A massive shift is happening in marketing right now, and if you're still relying 100% on agencies you might already be behind.

For decades, the default marketing model for brands has been to outsource creative, media buying, and strategy to external agencies. But today, more brands than ever are bringing their marketing in-house, taking back control of their data, creative, and media buying to move faster, cut costs, and drive better results.

According to ANA's 2023 Report, 82% of major brands now have in-house agencies—up from just 42% in 2008 (ANA, 2023). And we're not just talking small teams handling email or social. Unilever, Netflix, Bayer, Coca-Cola, and other giants are shifting entire media and creative operations in-house.

Here's what's fueling the trend:

• Cost efficiency: Brands are cutting millions in agency fees and getting more value for every dollar spent.
• Speed and agility: In-house teams move faster, eliminating agency bottlenecks and responding to market changes in real time.
• Full-funnel integration: In-house teams own the customer journey, ensuring seamless messaging across all channels.
• Better creative alignment: No more waiting on agencies to "get it"—your team lives and breathes your brand.
• Data ownership: First-party data is gold, and brands are taking full control.

But here's the kicker: In-housing alone isn't enough. The brands winning today aren't just taking control—they're leveraging predictive data and activating first-party data to fuel multichannel campaigns that actually connect with the right customers.

This playbook breaks down...

1. What in-housing is
2. How brands are using it successfully
3. How you can make in-housing marketing work for your brand
4. What pitfalls to avoid
5. How to build an in-house team

Let's dive in.

1. What Is In-Housing Marketing?

In-housing marketing means bringing key marketing functions inside your company instead of outsourcing them to agencies.

Those functions could be...

• Creative production: Designing ads, video, and branded content in-house
• Media buying: Running programmatic, paid search, and social ads internally
• Audience targeting & data strategy: Controlling customer insights, measurement, and campaign optimization
• Analytics and reporting: Owning the performance loop for faster, smarter decisions

But let's be clear: In-housing doesn't mean cutting out agencies completely. It's about owning your strategy and data while working with the right external partners in a way that makes sense for your business.

At its core, in-housing is about control—over your brand, your budget, and your customer insights. It lets you...

• Move faster by eliminating agency bottlenecks
• Optimize ad spend by reducing agency fees
• Own your customer data instead of renting it from platforms
• Ensure brand consistency across channels

So, if you're still relying 100% on agencies for execution, you're missing out on a huge competitive advantage.

2. The Three Main Models of In-Housing

Not every company needs to go all in on in-housing. Some brands just want more control over data and insights, whereas others want to take over everything from creative to programmatic media buying.

Here are the three most common models.

1. Fully In-Housed Marketing

This is the go-big-or-go-home model. Your company builds an internal team that handles everything—from strategy to execution—without relying on agencies for major services. Bayer, for example, cut programmatic media costs by $10M in six weeks by fully in-housing ad buying (Basis, 2024).

Best for: Large brands with $50M+ ad budgets that want total control over creative, media, and data.

Challenges: Requires major upfront investment in talent and tech. Needs strong leadership to build and scale.

2. Hybrid In-House Model

The hybrid model is all about owning your data and platforms while still working with agencies for execution and strategy. It gives you the best of both worlds—control over what matters most, with agency support for specialized needs. Netflix & Target manage programmatic ad buys internally but use agencies for creative strategy and execution.

Best for: Brands that want control but need expert agency support in certain areas.

Challenges: Hard to manage partnerships effectively without a clear structure; can lead to silos between internal teams and agencies.

3. Embedded In-House Model

This model integrates external agency talent inside your company. Agencies work directly alongside your in-house teams, bringing expertise without losing alignment. PepsiCo & Ford, for example, have embedded teams that work directly inside their marketing operations.

Best for: Brands that want agency expertise without the traditional client-agency friction.

Challenges: More expensive than full in-housing. Requires a strong culture fit between agency & brand teams.

3. Why In-Housing Works: The Biggest Benefits

If you're still debating whether in-housing is worth it, here's the reality: Brands that in-house successfully aren't just saving money—they're outperforming their competitors.

The companies leading the shift—Bayer, Netflix, P&G, AT&T—aren't just cutting agency fees; they're moving faster, making smarter decisions, and using predictive data to execute more effective campaigns.

But in-housing isn't just about doing everything internally—it's about owning what matters most: your data, creative, media buying, and customer insights.

Here's why the smartest brands in the world are making the move—and you can, too.

1. Cost Savings That Actually Add Up

This is the No. 1 reason brands move in-house. Agencies charge a premium, and cutting them out can save millions. AT&T, for example, saved $100M annually by in-housing programmatic (ANA, 2024).

Tactical tip: Don't just look at media buying fees—evaluate costs across creative, analytics, and tech platforms to see where you can cut expenses.

2. Data Ownership & Transparency

When agencies run your media, they own the data. That means...

• You don't know exactly where your budget is going.
• You can't properly measure ROI.
• You're relying on third-party reports instead of real insights.

In-housing means you control your audience data, measurement, and optimizations—instead of trusting an agency to do it for you.

Tactical tip: Try using predictive data (from companies like Skydeo and its 30,000+ data-driven audience segments) to enrich your first-party data and create smarter audience segments.

3. Faster Execution = More Agility

Want to launch a campaign in 24 hours instead of 4 weeks? In-house teams move at the speed of business, not agency timelines.

For example, Best Buy's in-house creative team can turn around full-scale campaigns in days instead of weeks (ANA, 2024).

Tactical tip: Invest in automation tools and workflow platforms to streamline production.

4. The Biggest Mistakes Brands Make With In-Housing

In-housing sounds like a dream: cut agency fees, take control, move faster. But if you jump in without a clear plan, you'll burn money, frustrate your team, and end up back with agencies—only now with less trust and higher costs.

The companies that fail at in-housing ignore the biggest risks—and they all fall into the same traps.

Here's a look at what NOT to do when building an in-house team:

1. Underestimating the learning curve. Taking over programmatic, data, and creative operations isn't easy. Many brands fail because they don't hire the right people.
2. Not leveraging predictive data. First-party data is gold, but without predictive data to enrich it, you're missing out on bigger insights.
3. Trying to do too much too fast. The best brands phase in-housing gradually—starting with data and insights, then moving into media and creative.

Tactical tip: Start by owning your data, then expand into execution.

5. How to Build a High-Performing In-House Team

You can't just fire your agency, hire a few marketers, and expect in-housing to work overnight.

Building an elite in-house team requires...

• The right talent—people who get creative, media buying, and data
• The right tools—tech that powers automation, optimization, and measurement at scale

If you nail these areas, you'll build an in-house team that outperforms agencies, drives growth, and delivers smarter marketing—without the traditional agency headaches.

Key roles you need to hire:

• Head of marketing owns the strategy & team structure.
• Media buyers run programmatic, social, and search ads.
• Creative directors and designers produce digital ads, video, and CTV content.
• Data analysts and scientists optimize audience targeting.

Tech stack for in-housing success:

• DSP (demand-side platform): e.g., The Trade Desk, Google DV360
• CDP (customer data platform): e.g., Segment, BlueKai
• Predictive audience data: e.g., Skydeo

But Is In-Housing Right for Your Brand?

Ask yourself:

• Do we spend $10M+ annually on media?
• Do we need greater control over our audience data?
• Are we struggling with slow campaign execution?
• Can we hire and retain top talent?

If you answered yes to most of those questions, in-housing may be the right move.

The Future of In-Housing Marketing

In-housing is not a trend—it's the new reality. Brands are bringing inside more functions—whether programmatic media, creative production, or data strategy—to drive efficiency, control, and performance.

The biggest brands in the world are proving that in-housing isn't just a passing trend—it's the new standard for modern marketing.

Brands like Bayer and AT&T are slashing costs and optimizing media buys. Companies like P&G and Netflix are taking full control of their data. Creative giants like Chobani and Unilever are producing faster, more effective content—in-house.

The takeaway? In-housing works—if you do it right. And if you fuel your team with the right data and insights to be successful.

More Resources on In-House Marketing vs. Marketing Agency

What to Keep In-House and When to Use an Agency: A Four-Part Decision Framework

In-House vs. Agency: The Path to Boosting Your In-House Marketing Team

Hire a Marketing Agency or Hire In-House Marketers: Which Is Right for You?

Social Media Staffing: Employee, Agency, or Consultant? The Pros and Cons of Hiring Each.