MARKETING

Make yourself at home

When SmileDirectClub was founded in 2014, it—like most startups—moved quickly to get the business off the ground. 

SmileDirectClub CMO John Sheldon told Marketing Brew the teeth straightening brand’s creative agency struggled to keep up. “The business changed so often that it was frankly challenging to work with an external agency. They couldn't follow all the twists and turns,” Sheldon said. After 15 months, Sheldon said SmileDirectClub decided to cut ties with the agency and take the majority of creative functions in-house. 

The brand’s decision is indicative of a 21st century marketing trend that's been picking up speed over the past couple of years. 

• A survey of 400 marketers released by Gartner last month found that 29% of work previously handled by agencies has moved in-house in the past year. 
• And a separate survey conducted by Gartner in 2020 revealed that marketers most commonly bring social marketing, creative production, and content marketing in-house. 

Why it matters: Marketers say internal creative teams benefit from being closer to the brand, meaning they can turn work around at a faster clip and have a better understanding of what’s needed. But in-housing isn’t necessarily a cheaper or more efficient option for marketers, especially ones who rely on agencies for a broader range of skill sets and expertise. 

Fast track

Marketers cite the speed and flexibility that come with cutting out the middleman as reasons for bringing creative capabilities in-house.

• Greg Wright, VP of content marketing at the Association of National Advertisers, told us that while in-house creative agencies used to be more the norm in sectors with lots of regulations and red tape—like financial services or pharmaceuticals—they’re now becoming increasingly common across the board.  
• “With digital marketing coming to the forefront, having somebody in-house who can quickly crop an image or do more advanced creative treatment to various assets has become very beneficial from a speed standpoint and a cost efficiency standpoint,” he explained.

Living in a digital world: Marie Lamonica is a client partner at We Are Rosie, a company that connects freelance marketing and advertising professionals with brands and agencies. She said the ad world’s increased need for agility is directly tied to the growth of digital marketing. 

“The pace at which you have to constantly update those digital assets—it's another reason to have your team in-house,” she told us. “You're constantly posting on social, you're constantly updating your website, so it makes more sense to have that person or that team sitting in the room. With the speed it takes to constantly update those assets, you need that person there.”  

Of course, there are downsides to in-housing. Sheldon pointed out that, while there are cost benefits to in-housing, expenses “find their way in, creeping up in other places.” And others told us that recruiting the right people can be a challenge, too. 

Click here to read more about the pros (and cons) of bringing creative functions in-house. —PB

PROGRAMMATIC

Not true

Brands are still spending literally billions of dollars to advertise on websites that spread misinformation, propagating election fraud conspiracies, anti-vax myths, and of course, fake news.

That’s according to an analysis conducted by NewsGuard, an organization that helps marketers avoid running ads on disreputable sites, and measurement company Comscore. 

• The two cross-referenced 7,500 sites to estimate digital ad spend. 
• The findings: 1.68% of display ad spend went to sites that NewsGuard considers “misinformation publishers.” According to the report, that equates to roughly *drumroll* $2.6 billion in global ad spend per year.

Now, most brands don’t want to be funding questionable sites, but they end up there through the mechanisms of programmatic advertising. NewsGuard crafts exclusion lists that brands can use to stop their ads from running on hoax sites and the like, but detractors say such lists can hinder the reach and scale of programmatic advertising. 

NewsGuard refutes this by pointing to a recent study it conducted with a “top brand advertiser” that found its tools helped the company lower CPMs while driving higher click-through rates. 

“There’s nothing necessarily wrong with programmatic advertising—the question is, who’s taking responsibility for where the ads are running?” NewsGuard co-CEO Gordon Crovitz told Marketing Brew. “Advertisers have assumed their brand safety companies have fixed this for them, but they haven’t. Misinformation requires human assessment.”—RB

SPONSORED BY ATTENTIVE

Marketers Operate on a Different Clock

While the rest of us are sweating out the dog days of summer, marketers are already thinking about the holidays—but not in terms of eggnog and gingerbread cookies. They’re gearing up for their best holiday SMS campaign yet.

For a successful Q4, the planning starts before the leaves change and the snow falls. And Attentive’s SMS Holiday Guide is making its big debut just in time. Featuring an interactive “village” experience packed with actionable advice, it’s got the tips you need to conquer the holiday season with confidence. 

So not only are you getting ahead of the most important time of year, you’ll also have a little winter-wonderland fun as you choose from three paths to holiday success, such as driving traffic to physical and online stores and increasing e-commerce revenue. 

Get the guide today and start planning.

AGENCIES

has another agency

The home of Mountain Dew Baja Blast has a new agency. On Thursday, Taco Bell said it’s chosen Los Angeles shop Cashmere as its “culture agency of record.”

• There are few details on what, exactly, Cashmere will work on; according to Taco Bell, the agency will help it “participate in culture in new ways.” The chain will continue working with its creative agency, Deutsch LA, per Ad Age. 
• Taco Bell CEO Mark King said “there’s no agency more well-equipped to build authentic connections with diverse and multiethnic audiences” in a statement.

Cashmere has worked with brands like DoorDash and Google, but many of its clients are in the entertainment space. It’s created social campaigns for shows like FXX’s Dave, HBO’s Insecure, and TNT’s Claws.

Adding Cashmere to its agency mix comes at a busy time for the chain. This year alone, Taco Bell has opened its first digital-only location in Times Square, debuted its first global campaign, and started redesigning its locations. 

$$: Last week, Taco Bell said its Q2 same-store sales were up 21% year over year. According to CNBC, the brand’s new loyalty program, which debuted in 2020, “has contributed to the growth of the brand’s digital sales.”—MS

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• Coca-Cola and State Farm are reevaluating deals with Activision Blizzard's Overwatch League, after a lawsuit accused the company of discrimination and sexual harassment.
• WPP said client spend on digital marketing and e-commerce has helped the holding company return to pre-pandemic growth rates more quickly than expected.
• The Washington Football Team will ban fans who show up dressed as its old mascot.
• Oreo opened a cafe at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey. We’re going.

SPONSORED BY TINYPULSE

Businesses are beggin’ for feedback. And TINYpulse has just the tools for organizations to better understand their employees through data driven insights. Since 2012, they’ve been helping companies improve their culture, increase employee retention, and enhance performance by promoting better communication, transparency, and recognition in the workplace. Real feedback makes a real difference. Sign up for TINYpulse today.

FRENCH PRESS

There are a lot of bad marketing tips out there. These aren't those.

TikTok: Did you hear about the app testing a Stories feature? You can read more about it here. 

Gifs: If you liked our piece on gif engine optimization (throwback, we know), you’ll love this how-to guide for making branded gifs.

Video: Is your company still into that whole “pivot to video” thing? Nod yes once, then look into these tips to help your Facebook videos get more engagement.  

Newsletter: The great plains of the internet reach far and wide. Roaming them solo would be hard, but also just boring! Say hey to Sidekick, our spunky newsletter sliding into your inbox with the internet’s best recs for smarter living. Entertainment. Productivity hacks. Recipes. Sidekick will level up your quality of life, one rec at a time. Subscribe here.

ICYMI

Catch up on a few Marketing Brew stories you might have missed.

• ‘Back to normal’ ads don’t feel so normal after revised CDC guidance
• B2B digital advertising spend is growing, says eMarketer
• As Covid cases rise, will production feel the impact?

AD TECH COMPANY OR MUPPET?

There are a lot of questionably named companies in the murky marketing universe. So here’s a game: Two of these are real ad tech companies. Three are Muppets. Can you find them? Keep scrolling for answers.

1. RapLeaf
2. Gonzo
3. Zoot
4. Tango
5. YuMe

AD TECH COMPANY OR MUPPET ANSWERS

You probably guessed Gonzo, and Zoot plays sax in the Electric Mayhem. Sesame Street just introduced Elmo’s new puppy, Tango, because even Muppets got a dog during the pandemic.