Digiday Research: 69% of marketers aren’t looking to use consultancies for ad agency work

While consulting firms have made inroads into agency services, many on the agency side claim that the “threat” is overblown — that they don’t run into many consultancies during pitches, for example. 

It’s an assessment WPP made back in 2017, when it said in an earnings report that the impact of consultancies on the industry is an overhyped trend. And it’s something that’s come up previously: Brands are finding that consultants aren’t able to clearly execute on turning certain issues into actual actions that will change a business.

“There’s a certain arrogance that goes with the consulting firms that have the ear of the C-suite because they know as a senior marketer you sit outside of that,” one executive told Digiday. “Even though they’re not experts when it comes to media and advertising, they’re able to get away with it because of the position they have.”

It’s true that who does the work is shifting: Among respondents to Digiday’s survey, for example, only 17% of respondents said they were “mostly using agencies” for marketing tasks. No respondents said they’re 100% relying on agencies. More than half said they are managing marketing mostly in-house.