The outsider advantage: 5 times when working with an agency partner can be a game changer

Fast Company

17-07-2025

Foundational initiatives, such as branding, messaging, and creative strategy, are among the most critical and complex efforts a brand or marketing team can undertake for their business. Ironically, they're also the hardest to manage internally.
Why? Because internal teams are often too close to the work, too bogged down by day-to-day demands, or too intertwined in legacy thinking to step back and see the big picture.
The good news is, you don't have to do it alone. Whether it's tagging in specialists for high-profile projects, seeking out fresh thinking for regular projects, or outsourcing when bandwidth is scarce, organizations of all kinds are using external agency partners to supplement their internal marketing efforts.
In fact, of the 82% of Association of National Advertisers (ANA) member brands that have in-house marketing teams, 92% report engaging external partners for certain projects.
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When the work shapes your company's trajectory for years to come, bringing in the right outside perspective at the right moment might be the most important investment you can make.
So, when does it make strategic sense to call in outside reinforcements? Let's take a look at five times when outsourcing makes strategic sense.
1. YOU NEED A BRAND REFRESH OR REPOSITIONING
Leaders and brand teams who have grown with the company often have emotional attachments to the current brand. Your logo, tagline, or messaging might feel sacred—even if they no longer serve a strategic purpose—making it difficult to push bold changes or challenge current ways of thinking.
Internal politics aside, a brand that doesn't reflect your business creates a disconnect with your audience and undermines credibility and growth.
Agencies bring objectivity, fresh energy, challenge assumptions, and distill complexity into clarity, transforming your core values and differentiators into a clear, modern brand that resonates in your market.
2. YOU'RE ENTERING A NEW MARKET OR LAUNCHING A NEW PRODUCT
Your people know your existing customer base inside and out, but expanding into new markets means catering to new audiences that have their own set of needs and expectations. If your marketing and sales departments are already stretched thin or focused on current customer priorities, they may be tempted to stick with what they know.
But product launches are high-stakes, and applying old frameworks to new markets puts you at risk for missing the mark at a critical moment.
Agencies often have broader experience across industries and audiences, which allows them to spot trends, gaps, and positioning opportunities that may be missed internally. They can help tailor messaging frameworks and launch strategies to unfamiliar audiences, providing a valuable point of view as your company grows.
3. YOU NEED CONSENSUS ACROSS DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS
When marketing, sales, product, and executive teams have different visions, it's nearly impossible for internal leaders to accommodate them all without stepping on any toes. Dealing with complex personalities and organizational silos can compound the problem.
This kind of misalignment can stall initiatives, muddy up your messaging, and damage internal morale. Worse, it sends mixed signals to your customers, which ultimately erodes trust.
Agencies can often say the 'unsayable,' making them excellent facilitators. As a neutral third party, agencies are positioned to gather all stakeholder input and build consensus by translating competing priorities into a unifying strategy without being tied to internal dynamics.
4. THE PROJECT REQUIRES SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE
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Even the best internal marketing and brand teams can't do everything. For many organizations, it's not realistic to expect in-house capabilities to incorporate niche skill sets like strategic naming, identity systems, user experience, or persona development.
When companies attempt to do it all—especially when they don't have the right staff in place—they're more likely to see subpar results, slower timelines, and team burnout.
Working with an external partner gives you immediate access to a collection of seasoned experts: Strategists, designers, writers, and project managers who have all done the work before, at scale. These specialized skill sets allow foundational projects to progress efficiently without sacrificing quality or depth.
5. YOU'RE FACING TIGHT TIMELINES OR LIMITED RESOURCES
When your marketing resources are already maxed out, finding time for foundational work becomes impossible. Strategic projects get sidelined, fall behind, or launch half-baked due to a lack of time or focus.
The result? You're missing critical windows to launch and leaving revenue on the table. And let's not forget the overhead cost of dragging out a six-week project for six months.
Agencies have dedicated resources and focused timelines, so they can get quality, insightful work done within a faster timeline. They're built to scale and prioritize specific initiatives, allowing you to meet critical deadlines without overburdening your internal staff or sacrificing other priorities.
OPEN THE DOOR TO A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP
Once you recognize that your team may not be best positioned to take the lead on certain projects—whether due to lack of capacity, objectivity, or specific expertise—the next step is to start laying the groundwork for an effective agency partnership.
Before you start exploring potential partners, take a moment to internally align on the scope of your needs and what success looks like.
When you're ready to engage, keep these tips in mind:
• Clearly define what kind of help you need so you can communicate the project and the type of support you're looking for.
• Look for an agency whose experience aligns with your challenge. Also consider those with diverse portfolios, as they often bring useful perspectives from other industries.
• Prioritize fit. Beyond credentials, look for cultural compatibility and communication styles that mesh well with your team.
• Collaborate early. Bring agency partners in while the challenge is still taking shape—they can often help frame the problem (and solution) more clearly.
Whether you're preparing for a rebrand, gearing up for a product launch, or simply acknowledging that your team needs extra support, don't wait until you're in over your head to reach out. Proactive relationship-building gives you a bench of ready partners that you can call when the moment strikes.