Pulse Report 9.16.24

The Setup Pulse: Trends CMOs Need to Know Right Now

Read about what’s being talked about this week!

On Your Mark…Get Set…SPRINT!

Agencies are increasingly using sprint models to deliver focused, high-quality work within short timeframes, catering to Clients' demands for speed + agility. These 1-8 week cycles allow Agencies to respond quickly to market shifts + Client needs. For Clients, sprint models offer quicker results, while Agencies benefit from streamlined operations + more continuous project engagement.

Honey I Shrunk the Client Team

Marketing Agencies are seeing increased budgets as Client-side teams shrink due to the rise of AI + economic pressures. Companies are outsourcing tasks like media buying + content creation, with 78% planning to maintain or boost their Agency spending. This shift lets Agencies handle more operations while Clients focus on strategy.

Pitch Disruption - Lay Off the Layoffs!

Agency pitches are increasingly disrupted by Client team reorganizations or layoffs mid-process, leading to shifting priorities + new decision-makers. Agencies often have to adjust their strategies on the fly, making it hard to maintain consistency + focus. To adapt, Agencies are using flexible approaches like "shadow pitch teams" to stay ready for sudden Client changes + keep the pitch on track.

New + Noteworthy

Small, but Mighty: David Strikes Goliath Again

Brands like GM + Häagen-Dazs are choosing smaller agencies for their specialized expertise + quick turnarounds. This shift reflects the growing demand for flexibility + niche creativity over the broader approach of large agencies.

Ad Of The Week

College Football is back + GameChange is helping fans support their favorite teams with a fresh twist—rounding up everyday purchases to donate to college athletic programs. Created by The Variable, this sustainable giving platform is designed to ease financial pressures on college sports by harnessing the power of micro-donations. This innovative model could inspire other campaigns to build long-term engagement + funding by leveraging fan passion.

Come back soon for the next “Setup Pulse” where we give you quick trend and campaign reports! If you want more in-depth industry content, including interviews by CMOs and Marketing Executives, subscribe to our Newsletter below!

Blog

6 Tips to Maximize Your Marketing Budget

With economic uncertainty, shifting consumer expectations, and evolving digital trends (AI, anyone?), it has become more of a challenge to sort budgets. Last year’s numbers may not be a great indicator of future success. One thing is certain, however: demonstrating the ROI from marketing efforts is crucial for brands to stay competitive.

Check out key budgeting challenges that marketers often face and practical solutions to help marketing leaders craft a stronger, more agile budget.

Pulse Report 9.16.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! We provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about Client team layoffs + increased budgets for Agencies, sprint models, football season + more...

It’s Giving… Marketing to Gen Z

Gen Z is expected to have $2.7 trillion in global spending power, and its influence will only grow, projected to reach $12 trillion by 2030. They currently make up about 25% of the worldwide population. While Millennials have more established careers and spend more, Gen Z has the power to shape trends and is increasing its purchasing power as it continues to take over the workforce.

Gen Z is a big deal, and marketers need to pay attention.

What Marketers Need to Know About the Next Generation: Gen Alpha

Although Generation Alpha is not yet old enough to be purchasing leaders, this tech-savvy generation was the first born into a digitally established world, and their influence may cause marketers to change priorities and adapt to new tactics.

Is Your Agency Missing the B2B Boom While Chasing the B2C Bust?

Are you overlooking your own growth? Many Agencies often focus heavily on B2C tactics to attract Clients. However, this approach may cause them to miss out on untapped growth potential. While you’re busy boosting your Clients’ success with B2B strategies, are you neglecting to apply those same powerful techniques to your own Agency?

Pulse Report 8.26.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! We provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about being ~demure~, Heinz's standout ads, the DNC branding + more...

The Expert’s Irony: Are Agencies Losing Their Own Game?

Marketing Agencies are the go-to experts for helping businesses grow. They craft smart strategies, spark fresh ideas, and navigate the tricky waters of market challenges with ease. Yet, there is a glaring irony in the industry: many marketing Agencies, despite their mastery in growing other businesses, often struggle to apply those same winning strategies to their own growth.

Talk the Talk: Mastering Workplace Communication + Collaboration

People overall are not feeling heard or understood. When that happens, team members don’t feel valued, and they usually leave a place of employment or end a partnership. We provide suggestions to improve culture, collaboration, and communication for marketing leaders, including our Team Building service.

The Good, The Bad, and The Mediocre: 2024 Cannes Lions

Setup’s Manager of Strategic Partnerships listed his favorite Cannes Lions campaigns from Coca-Cola to Pop-Tarts and more, and the takeaways for marketers.

5 Ad Campaigns that Inspire Change

Being purpose-driven leads to stronger relationships with consumers rooted in trust, a positive perception of the Brand, excited employees and stakeholders who feel like their work has meaning, and more. By leaning into cause-driven marketing, Brands make a stronger impact, and gain more traction. Past studies show that consumers want Brands to care, especially when it comes to values that align with their own.

Through our research and discussions, we were inspired to point out a few ad campaigns that use their influence for good.

Here are five of our favorite marketing campaigns that amplify what it means to be purpose-driven:

Setup Pulse 7.8.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about TikTok influencer marketing, AI + humans team up, the strength of paid media, and more…

A Marketer’s Career Journey: Transitioning from Agency to Client-Side Marketing

Navigating the marketing industry often leads professionals to stick to either the Agency or Brand side, potentially limiting their growth opportunities. In our series, we delve into the experiences of marketers who have made the jump from one side to the other. Building on our previous exploration of transitioning from Client to Agency-side marketing, this time we interviewed Allison Turner, who has transitioned from Agency roles to becoming the Marketing Copy Manager at Floor & Decor on the Client side.

This journey highlights how working on both sides can enhance a marketer's skills and adaptability, making them more equipped to handle diverse tasks and challenges.

The Setup Pulse: Trends CMOs Need to Know Right Now

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about trade shows, sustainability, creativity, OpenAI partnerships, and more…

The Broken Agency Search Model: How to Make It Right

Traditional Agency searches, frequently conducted with the help of search consultants, can involve lengthy and expensive processes. These consultants typically charge significant fees for a three- to five-month process to narrow down a large pool of eligible Agencies to a handful of qualified candidates for the Client to choose from. In contrast, Setup can achieve the same goal of narrowing down to a small group of highly qualified Agencies in as little as a week and at no cost to the Client.

A Marketer’s Career Journey: Transitioning from Client to Agency-Side Marketing

Transitioning from Brand-side to Agency-side marketing can be both rewarding and challenging for marketing leaders. This shift offers unique opportunities to enhance strategic thinking, creativity, and versatility while navigating the fast-paced dynamics of managing multiple Clients. Drawing on insights from marketing experts like Cami Albrecht and Elaine Fowler of Sagepath Reply, this blog provides essential advice for successfully making the switch and leveraging the benefits of both career paths.

5 Client-Side Marketing Challenges

Each year, we conduct the Marketing Relationship Survey with both Client-side and Agency-side marketers to uncover the latest insights on marketing challenges, innovative solutions, and industry preferences. This allows us to identify key marketing gaps and provide strategic solutions that simplify and enhance marketers' efforts. Reach about last year’s Marketing Relationship Survey.

What challenges are Clients currently facing alongside their agency partners in 2024?

What Challenges do Agency-side Marketers Face?

Agency leaders and marketers in general are dealing with worldwide challenges like adapting to and adopting advanced technology and social platforms, budget constraints and showcasing marketing’s ROI, and navigating data privacy changes.

The 2023 Marketing Relationship Survey revealed that Delivery and Business Development remained a key challenge for Agency-side marketing leaders in the last year.

Setup Pulse - 5.13.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about the the guts it takes to start a marketing agency, Gen Z spending, AI beer, data privacy, and more…

How Client-Side Marketers Find Marketing Agencies

According to the 2023 Setup Marketing Relationship Survey, Word-of-mouth and Referrals consistently remain the most frequent methods Clients use to find new Agency Partners.

This has been the case for the last five years of the Marketing Relationship Survey.

What does this mean for Clients + Agencies? How can they optimize their efforts with this knowledge?

Setup Pulse - 4.29.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about the new Chief AI Officer role, latest news on the TikTok ban, X’s streaming services, dogs flying, super heroes coming to life, and more…

The Evolution of Marketing: How AI is Reshaping Marketing in 2024

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, it might feel impossible to keep up. Staying ahead of the curb is as important as having your morning coffee – miss it, and you might find yourself dozing off at the wheel.

You can’t go anywhere without hearing people talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI), but it isn't just a fancy buzzword; it's critical to making sure you aren’t missing key opportunities. Elaine Fowler, Director of Market Strategy, Experience & Marketing at Sagepath Reply, shares how marketers can best optimize AI to improve their marketing strategy.

Which Agency Services Are Clients Using the Most?

According to the Setup Marketing Relationship Survey, Clients leaned more heavily into content creation and video in 2023 than previous years by 15%. Since video content is more accessible to all types of people and is easier to consume and understand in short bursts, it makes sense that Clients would take advantage of platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. What other disciplines have been a brand priority?

Setup Pulse - 4.15.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about the new CBO role, how brands reacted to the Eclipse, AI news, and more…

Client vs. Agency Side Marketing: Understanding the Different Career Paths

Marketers graduating from college often ask me whether they should pursue client- or agency-side opportunities for their initial job out of college. I tell them that in the long term, it is always best to get experience with both, but initially, a stint on the agency-side provides more opportunities to learn about different marketing roles, industries, and experiences than the client-side.

Joe Koufman, Founder and CEO of Setup, the matchmakers bridging the gap between agencies and brands, and Andrea Striebel, the VP of Marketing for Floor & Decor, share their thoughts on agency- vs client-side careers.

Setup Pulse - 4.1.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about Meta’s political ban, toilet paper ads we’re stuck on, Starbuck’s CMO no more, and more…

What Client-Side Marketers Want (and Don’t Want) from their Marketing Agency Partners

In the last 10 years, Setup has conducted five Marketing Relationship Surveys, connected over 800 Brands and Agencies, conversed with well over 1000 Brand-sides marketers, and enacted 50+ Agency Assessments for Agency partners. Here’s the secret: Clients just want to have good chemistry! But how do you develop it?

6 Questions for Inspirational Women in Marketing Series | Part 13

To celebrate women in the marketing profession and to continue highlighting them throughout Women’s History Month, we asked women marketing leaders to contribute to our Women in Marketing Series detailing their personal triumphs, tribulations, and advice about working in the marketing industry. Part 13 features leaders from Nationwide, NAPA, Neogen Corporation, and Pratt Industries, Inc.

Setup Pulse - 3.18.24

Welcome to the Setup Pulse for Brands and Agency marketers alike! Every other week, we’ll provide three trending topics in the Marketing industry, as well as a new story that you will want to get your eyes on. This week we talk about brand purpose, B2B Marketing efforts, Michael CeraVe, and more…

March Madness is in the "Air"

It may be hard to believe today, but the Nike basketball sneaker department was hanging on by a shoe lace, struggling to make any headway against Converse and Adidas in 1984.

What steps did the Nike team take to put them back on the map? And how did Michael Jordan impact that success?

6 Questions for Inspirational Women in Marketing Series | Part 12

Our ongoing Women in Marketing series highlights marketing leaders from different backgrounds and industries who continue to innovate and push the boundaries of their role.

This segment features the advice and journeys of leaders from CVS Health, Prudential, and more.

Setup Pulse ReportSetup - marketing matchmakersSeptember 16, 2024pulse reportComment

Pulse Report 9.16.24

The Setup Pulse: Trends CMOs Need to Know Right Now

On Your Mark…Get Set…SPRINT!

Honey I Shrunk the Client Team

Pitch Disruption - Lay Off the Layoffs!

New + Noteworthy

Small, but Mighty: David Strikes Goliath Again

Ad Of The Week

Navigation

For Brands

For Agencies