Ep 53: Media Buyer Showdown (In House vs. Agency) with Smart Marketer CEO Molly Pittman
DTC Podcast · with Molly Pittman · November 24, 2020 · 61 min
Summary
This episode tackles the perennial "agency vs. in-house" media buying debate for DTC brands. Molly Pittman argues that the choice isn't one-size-fits-all, emphasizing joint accountability, hyper-communication, and deep business insight as critical for any successful media buying strategy, whether managed internally or by an external partner. It highlights that brands cannot be hands-off with agencies; active collaboration is key to unlock performance.
Key takeaways
For agency partnerships, prioritize hyper-communication and joint accountability; agencies need deep business insights, and brands must be actively involved, not "hands-off."
Consider an in-house media buying team for greater control, business-specific knowledge, and the ability to foster dedicated internal talent, especially as your brand scales.
Evaluate the true cost beyond fees for agencies, factoring in the time and resources required for effective collaboration and knowledge transfer.
Develop a clear understanding of your brand's specific needs, growth stage, and internal capabilities to determine whether an agency, in-house, or hybrid media buying model is the best fit.
Focus on developing internal talent for media buying through training and mentorship programs, as a dedicated in-house team can provide unique value with their day-to-day business immersion.
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We’re going head to head into our latest DTC podcast debating agencies vs. in house media buying teams.
Our guest this week is powerhouse Molly Pittman. Molly is the CEO of Smart Marketer and Train My Traffic Person, a training program for in-house media buyers. She’s the author of Click Happy, and she recently launched a new podcast, Smart Marketer. I’ll have what she’s having. Here are some highlights from the pod:
So what’s the deal? Agency or In-house?
We may have lured you here with a clickbait-y title; it’s less about in house or agency, more about relationship building. There is no one size fits all response; different businesses have different needs.
The wheels fall off agency partnerships when business owners pass the buck; it’s naïve to hire an agency, hand over ads, and expect to be hands-off from that point onwards. Joint accountability, collaboration, and hyper-communication are essential. With minimal information or insight into your business, an agency partnership is unlikely to thrive.
It is the agency’s responsibility to insist on visibility into the business, and it is the responsibility of the business owner to maintain open lines of communication with the agency.
When it comes down to brass tacks house vs. agency, Molly will pick in-house as that’s her background. Her take is that there is something special about having a team in touch with the day to day
What does this episode say about paid acquisition?
For agency partnerships, prioritize hyper-communication and joint accountability; agencies need deep business insights, and brands must be actively involved, not "hands-off."
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Consider an in-house media buying team for greater control, business-specific knowledge, and the ability to foster dedicated internal talent, especially as your brand scales.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Evaluate the true cost beyond fees for agencies, factoring in the time and resources required for effective collaboration and knowledge transfer.
What does this episode say about paid acquisition?
Develop a clear understanding of your brand's specific needs, growth stage, and internal capabilities to determine whether an agency, in-house, or hybrid media buying model is the best fit.
What does this episode say about paid acquisition?
Focus on developing internal talent for media buying through training and mentorship programs, as a dedicated in-house team can provide unique value with their day-to-day business immersion.
