In-Housing And Talent The Focus For Global CMOs

Today, global media advisor MediaSense publishes the Media 2020 & Beyond report, which finds marketing organisations are rapidly changing with 66 per cent of brands re-organising their internal operating model for media.

The report, which surveyed over 200 marketers, and interviewed 30 global CMOs and Agency leaders, found 59 per cent of brands are planning to bring more media functions in-house, with 42 per cent intending to do their own communications planning, 27 per cent intent on carrying out their own programmatic buying and 17 per cent considering in-housing media buying.

However, agencies that invest in automation, and provide more specialist capabilities are well positioned to thrive.

Although 61 per cent of brands surveyed were actively looking to review their agency model, all brands intend to keep a media partner.

The study finds misconceptions around in-housing, with brands settling on the in-housing solution that fits with their internal capability and culture.

There is a wide spectrum of media operating models which can be categorised into five relationship archetypes:

Natural Insourcers – highly centralised D2C businesses owning the technical and data management expertise to execute biddable media and serve dynamic content.
Adaptive Insourcers – legacy organisations with significant global marketing spend and internal human resource, which are on a marketing transformation mission.
Elective Collaborators – D2C businesses with the resources and capability to in-source but electing instead for a hybrid client/agency model.
Natural Collaborators – traditional but resource-strapped organisations based in or near a global city hub which embrace co-location to become more agile.
Committed Outsourcers – large, legacy businesses that are committed in the medium term to outsourcing.

With in-housing on the rise, brands, agencies, media owners and platforms are all competing for the same scarce talent.

Brands have identified talent and media capability as a source of competitive advantage and many are building career paths for the growing numbers of specialists in their organisation, yet 62 per cent of marketers believe a skills shortage is holding them back.

MediaSense co-founder Andy Pearch summarises: “The findings show the risks and opportunities for CMOs and Agency leaders who are re-evaluating and re-designing their media operating models in response to the shift in the marketing landscape.

“But there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and many more challenges lie ahead for the brands on their journey to becoming more data-driven, agile and intelligent organisations.”

adidas global media director Simon Peel adds: “Media and marketing is changing at an incredible rate and disruption is taking place across sectors.

“Media 2020 demonstrates how investing in talent, technology and modernised working relationships will benefit all parties; brands, their partners and their consumers, and offers insights on some of the most pressing issues of the day.”

Advertise with us

Please login with linkedin to comment

Adidas agency MediaSense