What's best for Manufacturing SMEs? Marketing Agency or Outsourced Marketing Department

As your business grows, it gets to a point where you know marketing is something you need to do, but you simply don't have the time to do it. Or, whilst word-of-mouth has been fantastic to build you business to where it is, it no longer feels enough.

Which creates a conundrum, what are the options, and which is best for your business?

For many manufacturing SMEs, the choice comes down to two routes:

• Hire a marketing agency

• Partner with an outsourced marketing department

  
  

They sound similar, but they work in very different ways. And for growing SMEs, especially in manufacturing, the right choice can make a big difference to how effectively your business is marketed over the long term.

Here’s a breakdown of the key differences, so you can make an informed decision.

1. Project Based Campaigns vs Embedded Outsourced Markeitng Support

• Marketing Agency: Will be typically project-based or campaign-driven. You might hire them to refresh your brand, build a website, or run some advertising. Once the project’s complete, they step away.

• Outsourced Marketing Department: Will work with you on an ongoing basis. Think of it as your marketing team — just not on your payroll. They get to know your business and stay involved month to month.

  
  

2. Brief led Delivery vs Strategic Marketing

• Marketing Agency: Usually works from a brief you provide. Some offer strategic advice, but the focus is on delivering specific outputs — a logo, a brochure, a campaign.

• Outsourced Marketing Department: Starts with strategy. They help you understand your market, identify the right customers, clarify your message, and then build a plan — which they also deliver and manage over time.

  
  

3. Depth of Business Understanding

• Marketing Agency: Works with multiple clients across different sectors. They may not have deep knowledge of SMEs or your industry unless you’ve hired a niche specialist.

• Outsourced Marketing Department: Tends to work closely with fewer businesses and invest more time in understanding yours. They make a point of building knowledge of your sector, customers, competitors, and sales processes.

  
  

4. Flexibility

• Marketing Agency: The scope of work is usually agreed in advance, especially on fixed-price projects. Adjustments mid-way can be time-consuming or costly.

• Outsourced Marketing Department: More flexible. Because they’re embedded in your business over time, they can adapt to new priorities, change direction, or respond quickly when things evolve.

  
  

5. Who you Work With

• Marketing Agency: You may be assigned an account manager or work with different people across departments (design, digital, content). Continuity can vary.

• Outsourced Marketing Department: You usually deal with the same person or small team throughout. They become familiar with your business, your team, and your way of working.

  
  

6. What you Get

• Marketing Agency: Strong creative capability. Good for brand design, visual campaigns, or standalone projects.

• Outsourced Marketing Department: Strong operational and strategic support. Good for putting in place a consistent, joined-up marketing function that delivers results.

  
  

7. Cost Structure

• Marketing Agency: Often priced per project or monthly retainer for set deliverables. Creative-heavy work (e.g. websites, branding) can carry a higher one-off cost.

• Outsourced Marketing Department: Usually works on a monthly retainer that covers a mix of strategic advice and hands-on marketing delivery. Designed to be more predictable and scalable over time.

Choosing the right fit:

If you’re a manufacturer looking to deliver a short-term campaign or refresh your brand identity, a marketing agency can be a great option.

If you want to build marketing into the way your business runs — so it supports long-term growth, leads, and reputation — an outsourced marketing department may be a better fit.

The key is to understand what your business needs now, and what kind of support will help you move forward with confidence.

Ultimately, marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all. What works for one business might be completely wrong for another — especially in manufacturing.

If you're at a crossroads and want to build marketing that actually supports business growth (not just fills up a to-do list), we’d be happy to talk it through.

👉 Book a quick call — no pressure, just a practical conversation about what’s right for you.