When your Coventry business reaches the point where marketing needs to be taken seriously, you’re often faced with the age old decision:
- hire a marketing consultant
- hire an agency.
Both options look great and will promise to deliver – but the answer to the question is a bit more complex for Coventry businesses.
Below we’ll go into the marketing consultant vs agency debate – pros and cons of each, questions to ask yourself to come to a decision, and whether there might be a third option available to businesses in Coventry and the surrounding areas.
As a marketing professional who has worked in marketing agencies for 12+ years, then came become a marketing consultant myself, these are insights from the horses mouth.
What is a marketing consultant?
Marketing consultants are experienced professionals who work mostly independently, or with a small team. They offer strategic guidance and support tailored to your business needs and ambitions – perfect for Coventry SMEs looking for personalised marketing support.
The benefits of working with a marketing consultant
- Personalised attention – You get direct access to an experienced marketing professional who understands your business and the Coventry market
- Flexibility – Consultants can adapt quickly to changing needs and priorities
- Cost-effective expertise – You pay for senior-level knowledge without agency overheads
- Strategic thinking – Consultants do very well with providing clear direction and actionable plans
The limitations of marketing consultants
- Limited capacity – As individuals or very small teams, consultants have finite time and output
- Skill gaps – Whilst consultants may be brilliant strategists, they might not cover all execution areas
- Dependency risk – If your consultant becomes unavailable, your marketing efforts can stall.
What is a marketing agency?
Marketing agencies offer teams of specialists who can handle multiple aspects of your marketing simultaneously. They’re structured organisations with established processes and diverse skill sets – though many Coventry businesses find agency costs prohibitive.
The benefits of working with a marketing agency
- Wide skill set – Access to specialists across different marketing tactics and disciplines
- Scalability – Agencies can ramp up resources when you need them
- Established processes – Structured workflows and proven methodologies
- Comprehensive services – Can cover various marketing needs in one place
The limitations of marketing agencies
- Higher costs – Significant overheads mean higher pricing, often beyond Coventry SME budgets
- Junior delivery – You pay for senior expertise but often get junior team members executing the work. In my earlier career, I was one of them
- Less personal attention – You can feel like just another account number
- Rigid structures – Agencies can be slower to adapt to your changing needs and priorities
The gap between marketing consultant and agency for Coventry businesses
But actually, the marketing consultant vs agency debate presents a false choice for most growing businesses in Coventry.
You’re likely too established to be DIY-ing your marketing strategy. You’re too busy to brief and manage multiple freelancers. But you’re also too smart to throw thousands at an agency for vague outputs delivered by inexperienced team members.
What most Coventry SMEs actually need sits right in the middle – someone who:
- Develops a marketing strategy tailored to your business challenges and goals
- Executes consistently and effectively, driving you towards your objectives
- Communicates clearly, keeping you in the loop without overwhelming you
- Delivers results that shows you’re on the way to achieving your goals
- Feels like a genuine partner who cares about your success
Questions to ask
Rather than deciding between a marketing consultant vs agency in Coventry, ask yourself these questions:
What support do you need?
Do you need some direction? Someone to execute? Understanding your primary need will guide your decision.
What level of involvement do you want?
Do you want to delegate it all, or would you prefer to co-create? Your preferred working style matters.
What’s your realistic budget?
Be honest about what you can invest in marketing support. This will help you find the right level of service.
What does success look like?
What outcomes you need from your marketing support? Clear objectives will help you evaluate options.
There is a third option for Coventry businesses
At Bearhat Marketing, we’ve positioned ourselves in the sweet spot between consultant and agency – because that’s where most growing businesses in Coventry and the surrounding areas need support.
We’re not a traditional consultancy that hands you a strategy deck and walks away. But we’re also not a large agency with layers of hierarchy and junior staff executing senior promises.
Instead, we’re a small, dedicated marketing team that bring together the benefits of both marketing consultant and agency – without the big agency price tag that’s often out of reach for Coventry SMEs.
How Bearhat works differently
We lead on all aspects of marketing for our clients – from creating a marketing strategy to executing it across channels including organic social, paid social, website, content, SEO, etc. We take full responsibility for your marketing success, including managing any third parties on your behalf.
For one of our bigger clients, we function as their complete marketing department, handling everything from strategic planning to daily execution. We’re accountable for results, responsive to their needs, and genuinely invested in their growth. In 10 short months, their lead volume has increased by over 1000%. And are showing no signs of slowing down.
Our approach means you get:
- Senior-level strategic thinking applied to your business
- Agency level quality execution across all channels (it’s all we know)
- A team that feels like they’re part of your business
- Agile response to changing priorities and opportunities
- Clear accountability and measurable results
- Pricing designed for growing businesses in Coventry
Making your decision
Right now, you might be juggling freelancers, recovering from a disappointing agency experience (unfortunately, a story I hear all too often from Coventry business owners), or trying to implement a strategy without the time or the marketing expertise, or indeed, you might be doing little to nothing, and worrying about the future of your business. I’m here to tell you that the right marketing support can transform your business.
The marketing consultant vs agency question doesn’t have to be an either/or decision either. There’s a middle ground that might serve your Coventry business better – a partner who brings both strategic thinking and hands-on execution, without the limitations of either traditional option.
Your business deserves marketing support that genuinely improves your business, and doesn’t just do delivery that tick boxes. Whether that’s with Bearhat or another provider, make sure you choose a partner who’s truly invested in your success.
And you’re unsure how your marketing is currently performing, take the Bearhat Marketing Benchmark. It’s a 2 minute quiz that will show you where you might be falling short and what opportunities you’re missing.
