In-house advertising is becoming more frequent in Corporate America. A recent study found that 82% of ANA members now have an in-house agency for some marketing services, compared to 78% in 2018 and 58% in 2013. However, media planning and buying still represents “the final frontier for in-house agencies,” according to the report. Karolina Tuszewicka, the Head of Media for LATAM at HP Inc, was involved in the in-housing process for HP NA and is currently establishing a full-scale in-house agency for HP LATAM.
In-house advertising, the system of product promotion and advertising executed by members of that product’s firm rather than an
external advertising agency, is here to stay despite being a headache and even a nightmare for many brand marketers. To understand the challenges presented by moving advertising in-house, Portada talked to Karolina Tuszewicka,
HP Inc. invested US $696 million U.S. dollars in advertising in 2022, according to Statista.
Market research is done with an in-house insights team that supports marketing; for other research, e.g., media research on particular topics (e.g., consumer media behavior), HP works with media agencies. “Media agencies possess exceptional skills and tools that assist us in identifying the right audiences and channels for our media campaigns. We consider them an extension of our team, helping us with overall market strategy, innovation, and the execution of traditional media. However, most of the digital media planning and buying is done by our in-house team. “
In-housing Advertising: What HP Wanted to Accomplish
Full control over data, media buying transparency, fast go-to-market activation, are the main pros for in-housing advertising.
First, it’s critical to understand what a brand or company wants to achieve by in-housing advertising. “We desired complete control over our data for reporting and the utilization of consented data for targeting. Transparency in the media we purchase holds great significance for us. Moreover, having an in-house team would enable us to be more agile and expedite go-to-market activations. An in-house team exclusively concentrates on delivering top-notch media performance for HP and consistently prioritizes what is best for our business,” Tuszewicka explains.
An in-house team is solely focused on developing best-in-class media performance for HP and always doing what is best for our business.
How the In-House Advertising Team at HP is Organized
Tuszewicka asserts that HP’s media buying and planning division has five units: planning, social, programmatic, search, and retail media.
Asked what unit is in charge of an initiative like branded content on a specific website, she answers, “We started as a heavy programmatic team, but right now, we execute all media. Our teams are planning and negotiating direct buys and sponsorships with partners. Where would it fall? That depends on resources and expertise within our teams, but usually, our planning team helps to lead.”
She also explains that the “planning team is responsible for bringing all disciplines together to meet the overall objectives. Our planners are more than planners; they are also project managers. We work as one team and are usually split by business units or specific campaigns.”
Our planners are more than planners; they are also project managers.
Offline media is bought and planned by external agencies. Asked how offline media planning and buying insights are integrated into the in-house digital organization, Tuszewicka replies that HP works very closely with its partner agencies. “The idea is that based on the campaign objectives, our team and our agencies determine the right media mix that includes offline. We also rely on agencies’ planning expertise and access to many tools we may not have internally.”
KPI’s for In-House Advertising
We saw a 20% increase in viewability.
Advice for Fellow Brand Marketers
What advice does Tuszewicka give fellow marketers on implementing in-house media planning and buying? “First, hire great talent who can help build the practice! Adjust to the company’s needs as this is the only successful way to make a difference; having an internal team allows for that. Continuous relationships with external agencies and media partners are crucial for us to have a strong planning and activation practice in-house. Don’t forget that building an in-house practice is more than just media – we had to establish dedicated finance and procurement teams to help negotiate contracts, build financial infrastructure, and get invoices paid.”
Continuous relationships with external agencies and media partners are crucial for us to have a strong planning and activation practice in-house.
Be a Self-Starter: A Key Feature of an In-house Advertising Team Member
figure out how to do things. Clear answers aren’t always readily available. In the long run, someone needs to have a genuine passion for the business and a sincere desire to see the company thrive.”
Building an in-house team entails ambiguity, problem-solving, and figuring out how to do things.
Latin America, The Last Region to be In-Housed
Tuszewicka expects the Latin American in-housing process to be finished by the end of the year; “We are super excited to launch
in LATAM. We are finalizing our staffing and hoping to be up and running by the end of the year! There is a lot of opportunity in this growing market, and HP plans to deliver some cool advertising work led by our fantastic LATAM Marketing team! Stay tuned!.”
The Latin American market exhibits distinct characteristics that will be reflected in how HP organizes its in-house advertising unit for the region. “In my view, the countries within LATAM are highly diverse, necessitating the presence of appropriate planning resources. Market
expertise is crucial. The way we promote our products in LATAM varies from other markets, and our media strategy must align with these differences. Nonetheless, activation can be more streamlined and centralized,” Tuszewicka concludes.
