Tempted to launch or rebrand your new initiative internally? There are DIY products and services for everything these days, and while they may be enticing, we ask you to consider the immortal words of Vanilla Ice:  “Stop, Collaborate and Listen.”

Is DIY cheaper and easier? Yes and no. Better? You be the judge.

Pros for using a creative team as your partner

• Worldly Thinkers: The ability to see and articulate the overall initiative as well as its individual parts.
• Marketing Gurus: Understanding the analytics and the target market, plus what it takes to reach them.
• Creative Virtuosos: Allowed to spend all day thinking about the most effective way to communicate a message.
• Tech Wizards: Trained in the art of design and production software. No copies of Web Design for Dummies to be found.
• Idea Executioners: It’s not enough to have a good idea. A creative team consists of implementation experts, turning strategy into action.
• Chameleons: No matter the medium, there’s an ability to consistently adapt a campaign to any situation.
• Sprinters: A team’s ability to thrive under accelerated turnaround times allows you to think about your weekend.

Cons for Doing It Yourself

• X = Inexperience: When designing internally, it’s easy to overlook some variables that can come back to bite you. A team’s attention to detail can be your safety net.
• Hitting the Mark:  Making the right decisions is often difficult. Having a collaborative team to bounce ideas around with helps ensure that only the most original and creative ideas make the cut.
• Clone Wars: DIY web templates and pre-fab logo designs are cookie-cutter approaches. Your brand needs to stand out in the crowd!
• Teamwork FTW: There’s a long list of to-do’s! A team has the manpower and passion to spend long hours executing the campaign strategy, letting you get back to the business of running your business.

So, when it comes time to launch your product, reposition the company, create a new marketing campaign, or update the website, STOP and think which approach will serve you better in the long run, then COLLABORATE with a team of creatives that will LISTEN to what you want, and knows what is needed and bring the initiative to life.