To in-house or not to in-house, that is STILL the question.

Recently there has been another round of trade press articles about the dilemma many marketing organizations face: how to build a successful in-house operation.

The answer is that there are many, many organizations that have built highly successful in-house operations that do work varying from social to creative to media, and more. Clorox has a terrific, award winning in-house agency called the Electro Creative Workshop. Verizon has built it’s in house agency, Verizon 140, into a creative and production powerhouse. Before Intel shut it down to save money, Intel’s in-house “Agency Inside” was the most awarded in-house agency in the world.

Yet, as the article from our friends at Campaign outlines, there is still too many organizations where there is a lack of alignment about the role of an in-house agency, and what is needed to support its success.

“Lack of alignment regarding the remit and functional focus of IHAs may also be holding these teams back. Within the past two years, 65 percent of IHAs have undergone some sort of reorganization. And, while 78 percent reported having a clear mission, purpose and/or objective within their respective companies, 42 percent of marketers are unaware of what the IHA’s mission, purpose and/or objective is.”

To think that almost half of marketers aren’t sure what the mission of the IHA is should be frightening. No other major initiative within a corporation would go forward without this.

At Flock Associates we have spent many years working with brands large and small to understand what is needed, both strategically and functionally to build and maintain a successful in-house entity.

At a minimum, we strive to work with our clients to ensure that there are open and collaborative internal discussions about the support system needed. Leadership, HR, Finance, Recruiting, Tech, all play a pivotal role in helping an in-house agency to build an organization that is “fit for the future.” One that will have a long-lasting impact of the success of the company and its brands, all while also delivering an exceptional experience for the individuals who decided to join the company in new, exciting, and impactful roles.