Why Agencies Should Integrate in 2014

Why Agencies Should Integrate in 2014

A successful online marketing campaign is like producing a great dish in a restaurant. It takes great ingredients, collaboration and experience to create a winning dish.

When it comes to marketing, most CMOs stick with 1-2 agencies in the race for accountability. This is usually closely followed by changing agencies every year or two to try and improve or change things that were not working well.

The reality is that each agency specialises in a small number of activities that they do well but the majority of their activities are not their specialty. Because clients only want to deal with a handful of entities the agencies are then “forced” into diversifying to keep their clients happy and so they end up doing creative, online and offline media buying, trafficking and ad placement, reporting, sending eDM’s and Direct Snail Mail, Outdoor Advertising and the list goes on.

Clearly an agency cannot specialise in such a wide range of activities that require very different skills sets. So what is the solution for marketers? More importantly what is the solution for agencies ?

Collaboration!

Until the 1990s airlines were all competing with each other and stretching themselves to serve as many airports as they could but this was devastating for the industry as many went bankrupt trying to grow and going well beyond their means given the high capital cost required. In 1997 five leading  airlines including United, Thai Airways and Lufthansa formed Star Alliance. By pooling resources and dividing up the sky through collaboration they managed to significantly lower their costs and increase market share.  It is no wonder that two years later their competitors formed One World and another group formed Sky Team.

With the recent explosive growth in digital marketing, many of the traditional agencies which focus on ‘old world’ mass media such as TV, Radio, Print and Outdoor are realising that their sources of revenue are declining and are seeing their clients increasingly invest in online. The majority of these agencies lack the technical know-how and expertise to compete in sophisticated online marketing.

Many of these agencies are also concerned about changing focus and investing significant capital in ad servers, online analytics, reporting and tracking tools.

The logical step then, to allow these agencies to satisfy their clients, is to collaborate with partners by continuing to manage the client relationship and allowing a third party to manage, track and optimise these campaigns. Benchmarketing’s white label product suite gives agencies the access to highly sophisticated ad optimisation technology including: Real-time bidding across 22 networks, live analytics dashboard with deep campaign insights, landing page templates, retargeting engine and brand safe media.

With the Benchmarketing platform, agencies are able to offer their clients a suite of robust and intelligent tools to increase marketing ROI and accountability, and serve highly targeted ads that are built for conversions.

341 369 Shai Luft

Shai Luft

Shai Luft brings over 25 years of diverse marketing experience to the table, with a focus on fostering growth by leveraging data led marketing strategies. His journey began with roles in senior marketing positions within leading telecommunication companies including TPG, Optus, and Telstra, where he gained valuable insights and honed his strategic thinking. In 2012, Shai co-founded Bench, a digital agency that quickly gained recognition for its quality services. Serving a broad range of clients such as Epson, Nestle, and Panasonic, Bench became known for its digital expertise and global media buying capabilities. Shai holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from UNSW, with a specialisation in Marketing and International Business.

All stories by : Shai Luft
SHAI LUFT - CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Meet Shai Luft, a senior marketing executive with a proven track record of delivering results for Australia’s largest ASX200-listed companies

Chief Operating Officer

Shai Luft

Meet Shai Luft, a senior marketing executive with a proven track record of delivering results for Australia’s largest ASX200-listed companies. Despite his success, Shai was frustrated by the amount of red tape and bureaucracy that held back marketing innovation. That’s why he co-founded Bench in 2012. As the driving force behind Bench’s operations, Shai is committed to empower marketers with the agility and control they need to achieve their best results.

ORI GOLD - CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER An ad tech and martech expert. Driven by the frustration of everyday marketers facing a lack of control and accessibility, Ori co-founded Bench in 2012 to revolutionise the digital advertising landscape.

Chief Executive Officer

Ori Gold

Meet Ori Gold, an ad tech and martech expert. Driven by the frustration of everyday marketers facing a lack of control and accessibility, Ori co-founded Bench in 2012 to revolutionise the digital advertising landscape. Heading the talented and forward-thinking team at Bench, Ori is the driving force behind the company’s strategic and product vision. Thanks to Ori’s leadership, Bench has become one of the most respected and successful digital agencies in Australia.

GENERAL MANAGER LIAM GARRATT Meet Liam Garratt, the creative mind behind Bench’s top-notch products and services. With a career in digital media spanning over a decade, Liam has made a name for himself as a leader in the industry.

General Manager

Liam Garratt

Meet Liam Garratt, the creative mind behind Bench’s top-notch products and services. With a career in digital media spanning over a decade, Liam has made a name for himself as a leader in the industry. He got his start in 2011 working for UK-based programmatic platform Crimtan, where he played a key role in launching the company’s Australian office. In 2017, Liam brought his expertise to Bench, where he now leads the Product & Services functions. Liam is passionate about delivering only the highest quality products and services to Bench’s clients. His commitment to excellence is the foundation of Bench’s stellar reputation.

VP OF GROWTH ANTHONY FARGEOT Meet Anthony Fargeot, the pioneer behind Bench’s growth and success. Joining Bench in its infancy in 2013, Anthony’s experience with high-growth start-ups gave him the skills to help Bench become one of the most successful digital agencies in Australia.

VP of Growth

Anthony Fargeot

Meet Anthony Fargeot, the pioneer behind Bench’s growth and success. Joining Bench in its infancy in 2013, Anthony’s experience with high-growth start-ups gave him the skills to help Bench become one of the most successful digital agencies in Australia. As Head of Client Services and then Director of Operations, Anthony led Bench through its highest growth period. Today, as VP of Growth, Anthony uses his creative thinking and strategic insights to always look for new and innovative ways to help Bench stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing digital landscape.