Last week, we discussed how to take the first steps in outsourcing marketing or creative processes. One of the methods we suggested for vetting a potential outsource provider is running a pilot project with them. Pilot projects offer more than a chance to test new partners, however; they can test new methods, platforms, or even audiences. This makes them useful to marketing teams and agencies of any size, at nearly any point in their endeavors.
Making the most of a pilot project means building on and around its novelty. Preparations need to be made to ensure that by the end of the project, the company will know whether or not further work in the same vein is worth pursuing and, if so, that the company can shift to newer methods. Without such steps, a pilot project’s results might not be convincing enough to lead to a decision or, possibly worse, the company may be unable to seize the opportunities the project affirms to be there. So in engaging in a pilot project, keep the following in mind:
Strategic Objectives
Your decision to outsource—and, therefore, your pilot project—should be founded clearly on an objective in your broader marketing strategy. This strategic objective should, in turn, inform the kind of pilot project you undertake and the results you’ll examine (more on this later). Common reasons for outsourcing are reducing costs, increasing scalability, or trying out new methods or platforms.
Whatever your objective might be, it’s important that the right people in your company understand how outsourcing can attain it. Without support from higher-ups, even a promising pilot project may not be approved for regular flights in the future. Be sure that the project is endorsed by someone in a position to make changes to marketing processes based on the results of the pilot.
The Test
It’s important to define, as precisely as possible, what the task or process is, what resources will go into it, and its timeline. Resources would cover workers with the necessary skills, equipment and information, and, of course, budget. A timeline would cover points for implementation and conclusion, naturally, but should also set aside periods for evaluating the project results and, if necessary, transitioning to new methods, guided by those results.
A good pilot project is one whose results will allow for replication and refinement later on, when carried out on a larger scale or under other circumstances. Consider the following:
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Outsourcing for cost advantage: It’s possible to do a pilot project with marketing processes that you already do—except that in this case, someone else does it for you. A project like this would establish whether you could lower costs or improve quality—or both—by outsourcing certain processes.
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Testing a new platform: You might have a pilot project to try marketing on a new social media platform, for instance, or to change your e-mail marketing methods. A project like this might let you know if a prospective agency can establish your social presence, or if you might benefit from expanding efforts in certain channels.
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Testing a specific market: A pilot project can test a marketing strategy you’re considering launching by focusing on a specific market, first. For example, before rolling out changes to your entire system, you might focus on changes in a specific region, city or branch.
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Testing for scalability: Your project might be a test run for future situations where your company would need to expand output at a moment’s notice. This might be for busy seasons, capitalizing on trends, or shifts in the industry and competition. In this case, the project should aim to verify if your prospective agency can meet deadlines with quality work.
Analysis
Where the pilot project pays off is in the analysis, which will make the findings of a small scale project relevant to your marketing strategy at large. A good analysis focuses on the key indicators relevant to the type of project you carried out, while accounting for other useful pieces of information. For instance, if your project aims to verify scalability, you should focus on the timeliness with which results are delivered, and the ease with which your company can redirect resources to alter processes. Other data may be worth considering, but if those key indicators show poor results, you may want to reconsider.
An analysis is easier when the pilot project resembles another project carried out in the past. In this way, the previous project serves as something of a control case, allowing comparisons to be drawn more easily and to see how specific variables directly affect results.
If you're contracting a pilot project of your own, put your best foot forward with a well-written project brief. You can download our template for one below.
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