So you’ve no doubt heard the term ‘Demand Center’ thrown about over the last couple of years. It might’ve come up on a casual trawl through LinkedIn, or perhaps it popped up in one of those dime-a-dozen end of year future trend articles. Whatever the case, chances are you’re at least familiar with the term even if you not quite sure what it actually is. Well you’re not alone!
For a concept that is often heralded as ‘the future of Demand Generation’ (haven’t we all heard that before!), there is surprisingly little content out in the wild detailing just what the Demand Center is supposed to do. The good news is, we’re here to help, and hopefully this blog and guide will at the very least, offer a basic outline of the Demand Center’s capabilities.
What is a Demand Center?
Well at its simplest level, a Demand Center is a strategic model designed to connect and integrate technology, strategy and people throughout a business. It’s all about bringing pieces of a business together in a single location with educated decision makers at the forefront to effectively guide a company’s marketing function. With a centralised pool of experts covering marketing best practices in one-location, companies have the capability to develop world-class assets that assist and enhance campaign rollout on a global scale.
Why centralize?
At the heart of the Demand Center lies the concept of centralisation and the question, Why? Can a centralised approach really take into account the individual factors in play across a diverse range of regions or business units? Well the answer is yes it can. While there are certainly obstacles to overcome, centralisation as a concept presents massive opportunities for companies looking to scale their operation.
Standardisation is perhaps the greatest benefit of a centralised decision making unit. With a single team making internal strategic decisions across multiple regions, there is potential to take advantage of economies of scale and radically improve efficiency. Standardisation of process and technology opens the door to a whole new world and throws up the opportunity to reap the benefits of automation. With manual processes removed and replaced with automated alternatives, the manpower required to carry out a campaign is significantly reduced.
The benefits of a Demand Center
Any company involved in Demand Generation should have their nose firmly in the book of the Demand Center. The benefits of successful adoption are impossible to ignore…
- Refined Brand Consistency
- Improved Cost Control
- Centralised Decision Making
- Reduced Average Cost Per Lead
- Enhanced Process Development
- Optimised Content Value
With improved capability at a reduced cost investing in the Demand Center model opens up new opportunities on a global scale and has the potential to unlock hidden efficiencies in both marketing and sales operations.
For more insight on Demand Centers take a look at our guide; How to Build a Demand Center.