges more effectively. The iterative, incremental approach could improve effectiveness, and the short sprints associated with agile could support better responsiveness. Finally, agile could also enhance collaboration and teamwork for better campaign and business outcomes.

Are you ready to manage your marketing campaigns like a pro? Sign up for ALC Training’s Professional Scrum Master™ (PSM) course to become a project management guru and deliver outstanding marketing results.