The IPA advises agencies to stop treating in-housing like a threat and instead ‘shift’ their operations accordingly in its ‘Shift Happens’ report.
The report uses in-housing research alongside in-depth interviews with agencies, intermediaries, new entrants, in-house organisations, procurement specialists and clients to understand the four ‘key shifts’ affecting in-housing today.
These shifts were as follows:
- A shift has emerged in media spend from campaigns to always-on experiences
- In-housing has now become an established part of the marketing mainframe
- In-housing has moved from being focused purely on functional efficiency to incorporating more business-building capabilities
- Clients are now increasingly looking for agencies to act as ‘integrated partners’ as opposed to just offering ‘exclusive expertise’.
It finds that agencies need to adapt to these changing patterns if they wish to continue to deliver brand growth amid the increasing importance of in-housing within the sector.
“In-housing has been with us for many years and has become an integral part of the marketing ecosystem,” IPA chair of commercial leadership group and OMD UK chief operating officer, Sam Byron, said.
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“As this new report advises, for agencies to ensure they remain critical players in the marketing ecosystem of the future, they must continually assess the changing requirements and indeed capabilities of their clients – so as to better deliver complementary services, expertise and essentially incremental value.’’
Markwick Consulting founder and CEO, Janet Markwick, added: “With evolution comes opportunities for growth. The old, linear processes are now dynamic, providing additional opportunities to deliver creative work. Agencies who embrace the power of technology to transform their businesses will be the ones who survive and thrive.”
