The world of selling is in constant flux. New technology and AI are gaining momentum, consumers are digesting information in recent ways, and consumer trends are continuously shifting. Brands and firms are examining budgets and marketing spend and taking a re-assessment at their ad agency retainers and consolidating right down to fewer agencies.
It’s no surprise that 66% of brands now have in-house agencies and one other 21% are considering one.
We understand the appeal and see it from each side. We’re co-leaders of an account team supporting 31 brands at D3, the in-house creative agency at PepsiCo Foods US. But we didn’t start in-house; we bring a combined 20+ years of agency experience to our roles.
From where we sit, the most effective approach isn’t either-or — it’s about the most effective of each worlds.
External agencies bring a fresh perspective that comes from working across industries and clients, spotting trends early, and operating with an agency energy (from our own experience, fueled by late nights and caffeine) that keeps the creative ideas flowing.
The biggest advantage of an in-house team is being embedded within the brand. Working side by side with brand teams earns in-house agency members a creative seat on the table and a hand within the splendidly messy process that’s creative ideation. They’re seen as a partner because all success is shared success. Everyone hears the identical leadership messages, attends the identical town halls and is incentivized to realize the identical business goals, unlike external agencies.
While we service our brands in a capability much like an external agency, what we love about being in-house is that we feel like we’re within the club. We’re in the identical constructing, we sit in the identical meetings, we share the identical email handle. It creates an inherent trust and camaraderie with our brand teams that we couldn’t get from the skin and that constant “peek behind the scenes” we at all times wanted after we were agency-side.
At the identical time, nothing in-house can replicate the range of brands and categories and exposure you could get in an external agency. In an agency, you would possibly craft a campaign for baby food someday and quickly shift gears the subsequent day to deal with air fryers. Plus, being in the identical constructing can have its downsides. It’s easy for an internal client to run right into a D3 team member within the hall and give us verbal feedback as a substitute of going through traditional channels like email. That triggers a flurry of running around attempting to keep deadlines straight, changes synched up and everyone on the identical page.
Having a seat on the table lets us have an effect from the beginning. For example, our close relationship with our Quaker Chewy brand team and our participation in consumer immersions helped us understand and contribute to redefining the brand for today’s parents, who want to present their kids the liberty to make good decisions. This directly inspired the brand new Unleash the Imagination creative platform, which showcases the facility of imagination by seamlessly mixing the world of make-believe with reality, including the brand new ‘Heist’ industrial.
An in-house agency also can fast-track processes in ways external agencies simply can’t access. For our Women’s World Cup sponsorship, we presented a number of rounds of creative that just didn’t quite land, however the project needed to maintain moving. The brand team gave us the green light to interact a production partner and director to assist us craft a TVC spot we had written but not tested. With the brand team’s trust in us, we hurried and made decisions on the spot. Direct access to decision-makers yielded quick approvals and sped up the launch of a timely, powerful campaign and TVC – ‘Taste of Greatness.’
The Best Model Blends Both Worlds
The strongest in-house agencies don’t merely cut costs; they carry in talent with agency experience and construct a culture of creativity, speed, and collaboration. Here are a number of ways to borrow best practices from the most effective ad agencies:
- Advocate for a seat on the table early, when the brand and insights teams meet.
- Pick the brains of your ex-agency employees concerning the technique of how an awesome idea involves life – they’ve undergone that boot camp.
- Brilliant ideas can come from anywhere. Ignore the org charts and titles while you’re gathering the troops for a brainstorm.
- Encourage thick skin. Agency life requires moving past ideas which can be non-starters and quickly generating ten good ones.
- Stay inspired by investing in learning — Cannes case studies, trade media subscriptions, the most effective work of top agencies. You pick.
- Move on the speed of culture by continuously tracking trends and embracing recent tech.
- Make it fun. Say no to rigid corporate culture and yes to things like “meeting theater.” That could appear like your account team presenter showing up in a brand mascot costume. (We’re you, Chippy).
Just remember, it’s not either-or. It’s the most effective of all worlds for this creative sprint we’re all living. We value our agency life experience and are grateful for the mentorship we proceed to receive from agency people we’ve worked with. Now we get the proper hybrid – an in-house agency drawing on talent from many top agencies that’s designed to deliver good ideas and award-winning work, quickly and cost-efficiently. Our close relationship with the PepsiCo Foods brands will help shape the longer term of creative for every thing we support. It’s our secret sauce, but one we’re comfortable to share with any company or brand.
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