Here are a few pros of keeping advertising in-house:
One-point contact: Businesses work with different advertising agencies over a period of time. As a result, their brand assets get scattered among these different ad agencies. Getting access, when the need arises, to the assets becomes cumbersome.
Same Values: An in-house agency is part of the organization, and it shares the same set of cultural and organizational values as the business does. Reflecting these in its promotions and messages comes naturally.
Brand Management: More importantly, managing the brand with an in-house agency is more convenient. Different ad campaigns with different ad agencies do not converge synergistically, and the brand focus gets lost.
Sharing classified information: A business is more confident when sharing classified information about its product with its in-house agency. As a result, the in-house team has a better understanding of the product and requirements for the campaign.
That being said, outsourcing to an advertising agency has its own merits:
Specialization: Advertising agencies are specialists in their fields. And like any other specialist, ad agencies have access to updated information on the best media and business vendors. This ensures the best quality in minimal time and cost.
Expertise: Hundreds of projects go in and out of advertising agencies on a regular basis. Because of their exhaustive portfolios, agencies are in constant touch with reality. They know what does or doesn't click with the consumer. Their wildest guesses have more potential to hit the target than anyone else's. In-house agencies are more hit-and-miss.
Task Management: Advertising and promotion encompass numerous activities from developing the company's logo to creating its marketing and sales collaterals, print advertisements, TV commercials, tradeshows, and company presentations. An advertising agency has dedicated teams who work together on a project. For an in-house agency, employing separate teams may not be economical, as the volume of work may not justify this.
Choosing between an in-house agency and an outside ad agency is a trade-off between the needs and resources of an organization. Self-introspection is the key to making a winning decision for any business!
