Problem Solved #22: As in-housing is accelerates, agencies carve out a role for themselves
To mark the launch of our new manifesto – setting out The Drum’s editorial mission to help readers solve their problems – we’re christening today Solutions Day on thedrum.com. And to set the tone, over the course of 24 hours our team of worldwide journalists will be spotlighting 24 recent examples of times when our industry demonstrated its remarkable talent for solving problems.
Problem Solved #22: As in-housing is accelerates, agencies carve out a role for themselves
Problem: Brands are increasingly bringing creative services in-house.
Solution: Agencies must support a pivot towards internal talent with their own specialisms, the power of an outsider’s perspective and allure of the ‘big idea’.
As in-housing gains momentum, challenges and opportunities are emerging for external agencies. We explore what they are and how agencies can make the most of this shift:
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The benefits of an in-house team: an intimate knowledge of the brand, faster output, more control and less cost – especially when it comes to production.
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The benefits of an external team: an outsider perspective rooted in culture, as well as skillsets that are often too expensive for a brand to build from scratch. And then, there’s the holy grail: ’the big idea’.
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Key elements for agency success include: being passionate about the brand, egoless, pushing the in-house agency to achieve excellence.
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Additionally, work to create smaller teams on both sides to avoid politics and don’t be afraid to swim out of your lane if you’ve got a great idea.
“We are looking for really deep collaboration,” says Zachary Sheffield, Sheetz’s creative manager, who runs the company’s in-house agency.
“We want an agency that challenges our assumptions, our points of view and comes to us with big strategy.”
Read more Problem Solved articles in our Solutions Day hub.