Our debut research report, Problem-solving Through Partnerships is all about marketers — the ones behind the brands. Why? Because marketers often get left out of industry research, and we wanted to change that. Not only did we want to better understand how we can serve our valued clients, but we also aimed to give marketers a tool to see what’s really going on in their world — something they often miss while buried in their own projects.
We wanted to get a little first-party perspective on this first-party research, so we turned to Jason Brown, Simantel’s Insights Director. With over 12 years of experience in data analysis and research leadership, Jason played an integral role in defining the research methodology, dissecting the data and turning it into meaningful insights. In this Q&A, he shares his perspective on the project and highlights why this research is so important for today’s marketers.
Why did Simantel do this research study?
Jason: We wanted to gain a deeper understanding of what makes marketers tick. More specifically, we aimed to uncover what challenges keep them up at night and how we can most effectively reach and engage them. This idea had been circulating within the agency for a couple of years, and in 2024, we decided it was time to take action. We started to eat the whale one bite at a time.
How did you decide on the specific methodologies and frameworks for the research?
Jason: Our first goal was to understand what truly motivates marketers. However, it quickly became clear that speaking only with our own clients, while valuable, would create an echo chamber. And so, we sought out a more robust read. We targeted 250 working marketers, ranging from senior-level directors and managers to VPs and C-suite executives. In the end, we spoke with even more professionals. We made sure to include a diverse mix in terms of industries, company sizes and marketing experience so that we could analyze it in a multitude of ways. All so we can better understand not only what makes marketers in general tick, but what makes marketers like you tick.
How does this research align with Simantel’s company values?
Jason: We recently reintroduced ourselves as The agency of and. As a part of that, we documented things that are core to our identity. And part of this is actually evaluating a lot of the fabric of who we are. And that led us to ask our survey respondents about those same values. We explored what’s important to them, and how those priorities align with what they seek in partners. And so that’s a very overt tie between who we are and what we believe and what was tested.
What are the key takeaways from the research that marketers should be aware of?
Jason: One key takeaway is the concept of partnership, particularly in how we engage with others. While it might sound like simple semantics, there’s a significant difference between being a partner, a vendor or a client. What stood out to me is that a true partnership is built on mutual benefit, trust, and, most importantly, communication. While that may sound a bit cliché, the core principles of partnership in business mirror those in personal relationships: honesty, vulnerability and mutual respect. What’s especially rewarding is that this idea isn’t just something we believe in at Simantel; it’s echoed throughout the market, showing that many marketers recognize the importance of this genuine, two-way partnership.
Another key takeaway is the idea of agency. Through our research, we identified four types of ‘agency’ that marketers experience. It’s not agency in terms of the type of organization we are, it’s agency in that I have the ability, the autonomy, the power to make decisions. It’s something that we think is important because sometimes you have really capable or at least skilled marketers who can’t be unlocked or unleashed because there’s an organizational barrier. The full report dives deeper into these different categories of agency.
The biggest takeaway is that there is no right or wrong answer as long as you’re being honest with yourself and willing to work from what your reality is right now. If there’s a barrier preventing you from achieving your goals, perhaps with the help of a partner, you can overcome it. On the other hand, if there’s a true, insurmountable obstacle, acknowledging that is also important. Understanding your challenges and knowing how to navigate them is essential for making progress, even if the solution isn’t immediately clear.
Was there anything in the results that surprised you?
Jason: There were a couple of things actually that jumped out to us. One of the surprises came when we asked marketers what they’re looking for in a partner. We included some factors that we, as a company, have historically done well — like hitting the ground running based on prior knowledge of our clients. Knowing our clients’ history gives us a launch point and it can also lead to assumptions. It reminded us that, while efficiency is important, we shouldn’t assume that clients always want a partner who moves quickly based solely on prior knowledge. They want to be at the table with us, collaborating, not just being handed a solution.
And it was really cool to have that data where it’s like, yes, are there certain times you are going to just go out and hire the leading expert in that subject matter or you’re going to hire the cheapest. I’m sure there are. But more often, you’re going to lean into the partnership and people who have that shared understanding with you and it will take you farther in the long run.
What should people take away from reading this research report?
Jason: I think the target audience for this is as simple as it sounds, it’s anyone who works in marketing or marketing adjacent fields. And my hope would be at a macro level, the takeaway is what makes marketers tick. More specifically, though, that idea of partnership is important. And if I were to recommend anything, it’s to feel empowered to take a real look at ourselves as marketers. We have to live this phrase that I, as a researcher struggle with sometimes, which is ‘fake it till you make it.’ And there is a time where you need to put on airs or you need to be confident and present something from a position of expertise in this particular assessment. I hope that if this helps even one marketer be able to walk into their boss’s office and say this is not just me feeling this, this is something that’s happening across the industry and I just wanted to share with you because I think we can do better.
What next for this research?
Jason: There’s more to come. We’ve just released the full report out to the market, but we’re continuing to look at it through the lens of what our clients need. We’re an agency that always is innovating. We’re already thinking about what round two looks like. I will say that this first pass, because we wanted to truly understand what makes marketers tick, was a lengthy engagement. That’s kind of hard, right? We had a lot of information in there and it was a heavy lift for people. But it was for a good reason and thankfully we had great participation. And it held up to the scrutiny of internal validation. Round two will be a little bit more intentional. It will include some of the content or the ideas that we explored here, but also look at some new things. So, I think that the sky’s the limit of what it can be and I’m really excited for version two in 2025.
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