Using In-House Creative Resources vs Hiring an Agency
The battle between marketing agencies and in-house marketing departments has been fought for decades. Can’t we all just get along? Maybe I should win a Nobel Peace Prize just for asking this. But why choose one over the other? If you already have an in-house marketing team, I’d say you’d get a much stronger force by pairing them with a full-service marketing agency as allies, where there is success in numbers and great minds can think alike.
Some of our most enjoyable and successful relationships have been with clients that understood the value of extending their in-house capabilities through our marketing team. The benefits were mutual, enriching us all with more insight than we could have ever asked for.
Some of the disadvantages of relying solely on your in-house team can be a restraint on achieving your marketing goals. While your in-house team may have a more personal experience with your brand, an agency, especially one that specializes in your services, can be brought up to speed immediately. The advantages of working with a full-service, specialized marketing agency are numerous. Agencies like this understand your business and, bringing greater objectivity, an open mind and knowledge gained from similar clients in other markets, can add a totally new perspective. Due to the large volume of work we produce, an agency such as ours would also bring an arsenal of top-rated talent and robust partnerships at discounted prices.
While an in-house department often gets settled in its ways, agencies are usually more fearless and unique in their approaches. In fact, the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) reported the biggest challenges that in-house agencies faced in 2013 were staying on top of key trends (it was cited as a disadvantage 45% of the time in 2013, up from 36% in 2008) and the lack of creative innovation (which increased to 43% from 34%).
Oftentimes in-house departments are stretched thin, creating different marketing elements for each service line or hospital within a system. A collaboration between the two teams, working as one, not only consolidates the managing process but allows you to focus on a complete brand marketing campaign. Adding a full-service agency can give you the advantage of a complete value package, including SEO strategy, Marketing and Advertising Campaign Management, Brand Development, Analytics and Media-buying clout.
Vince DeMarinis
Vince DeMarinis is a Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Brown Parker & DeMarinis Advertising. A graduate of the prestigious Portfolio Center in Atlanta, Vince has spent his career building a strong relationship with an army of creative and strategic leading talent. Focusing on healthcare since the creation of BPD, his creative experience from a wide range of regional and national accounts has earned him numerous awards, including Clios, 2x Addys Best of Show, Mark of Excellence Awards, a profile in Create Magazine and work in Advertising Age, Creativity, Adweek and Healthcare Advertising Review.