What is the difference between in-house firms and agencies? Not many people know the difference between the two. When deciding which kind of advertising team for your business to use, choosing between in-house or agency firms is an important decision.
Agency
In agencies, you are working with a variety of clients for a variety of different projects within different industries. Because of this, agencies gain valuable experience from each project they do. An agency is built to form a team of strong marketers. An agency is able to take their experiences with other clients to benefit your business.
For businesses, working with a local agency gives you access to resources you won’t have with in-house marketing. Agencies are experts in marketing and are a strong asset to have. With the multitude of resources and experience, an agency can take your business far. They know the ins and outs of the local market and can cater that to your business’s needs. Partnering with an agency will make them an extension of your company and a partner to success.
Pros
An important pro to agency teams includes the various perspectives and different opinions from different people. The outside eyes will help ensure that each decision being made is appropriate. People in agency work are experts and can help you find the missing pieces or gaps in projects created by in-house teams. An agency can bring in creative new ideas because they are working with the best talent in their business.
Cons
One con of an agency can be slow communication. Because they are working with so many clients, sometimes the volume of requests can pile up. However, this is why many agencies have an Account Coordinator. This helps in ensuring all clients are heard and their needs are met.
There are many more benefits of working with a marketing agency. After thorough research, you might decide this is the path for you and your business!
In-House
An in-house firm is a part of one company that has its own clients within the company. In-house relies on an internal marketing team. A benefit to having an in-house firm is that they get to know the ins and outs of your company well. An in-house marketing team is a part of your company, giving them insight into how you work, the processes in place, and the specifics of your services. An in-house marketing firm will only do marketing for your company, unlike an agency that will have many clients.
Pros
Pros for having in-house marketing include being able to work within the company you do marketing for. For example, Auburn University has in-house marketing for its sports team. While they will still work with other larger agencies, their team focuses mainly on just Auburn athletics. This allows the team to really get to know the ins and outs of Auburn athletics.
Cons
Maintaining in-house firms can be expensive. When working with an in-house team, sometimes outside perspectives get lost. Without the outside perspectives from an agency, potential controversies can be missed. For example, the company that created the Pepsi commercial with Kendall Jenner missed some controversial content. Because of the horrible backlash from this commercial, the company had to rebuild its relationships with its customers. Value is important and the cheapest option is almost always a bad one. You should be choosing the right firm based on your needs and what is better for you.
How to decide?
Deciding between in-house and agency marketing can ultimately end up being based on your personality and what you need. If you need outside sources, more options, and different perspectives, a marketing agency might be the right choice for you. The MarketingDive dives into other various reasons why or why not in-house teams are better.
How we can help!
At Inner Spark Creative, we are a full-service agency that can help you with all of your needs. We are not just a marketing vendor, but your partner. Whether it’s website design, graphic design, or social media, we will find a service that fits your needs perfectly because we want your business to succeed. With our experience with various different companies, we know the ins and outs of what works for marketing. We are experts in the market and are up to date on all of our services. Contact us to get started today!