By Joseph Ekeng

Nancy Croix, the marketing director at PepsiCo, believes that in-housing can enhance collaboration with creative agencies, despite the growing trend of brands bringing creative teams in-house. Speaking at the IPA Business Growth Conference, Croix, a senior marketing director for creative, digital, and media at PepsiCo in Europe, addressed this shift in the industry.

Research presented at the conference by the IPA revealed that 58% of marketers anticipate the continued growth of in-housing in the coming years. However, a more optimistic finding was that 68% of marketers believe their involvement with agencies will remain unchanged, although none of the surveyed marketers expect it to deepen.

Croix launched Sips and Bites in 2020, an in-house creative team that works closely with external agencies across PepsiCo’s various brands. She noted that while PepsiCo still collaborates with numerous agencies for its 70 different brands, the approach has evolved.

According to Croix, “Any company that operates with a house of brands, there’s more than enough work to go around. And more than enough change to generate more work. Our model is intentionally a blended mix of in-house and external.”

A prime example of this blended approach is the partnership between PepsiCo’s team and the agency VCCP for the Walkers brand. Croix explained that they split the brand’s campaigns, with VCCP in charge of brand positioning and PepsiCo leading the social aspect. She described it as an interesting blend of creative talents.

Importantly, Croix emphasized that the goal is not to expand the in-house side of the business but rather to find the best solution for the brand team’s challenges, which often involves a combination of in-house and external talent.

To foster collaboration, Croix eliminated pitching from the creative process, as it creates an adversarial dynamic. She believes it is not ideal to compete against agencies because if the in-house team wins, it may be perceived as biased, and if it loses, it raises doubts about the team’s capabilities.

While acknowledging the potential downsides of the strategy, such as limited exposure to diverse clients and capabilities, Croix recognizes that agencies offer greater creative freedom. She acknowledged that ambitious creative talents may be enticed by agencies due to the opportunity to work on new and prestigious projects.

In conclusion, PepsiCo’s approach to in-housing seeks to strike a balance between utilizing in-house teams and collaborating effectively with external agencies, recognizing the unique strengths and benefits each brings to the table.