The number of companies entrusted the audit of their activities to Marcom, which offers marketing and communication services to local market participants, has increased.
According to Jeykhun Farzaliev, the company's executive director, the pandemic has forced many companies to work more efficiently. “Many companies have begun to rethink relations with their advertising and marketing agencies in connection with the pandemic. Companies that do not pay enough attention to digital marketing are already auditing the agencies they work with to measure the effectiveness of their services. Although this raises bilateral relations to a new level, it also causes some problems. The transition to the digital era has also significantly increased the demand for the Marketing Audit service, which we launched in 2019. In the course of considering appeals received by us during the day, we observe many unpleasant moments. These cases sometimes arise as a result of the frivolous approach of both parties to this issue.
Not enlightening the client
According to Jeykhun Farzaliev, the main reason for these unpleasant situations is the lack of customer awareness. “Not all agencies provide the client with complete information and services. The fact that the client does not know the details of the case is beneficial for some agencies or individuals working in this area. The client loses both the image and the serious budget, because the other side abuses the ignorance of the client and does not fulfill its obligations in a timely and correct manner.”
Companies suspended their activities
According to Farzaliev, some agencies working with many companies have stopped their activities due to the lack of financial stability in the current situation. “The negative situations that arise when we check the work done by these agencies on the basis of an order, cause serious customer dissatisfaction. The solutions we propose to remedy the situation often force us to start from scratch, which is impossible due to the financial situation of many companies. Thus, these companies are losing their market position. Freelancers who do not work on a contract experience the same situation. In most cases, the problem cannot be resolved due to the lack of legal regulation between the parties”
The irresponsibility of the customer company
When considering incoming requests, we also witnessed the irresponsibility of the client. An analysis of the contract and proposals shows that the inability of the customer to provide information to the contractor in a timely manner, including the lack of a response to written requests, has led to gaps in many services. These gaps later led to serious disruptions.
We try to be fair
According to the director, Marcom strives to be fair in all cases. “Our goal is to demonstrate our fair position between the parties. The marketing audit service was created to protect market participants. Each advertising agency, as well as a private individual, must train companies and provide them with the necessary services for the money they receive. Only in this case it is possible to achieve the appearance of new market participants and the longevity of existing companies. ”
Marcom Marketing and Communications offers 28 marketing services to its customers in the markets of Azerbaijan and Georgia. The company is also a marketing consultant to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).