Drew Brucker -- VP of Growth at Lasso

It's not uncommon for marketing agencies to present their offer as one of a kind. But, in reality, it doesn’t always work like that, as they often come across a client whose expectations they cannot meet. Therefore, the key to success lies in honesty and specializing in one or two things that will make an agency worth considering. In this episode of YouShouldTalkTo, we are joined by Drew Brucker, the VP of Growth at Lasso. Drew explains what makes a successful client-agency relationship and the metrics marketing teams should focus on in the future, such as ROO. He also shares his best and worst experiences with agencies and why working on a personal brand is vital in today's market. Guest-at-a-Glance 💡 Name: Drew Brucker, VP of Growth at Lasso. 💡 Company: Lasso 💡 Noteworthy: If you want to learn more about Drew, visit his LinkedIn profile, and read the About section. It will inspire and motivate you and, above all, put a smile on your face. His sense of humor is fantastic. Creativity is his second name, and as he says, ''My creative juices flow when I'm given a blank canvas. It's where I do my best work.'' 💡 Where to find Drew: LinkedIn Key Insights ⚡Instead of focusing on ROI, focus on ROO. It is the shift in mindset required within an organization, especially at the leadership level, and it's time for new perspectives. For instance, we say a campaign was successful if it leads to a financial transaction. But a modern business requires acknowledging other metrics. ''ROO is a return on objective. What is the actual objective or objectives that you have for this particular campaign, this program, or this channel? And if that's measurable, it doesn't have to be directly tied to revenue. It could be tied to a goal, brand awareness, or exposure. Some of those other things that do matter could be leading indicators for future success.'' ⚡Recommendations and personal contacts are a go-to for finding a reliable marketing agency. This approach has clearly become a standard as most of our guests — including Drew — confirmed that they don't search on Google for a partner for specific marketing projects. ''I'm using existing relationships. It would be an agency I've worked with and had a good experience with, or if someone on my team has had a good experience with an agency relative to the project. If those lead me nowhere, then it's being more proactive. I ask other people I trust for introductions, but I usually start with myself and my team.'' ⚡The best time to build your personal brand is now. It can be on LinkedIn or Twitter, but social media allows us to connect with people from our field and create networks that can easily result in better job opportunities. Whether you are an individual contractor or an agency, there is an audience and community for everyone on these platforms. ''You own your personal brand. You have a personal brand whether you like it or not, so you might as well make it a good one. It is the new version of your resume. So put yourself out there [...]. And that's if you want to work for a company — but also to start your own thing. There's never been a better time to start your own thing. And so, this is the age of taking control of those things in a way you never had before.''