In the last 18 months, Prayag has entered into multiple (six to be precise) outsourcing partnerships with a diverse set of clients and in this series of blogs I wanted to share some of our experiences with this engagement model.
 
Kind of companies
First, and not surprisingly, all our outsourcing partnerships are with young/emerging/fast growing companies. They range from brand new startups to companies that have reached a certain level of maturity and have been funded in anticipation of fast growth. That said, there is little in common between the business focus- we work a SaaS software company, an IMS company, a social enterprise, a smart grid solutions provider, an emerging company with products for big data analytics and a startup that is endeavoring to make science learning fun for school children. You would agree that this is an eclectic mix!
 
Level of marketing maturity
Given their size, or years in existence, almost all companies have just nascent or rudimentary marketing set ups. To most, marketing’s role comprised creating sales collateral, maintaining a website and generating leads. All companies we work with however have recognized that building a brand is a business imperative and, given their size and access to resources, believe it would be better to work with a partner like us.
 
Scope of engagement
As such, the scope of our engagements with all clients is quite comprehensive. The primary focus is brand building and as a corollary creating a variety of marketing content is a core activity. Conceiving and implementing a digital marketing strategy is also an important area. Event branding is another. Last, on-going research into competition, prospects and new markets.
Importantly, all of the above is customized for each client business. In fact, by understanding the client’s business context and model, we put together a calendar of initiatives that include the above areas.
 
Breadth of support
Given the level of in house marketing capabilities, and the overall business context of clients who opt for such a model, it is often expected that we are able to “stand up and deliver” on all fronts- providing ideas, quality outcomes on tactical programs and responsive and reliable day to day support. This can be demanding, especially when we have multiple clients asking for this and when we use a shared services model.
 
So, what are some of the ways to manage delivery and ensure client satisfaction? How are we gearing up to be proactive as well as responsive? What are the areas to watch out for?
 
More on all this in the forthcoming blogs in the series……..