A reality: the field is no place for approximation
A field operation is never limited to the presence of a salesperson or an animator. It involves the brand's image, customer relations and short-term performance. Its success rests on three fundamental pillars:
- The match between the assignment and the profile required
- Capacity for execution and geographical coverage
- Management of actions and feedback from the field
A weak point in one of these areas can lead to immediate losses: unnoticed out-of-stocks, sloppy promotions, lack of reporting or customer feedback. And on the scale of several hundred points of sale, the impact is significant.
In-house team: firmly rooted in the company
Mobilising an in-house sales team or trained employees has clear advantages. In-house staff embody the brand, take a long-term view and help to ensure that strategic issues are fully understood.
Advantages of in-house
- Knowledge of customer history and the specific characteristics of the circuit
- Alignment with corporate culture and brand objectives
- Less staff turnover, better retention
- Strong commitment and a sense of belonging
Limits of an in-house team
- Less flexibility to deal with peaks in activity or one-off requirements
- Difficulty in rolling out extensive national coverage
- Increased managerial workload to steer operations
- Sometimes long lead times for recruiting and training new profiles
To sum up, in-house works well for recurring, local activations or on strategic accounts. It becomes less suitable when you need to increase volume or agility.
Operational marketing agency: a lever for flexibility and performance
Using an operational marketing agency like SIG means you can rely on controlled outsourcing, designed to meet precise objectives within short deadlines.
The benefits of field outsourcing
- Rapid mobilisation of qualified profiles
- Complete geographical coverage, including sparsely populated areas
- Turnkey solution: recruitment, training, logistics, supervision
- Structured, measurable reporting, compatible with your KPIs
- Budget flexibility: variable costs, no fixed charges
Our operational marketing agency acts as a strategic partner, not just an executor. We advise, deploy, manage and measure performance with dedicated field experts.
What criteria should be used to decide between agency and in-house?
There is no single model. The choice depends on a number of factors:
1. Frequency and regularity of transactions
Regular operations on a stable perimeter? In-house may be the answer. One-off, seasonal or random campaigns? An agency will save you time and increase efficiency.
2. Urgency and responsiveness
Do you have a campaign to launch quickly or an unexpected speaking engagement? The time it takes to recruit, train and deploy an in-house team can be an obstacle. An agency can be mobilised immediately.
3. Geographical area to be covered
Where your in-house teams are concentrated on priority sectors, our agency can provide additional support in regions with less coverage, with the same high standards of quality.
4. Expected level of management and reporting
An experienced agency provides integrated monitoring tools, real-time feedback from the field and personalised summaries. It frees you from time-consuming operational management.
5. Return on investment target
In-house involves fixed costs and HR inertia. Agency costs are controlled, adjustable and measurable, and directly linked to results on the ground.
Why more and more brands are combining the two
The current trend is towards a hybrid approach. Rather than choosing between in-house and outsourced point-of-sale marketing agencies, sales and trade marketing departments are combining the two models.
Examples:
- The in-house team manages key brands, while the branch covers white areas
- The agency reinforces its in-house staff during busy periods (Christmas, back-to-school, launch)
- The in-house team embodies the brand, while the agency ensures execution and coverage.
This model ensures commercial continuity while retaining flexibility, without sacrificing quality or responsiveness.
This trend is confirmed by recent studies in the sector, which highlight the growing expectations of brands for more flexible, controllable and results-oriented field systems. This hybrid approach is all the more relevant as it reflects the new expectations of supermarket brands in terms of operational flexibility, return on investment and execution on the ground, as highlighted by the specialist press. (source: LSA)
What KPIs can you use to monitor your actions in the field?
Whatever the model chosen, the success of a field activation depends on its ability to be measured and adjusted. Indicators to monitor :
- Coverage rate of planned points of sale
- Volume of resales or orders generated
- Number of qualified interactions or leads collected
- Photos, feedback, qualitative data from the field
- Breakage rate, level of promotion, compliance with PDL
An agency like SIG provides these elements in a customised dashboard that is easy to read and use for your regional management, KAM or trade marketing managers.
Which sectors benefit most from outsourcing?
Field outsourcing is particularly effective in the following sectors:
- FMCG / SUPERMARKETS product launch, anti-breaking, DN/DV, dramatisation
- Pharmacy : advice, customer education, product awareness
- High-tech demonstration, sales support, training
- DIY / Gardening heavy layout, restocking, highlighting
- Telecoms / Services lead qualification, telesales, customer follow-up
In these channels, the agility, specialisation and responsiveness of an operational marketing agency are real assets.
How do you choose the right operational marketing agency?
A good operational marketing agency is a reliable, experienced partner with a long-term commitment. Here are a few selection criteria:
- Sector expertise and knowledge of distribution channels
- Team quality (training, management, loyalty)
- Ability to provide actionable reporting
- Close monitoring and support
- Solid customer references and assignments similar to yours
Service Innovation Group France combines these criteria with a results-oriented culture, a consultative approach and the ability to rapidly activate all types of field systems.
Conclusion: ask the right questions at the right time
The right model is not always internal or external. It's the one that meets your business challenges, your deadlines and your objectives.
Before choosing, ask yourself these questions:
- What is the real commercial objective of the operation?
- Do I have the capacity to deploy quickly?
- Is my team trained, available and adapted?
- Can I measure the precise impact on the ground?
What if the best solution was simply to rely on a trusted partner, capable of bringing your strategy to life on the ground with method, efficiency and commitment?
Find out how our expertise sales force can reinforce your actions on the ground. Let's discuss it now!
