Should we do it ourselves or should we let somebody else do it?

Sammanfattning: Title: Should we do it ourselves or should we let somebody else do it? An exploratory study of in-house agencies and external agencies in marketing and brand management Course: BUSN39 - Degree project in Global Marketing Authors: Nicholas-Joel Kisling & Julia Herma Cornée Dorothée Bosveld Keywords: In-House Agency, Make-or-Buy, Insourcing, Outsourcing, External Agencies, Marketing, Brand Management, Advertising Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the dynamics of make-or-buy decisions in the context of marketing and brand management. Specifically, the research investigates the role and scope of in-house agencies beyond advertising, and analyses the motivations that drive companies to either insource or outsource marketing and brand management functions. Methodology: This qualitative study employs semi-structured interviews with a constructionist view and an inductive approach. Results: The findings from the qualitative interviews shed new light on the phenomenon of in-house agencies and the make-or-buy decision within marketing and brand management. The study proposes a typology of three different types of in-house agencies. The findings further provide an overview of the different reasons to insource and outsource. Implications: The research broadens the scope of research on the phenomenon of the in-house agency as limited to advertising and adds to the current understanding of an important and highly relevant topic in the current field of marketing and brand management. Besides, the research provides a holistic understanding on the phenomenon of the in-house agency and a comprehensive overview of the advantages and disadvantages associated with the make-or-buy decision, offering valuable guidance in the decision-making process.