• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, February 28, 2016

There has always been an argument for working with an ad agency rather than a brand expecting to achieve similar results by going it alone. And yet, there are plenty of brands that routinely go the in-house route.

Penning a bit of content marketing for itself, Woodland, TX-based Hallaron carries the torch, as many before it have, for, um, agencies against in-house agencies. 

After telling us "I cannot tell you how many times I have witnessed CEOs tap a family member to create a logo or task a staffer to build the company’s new website," the writer (whose name is nowhere to be found on the piece) lays out the horror show known as the in-house ad agency. 

Of the notion that media buying, planning and creative can all easily be handled in-house, the writer, pens: "Sounds great right? Wrong. As evidence I offer the typical local cable TV commercial. Usually a low quality abomination tucked in neatly between slick, professional national spots for Apple, Ford or Samsung. How many billboards do you see in your hometown with tiny print, no headline or worse that fail to communicate any cognitive thought within three seconds? Simply awful."

And, yes, we've all seen these abominations, but reality forces this upon us. There are just too many small mom and pop brands out there who cannot afford to work with a "real" ad agency. And let's be honest -- most agencies wouldn't want to work with these mom and pops anyway. Well, maybe Hallaron does but most are happy to let those shitty billboards and embarrassing car dealer ads continue to live a life of their own, unfettered by the proper guidance of an ad agency...which would just tire of the ceaseless, "But my Uncle Bob says we can paint the fence in front of his farm that faces the highway."

The piece then goes in for the kill: "The DIY in-house advertiser is at a distinct disadvantage and doesn’t know it. The lack of strategic, research, creative and media assets can spell failure before you ever begin. Unfortunately, many advertisers look at advertising as an expense not a sales opportunity. Whatever size your budget, you cannot afford to waste it. Ad campaigns are living, breathing organisms that are born and bred then grow and require constant assessment and adjustment. And lastly, advertising results must be measured. Admit it. Most small and medium firms delude themselves that they can manage their own advertising saving money on an ad agency. Just the opposite is true. If the campaign fails to produce new sales or reach other strategic goals, then those dollars were wasted."

So is Hallaron worth a call?