Ocean protection is a race against the clock so time is of the essence. Still, it can be challenging to move fast when you're having to juggle the day-to-day operations of your organisation with the endless stream of tasks required to effectively communicate your mission. That's why recruiting outside help can make an ocean of a difference.

Here are five reasons why partnering with a specialized agency can be a game-changer (and also a few reasons why it might not).

Save time to do more of what matters

As an ocean advocate, your skills and passion are needed where they can make the biggest splash. By handing off your communication tasks to an agency, you can free up your time to focus on the world-changing work that only you can do. Let us handle the nitty-gritty of consistently creating new content and keeping your media presence on point, while you double down on the crucial tasks only you can do.

Keep up with the ever-changing media tides

‍The media world is always evolving, and staying on top of the latest trends and best practices can feel like a never-ending task. Agencies work with lots of different clients, giving us a wide-angle view and a deep understanding of what works and what doesn't across various industries. By tapping into this expertise, you can make sure your communication strategy is always ahead of the curve, without needing a massive in-house team.

Tap into a treasure trove of specialized skills

‍From eye-catching graphic design and smooth event management to powerful documentary filmmaking, effective communication often requires a great variety of specialized skills. While you can certainly learn these skills yourself, teaming up with an agency gives you instant access to those results in a snap. This means you can create impactful, professional-grade content without the steep learning curve or the need tojuggle a whole lot of freelancers.

Track your impact so you can show it off

If you’re in the ocean conservation space, chances are that your communication efforts are a huge part of your value proposition. So it's crucial to show the difference they're making. An agency can help you streamline your operations, set up tracking systems, and define key performance indicators to measure your success. By regularly reporting on these metrics, you can showcase the value of your work to your team, partners, and funders, and make data-driven decisions to fine-tune your efforts.

Get environmental-centric advice‍

The ocean is a one-of-a-kind subject that requires a deep understanding of its unique challenges and opportunities. Generic marketing tactics often miss the mark when it comes to effectively communicating marine issues. By collaborating with a specialized agency, you can leverage their network and industry benchmarks to craft messages that finally hit home with your target audience and drive real change.

Is hiring external comms always the right move? Certainly not. If you have the means to grow and upskill your existing team, if communications aren't a crucial main driver of momentum for your organization, or if you're still working on nailing down your audience and value proposition, you might want to hold off on bringing in an agency.

But if you do feel like your organization could benefit from professional comms support, we at Meridian would be thrilled to be your partner.