Marketing agencies face a unique challenge. In an ever-evolving world of new technologies, constantly changing best practices, new iterations of existing products and services; they must thrive.
Packed with curious, creative, and adaptable individuals, marketing agencies lead the charge. For many businesses worldwide, innovation only comes through the agencies they hire.
In 2020, due to the coronavirus and worldwide shutdowns, agencies faced a new challenge. How could they survive when budgets shrunk, retainers came to an end, and businesses shut down?
Adopting the chatbot trend
There are many ways agencies could re-invent themselves. Throughout 2020, one clear trend emerged: chatbots.
Businesses went remote. They also took a long, hard look at the processes that make or break them. Which ones could be automated and how?
Our research looked at the chatbot and automation opportunity for marketing agencies. Could marketing agencies, and would they be willing to, adapt to their customers' new expectations? Would their skills translate; transforming copywriting to conversational copywriting, web design to chatbot building, and CRM to chatbot platform expertise?
A place for marketing agencies in the chatbot world
Our research was broken down into two parts.
First, we anonymously surveyed marketing agencies employees. The majority of respondents were higher-ups at the agency, including founders and directors.
Then, we interviewed volunteers to get a deeper understanding of their thoughts and expectations of the chatbot trends among marketing agencies. Through these conversations, we gathered frontline, qualitative feedback on the chatbot experiences and subsequent decisions made at these agencies.
This comprehensive research was undertaken to answer a simple question: what is the place of marketing agencies in the chatbot world?
What's in the report?
The report covers the impact chatbots, automation, and, to a lesser extent, the pandemic have had on marketing agencies throughout 2020 and 2021.
It also highlights challenges agencies face when adopting chatbots-as-a-service, for example using the wrong technologies, budgets, or partnerships.
Finally, it highlights areas of growth and opportunities for agencies to differentiate themselves from the competition in a relatively new market.
Through research, statistics and interviews, this report tells the story of how agencies have weathered the 2020 storm, coming out stronger with exciting, on-trend, and in-demand new services.
