How deep partnerships can strengthen media advertising

The marketing environment is in a constant state of change, and not always for the better. Having a partner for media advertising means that you are better equipped for adapting your marketing strategy, long- and short-term planning, and making data-based decisions.

An advertising partner will help you plan ahead

Having an established partner for media advertising will make your job in marketing a lot easier. When unexpected and even expected changes take place, you’ll want to have a partner to brainstorm with and help you adjust the marketing course.

“The marketing environment is changing at a rapid pace. We want to understand our clients’ business and set the scene for deep partnerships, which help brands reach their long- and short-term goals at every turn,” says Olavi Kajantie, Key Account Manager at Sanoma.

Partners can help you keep track of the big and small picture at all times. Despite changes in the operating environment, the seasonal rhythm will stay the same. Black Friday and holiday seasons, for example, are peak periods for advertising and should be booked well in advance. A media partner will help you book advertising slots for the seasons and channels of your choosing before media space runs out.

As bleak as it may seem, the gaze in the summer should already be set on the winter and the following year.

Having enough resources brings agility into marketing

Agreements mean commitment both ways, and by this, we don’t mean years-long contracts with no room for movement. At its simplest, having an agreement with your advertising partner means resources at your disposal: external marketers involved in advertising planning, production experts and seasoned analysts can be essential in acing your advertising efforts.

On the other hand, a partnership allows for flexibility, especially if the partner has an extensive media toolkit at their disposal. Sudden changes in the operating environment may require rapid adjustments in your marketing strategy. This may look like changes in advertising channels, such as shifting the focus from radio to native, opting for new media or re-allocating resources entirely. Shifting the marketing strategy is much a better option than wasting money on the wrong channel or plans that no longer pay off.

Having resources available also means analytics and data-driven advertising. Receiving data about your target audiences and changes in the marketing environment (even mundane cookie trends) in real time is key and will help you adjust your strategies accurately. Advertising partners can provide excellent data you might not otherwise access.

Advertising pays off, even in uncertain times

Uncertainty has unfortunately become the new norm, applying to the marketing environment. 

Yet the need for advertising does not subside in hard times, quite the contrary. If Covid-19 taught us something, it’s that creating a permanent mindset for marketing agility is the necessary, modern marketing approach that can help keep brands afloat from year to year.

“The marketing environment keeps changing rapidly, which sets challenges for advertising” says Sebastian Wikman, Sanoma’s International Key Account Manager. “The brands that continue to advertise when possible are the ones that make it.”

If you are not that familiar with the Finnish market, we have news: Finland as a marketing environment is unique from other Nordic countries – same same but different. Sanoma is here to help with the different.

Advertiser, read more about Finland as a market.