Brands rethink their in-housing plans after tactic was 'put on ice' amid pandemic

Turns out, it’s too expensive, too complicated and too political for many companies to do the in-housing trend at real scale. Especially when so many businesses are trying to wrangle costs, not inflate them, during a global economic downturn. The pandemic’s knock to the economy forced many marketers to live hand-to-mouth and the flexibility offered by agencies proved to be critical to survival. Read more below.

• Brands had begun in-housing efforts before the pandemic put those plans on ice. The strategy shift has worked in agencies favor, as brands are returning to their shops to guide marketing efforts.
• For Digiday+ members, marketers and agency execs are taking more care with the language and strategy of campaigns due to the politicization of the vaccine.
• Pandemic stress and new legalization led to a lift in cannabis use last year and businesses have pivoted to adapt to those trends with new marketing.
• Despite their many benefits, instant-messaging tools like Slack have contributed to burnout over the last year — leading some businesses to drop them entirely.
• Substack is now a full-time job for Emily Atkin and her subscriber base has grown large enough for her to hire her first employee.
• Despite regulatory challenges, brands in the CBD beauty market are forging ahead as demand for the products remains promising.
• Also for Digiday+ members, Digiday’s Gaming Advertising Forum invited industry insiders and thought leaders from brands, gaming platforms and ad tech companies to take the industry’s pulse.