In-housing and its impact on mergers and acquisitions

In-housing: it’s not a new phenomenon but it’s gaining a new momentum that looks set to continue.

In the first of our new Spotlight On series, Tristan Rice takes a closer look at the trend for in-housing and the knock-on effect on marketing services M&A.

A trend that falls in and out of vogue

The appeal of in-housing has natural cycles. In the last few years we have seen CMOs taking elements of the mix in-house with accelerated pace.

Desire for increased speed of production and greater control of data and touchpoints in an always-on world where control of the customer journey is crucial, is undoubtedly fuelling the current wave of in-housing. As reported in Marketing Week earlier in the year, a study by The DMA states that 47% of marketers are drawn to in-housing by the promise of increased productivity.

But how is the trend for in-housing impacting mergers and acquisitions in the marketing services sector?

In the first of our new Spotlight On series exploring some of the biggest trends impacting the M&A landscape, SI Partners' Tristan Rice explains the M&A attractiveness of those agency businesses that have embraced the in-housing trend, created strong in-house consultancy or delivery capabilities and developed stickier relationships with clients. 

Watch the video in full

Watch the next in the series - Spotlight On: Performance Marketing