MARKETERS LOOK TO MARKETING MINE TO FIND BEST EMERGING AGENCIES

04.28.09

As Companies Gear Up For Recovery, Marketing Execs Must Evolve Their Marketing Strategy to Go Beyond Traditional Advertising

ATLANTA – First there was MySpace’s meteoric climb to teen star status before Facebook grew up and out to more than 170 million users, a growing portion who have long since graduated college. Then along comes Twitter knocking on the door of people’s mindshare and new emerging technologies and communities surface every day. So it’s no surprise that marketing executives are charged with rearranging their in-house staff and hiring external resources to harness this rise of social media.

Marketing Mine provides an avenue for marketers to connect with the most innovative, breakout emerging marketing service providers as well as traditional agencies based on their new challenge and specific needs. Unveiling its expansive one-stop online database, Marketing Mine allows marketers to view reviews and ratings for agencies by other marketers, check out agency’s creative work and case study examples as well as provide marketers a robust set of selection criteria and comparison capabilities. In addition, Marketing Mine initially piloted its platform with something near and dear to marketers … a living, breathing focus group. One thing it heard loud and clear: Marketers need real help understanding where to go to efficiently find the best-in-class in a new category of agencies.

"We built Marketing Mine specifically with marketers and the changing marketing landscape in mind. Marketers are searching for innovative partners who can help them navigate the new channels available to find and reach out to customers,” explains Brandon Doty, president of Marketing Mine. “Before, internet marketing was a natural extension of other marketing channels – internet banner ads, text ads, online press kits. But we now see marketers no longer have full control of the message—everyone can create and shape the message and they tell us that creates great angst. Marketing Mine can help them find a trusted partner that will guide them though this new landscape.”

Choosing a new agency partner becomes even more critical because the ramifications could be more significant than even the glorified outcome or crushing blow of a Super Bowl ad. The nature of emerging media and the trends that are being developed are profoundly different than print, radio and TV and marketers are struggling to reconcile the need for a new lineup of agency players who can deliver on a different playing field.

How Marketing Mine Works
Marketing Mine provides an online resource for marketers to find, evaluate and connect with potential agencies in a confidential and trusted environment. Registered users have the freedom to compare prospective partners without unwanted solicitations or the unnecessary disclosure of their identity. The web site enables marketers to define the terms of their search based on their unique marketing needs and presents a distinct way for marketers to find new partners quickly and efficiently. Marketing Mine's qualified search results take the guesswork out of identifying a marketer’s perfect match. Marketers can compare agencies side by side, read review about an agency posted by their peers, or send a custom RFP to select candidates.

“Marketers tell us there’s an added benefit of staying current by being able to explore the competitive set’s agency creative. We maintain barriers to entry on the agency side where agencies cannot access agency profiles, but marketers can look at any and all creative posted by agencies," explains Doty,. "The site was created to make the process of finding the leaders in emerging media and niche agencies as well as traditional agencies. This is what makes our database a one-stop shop for all of a marketer’s creative needs.”

"Being responsible for multiple national restaurant brands, my needs vary across marketing services. A resource like Marketing Mine offers a single source for digging into the backgrounds and creative of some of the best agencies in the country," says Becky Shell, vice president, marketing, Petrus Brands. "And having issued and gone through the process of exhaustive RFPs, I like the fact that I rely on Marketing Mine when I have a new need which is often time sensitive."

"In any market condition, but especially a challenging marketing environment, the search for the right agency partners for the specific challenge at hand which today is driving sales with smaller marketing budgets, requires a reliable source for reaching this new disruptive class of agency," notes Lisa Mark, Senior Director, Brand Strategy & Marketing Services, Mizuno, USA, Inc.

About Marketing Mine
Marketing Mine is the premier source for marketing services partners looking for emerging and traditional agencies. It provides best-in-class, robust marketing services data, combined with fresh, original and relevant content and insight. At MarketingMine.com, users can define the terms of their search based on their unique marketing needs. From traditional agencies to the expanding roster of new and emerging companies catering to the latest marketing trends, Marketing Mine’s qualified results help jump start marketing projects by focusing on the candidates that best suit the user’s needs. Launched by the founder of The List, Marketing Mine is an Atlanta-based company. To register or for additional information, visit www.marketingmine.com.