As clients increasingly build in-house marketing teams, agencies still play a crucial role in supporting these evolving structures. Agencies are encouraged to collaborate with clients to enhance in-house capabilities by providing specialized skills, tools, and insights that are otherwise difficult to acquire internally. The focus should be on mutual benefit and strategic partnerships to address gaps in client teams and drive effective outcomes.

1. What do
teams need from their
agencies
... thoughts on how to partner with
client that are growing their in-house
capabilities
client in-house
Alex Spyrou, Head of Digital
Marketing & Engagement, Bupa
in 2016?

2. There is a growing trend of
clients building
in-house teams
....but there is still a key role for agencies to play in this
situation.
Very few digital & marketing
teams can function effectively without
specialist agencies

3. Client teams are
expanding rapidly.......
“.....we’ve grown from 3
to 14....”“there are 6 of us in PPC now, before
it was just me.
”
people in digital marketing....”
“.....in the last 2 years we’ve gone from 10 to 23

4. What is fuelling this ‘trend’?
finance
Company
knowledge
Poor business
performance
Stakeholder
management 100% of focus
Complex
business setup
Alignment with
internal teams
Channel
management
Team grows naturally:
Intentional move from
outsourcing model:

5. where can agencies
to these types
of clients?
add value

7. Digi Mktg
Mgr
SEO
Mgr
Content
Mktg
Exec
Bupa In-house
SEO team
BD AD AM AE
Content
Mgr
Tech
Content
Exec
agency
Strategist Data
Digi
Content
Editors
Health
Content
Editors
Group
Content
Mgr
Delivery
Mgrs
Product
Owner
In-house
Studio
Social
media
team
PR team
Client-side
resources
Analytics
team

8. For 2016 planning, I’ll be asking my agency:
How can you help me get the
best out of my in-house team?
how would you shape your account
team to make that happen?
what specialist skills and tools do
you have that I can’t recruit, buy or
licence in-house?

9. Think
differently. Client
work environments are not
always conducive to that.
(continue to)

10. Help the client figure out
where they want to go,
and help them get there
...even if that is a fully independent in-house team

11. grow the client
capability or
grow the
account?

12. Find the gaps in the client team
where you can be of value
Strategy I Data I Tech
Creative I Events

13. clients need insight that
informs action

14. Challenge your current
account structure thinking
flexibility and leanness – is the full account
team required?

15. Collaborate.

16. be Profitable
relationships should be mutually beneficial

17. How can you help me get the best out of
my in-house team?
Thinking time...
...broader, deeper
thinking
Safety net
Flexibility &
Scalability
Reporting, data
and insight
2nd (expert)
opinion
Innovation
Training/consultancy
Content
strategy