In today’s fast-paced business environment, marketing is often one of the most critical functions for a company’s growth. Yet, all too often, CEOs make decisions about hiring ad agencies or marketing directors without fully understanding how modern marketing works. They put their trust in someone who seems to talk a good game, believing that their investment will lead to tangible results.

But six months down the road, many find themselves asking the same question: “What’s going on with marketing? I’m spending a significant amount of money, but I’m not sure what I’m getting in return.”

Agencies often set up dashboards to track campaign performance, but CEOs and business owners may not have the time to interpret the data or admit they don’t understand it. The marketing director may be busy with a flurry of tactics, but the ROI is unclear because maybe those tactics aren’t really driving sales, and frustration starts to build.

The Root of the Problem: Misaligned Goals

This scenario recently played out with a company that hired a prestigious ad agency. The agency was spending upwards of $10,000 a month on pay-per-click, paid social, and SEO, but they missed a crucial element—they didn’t understand the client’s business. They were targeting the wrong audience and pushing B2C marketing strategies when what the client actually needed was B2B advertising to target trade professionals.

The first thing we did when stepping in was ask, “What are your goals for the second half of 2024?” This is a basic but vital question, and if your marketing agency or director isn’t asking it, that’s a red flag. Without a clear understanding of your goals, any marketing plan is likely to fall short.

Setting the Right Marketing Objectives

Once the goals were established, we dug deeper:

• Are you looking to attract new customers?
• Are you introducing new products?
• Do you want to get current customers to buy more?
• Are you expanding your target audience?

These questions, along with a budget, allowed us to craft a focused marketing plan tailored to their business, their goals, and their audience.

Then we asked about their point-of-difference in the category. We interviewed their internal team, did a competitive analysis and validated the internal team’s insights by speaking to a handful of their customers. Armed with this information, we developed a positioning for their company that would appeal to their target audience, that was unique and that they could deliver.

Why Strategy Matters More Than Tactics

This is where so many agencies and marketing professionals get it wrong. They jump straight into tactics because that’s what they know best. However, effective marketing begins with a well-thought-out strategy, not a collection of random tactics. Every ad, post, and email should align with a larger goal, not just be executed for the sake of activity.

Red Flags When Hiring a Marketing Agency or Director

If you’re in the process of evaluating marketing partners, here are a few warning signs to watch for:

• They don’t ask about your overall company goals.
• They don’t ask for or confirm your point-of-difference with your customers.
• They skip straight to tactics without a clear strategy.
• They don’t confirm or adjust your target audience based on your objectives.
• They don’t track their tactics or provide clear accountability.
• If an agency, they don’t tell you exactly who is going to work on your business and what their experience level is.
• If an agency, they don’t tell you exactly how many hours you are getting for your marketing fees.
• Digital agencies are also known for not giving you their fee to purchase your PPC and other digital media. How much is actually going to the media vs. to them.
• If a Marketing Director says they can do everything: No one can do everything well and you shouldn’t pay Marketing Director prices for simple tactics. 

Accountability: Someone Needs to Monitor the (Marketing) Store

Even if you hire the best agency in the world, someone internally needs to monitor their progress. You need someone in-house to ensure they are staying on track and delivering on the agreed-upon objectives. Without internal oversight, even a well-executed marketing campaign can lose its way.

These are basic principles, yet they are often overlooked. While you’re spending money on marketing, you may not be seeing the results you expect because the foundational steps are being missed.

So, once again I ask, who is minding the (marketing) store?

By keeping these fundamentals in mind, you can ensure that your marketing dollars are working as hard as possible and yielding the results you deserve. Don’t just trust that everything is on track—stay involved, ask the right questions, and always keep your eye on the big picture.