What if cost savings, once the top KPI for in-house agencies, is no longer the north star? According to the ANA, the percentage of marketers citing cost savings as the primary KPI for in-housing fell from 69% in 2018 to 62% in 2023.
Yet, the in-housing trend isn’t slowing down. It’s maturing.
At Flock, we’ve seen the shift first-hand: from simple cost-cutting initiatives to strategic ecosystem design, rooted in future-fit operating models, technology, and team enablement. 82% of ANA members now report having in-house agencies (up from 78% in 2018), and 66% of major multinationals already operate in-house teams—with 21% considering building one soon.
🌟 Five Benefits of In-House Teams Marketers Can’t Ignore
- Greater Control Over Brand Messaging
In-house teams sit closer to the brand, enabling more aligned, consistent storytelling. - Speed & Agility
Internal teams can deliver assets faster than external agencies, unlocking competitive advantage in today’s fast-paced environment. - Cost Efficiency
When executed well, in-house production yields significant savings for lower-complexity assets. - Seamless Integration
Working shoulder-to-shoulder with internal stakeholders enhances collaboration, cohesion, and efficiency. - Capability Development
In-house agencies are increasingly strategic and include brand, creative, and media capabilities.
⚠️ Five Common In-Housing Challenges
- Talent & Retention
Recruiting the right skill sets—and keeping them engaged—is no small feat. - Management & Governance
In-house teams often struggle without clear scope, leadership alignment, and ways of working (WOW). - Scope Creep
Without clearly defined boundaries, in-house teams risk becoming overextended. - Quality Control
A lack of creative tension can sometimes compromise creative excellence. - Reversibility
Many organisations underestimate the complexity of transitioning back or evolving the model.
🧭 One Size Does Not Fit All: Define Your Vision First
There’s no singular blueprint for success. Whether you’re considering a full-stack creative hub, hybrid production, or centre of excellence—defining your in-housing vision and desired business outcomes is critical.
At Flock, we ask the big questions:
- What are your core business drivers for in-housing?
- What KPIs should your internal agency be measured against?
- How should work be triaged between in-house and external partners?
- What is your organisation’s appetite for building vs. buying capability?
These aren’t just questions—they’re the foundation of our In-Housing BRED Framework, assessing Benefits, Risks, Enablers, and Dependencies of any model.
🛠 How Flock Helps: Tailored, End-to-End In-Housing Transformation
At Flock, we don’t just recommend models. We build them.
We’ve supported marketing transformation through in-housing—from strategy and vision to execution and optimisation.
Our in-housing services include:
- Vision
- Scope definition
- Model development
- Governance & ways of working design
- Martech & AI alignment
- BRED business case creation
- Stakeholder alignment
- Talent acquisition (with our partners)
- Pitch support and agency benchmarking
- Full implementation & optimisation roadmap & change management support
We future-proof ecosystems with agile and pragmatic solutions that flex with your needs—not off-the-shelf models.
📩 Want to explore your in-housing opportunity?
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