The ARM Ecosystem in the Words of In-Housing Brands

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As brands continue to internalize their media operations, the landscape of in-house advertising management is reshaping rapidly.

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MINT, in collaboration with a top B2B market research firm, conducted a qualitative research with leading in-house advertising teams to uncover their biggest priorities and pain points in the current ARM ecosystem.  

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Through in-depth interviews with executives from Fortune 500 companies and regional market leaders across various industries, the study aimed to understand the unique perspectives of in-housers. Participants included Heads of Marketing and Digital Marketing from sectors such as consumer goods, retail, telecommunications, consumer banking, automotive, food and beverage, and fashion.

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In this blog post, our extensive research reveals opportunities for aligning technologies and processes to empower the group of in-housers.  

1. Reporting: The Backbone of Effective In-House Operations

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For in-house marketing teams, reporting emerges as both a fundamental need and a significant pain point.

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Effective reporting enables brands to understand where money is being spent and why, yet the lack of a centralized, error-free reporting system continues to hinder progress.

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In our interviews, many in-house teams expressed frustration with the disconnected nature of their current systems. Often, data must be pulled from several platforms and reconciled manually, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors. As a digital director at a luxury e-commerce brand explained, “There are a lot of assumptions. [Data] is being pulled from the different platforms and [merged] in Excel,” highlighting the need for automation and system integration.

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Despite efforts to establish consistent metrics, discrepancies between first-party and third-party data remain a common challenge. Brands have voiced a need for an integrated platform that provides full data transparency, allowing both agency and client to collaborate seamlessly in case of hybrid in-house models.

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Addressing these challenges will be key for brands that aim to scale their in-house operations with the precision and efficiency of their agency counterparts.

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2. Creative Analytics: Uncovering the “Black Hole” of Campaign Effectiveness

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Creative performance, often regarded as a primary driver of campaign success, remains one of the most elusive areas for in-house teams. Creative analytics has been described by a head of strategy at a leading e-commerce fashion brand as a “black hole” of the industry—despite knowing that creative decisions drive results, attributing their specific impact remains difficult.

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This challenge is compounded by the lack of direct connections between creative assets and spent data. In many cases, in-house teams lack the tools to map creative to ROI, meaning that budget allocation is often based on historical data rather than real-time effectiveness. Moreover, a comprehensive view of creative performance would allow brands to analyze asset usage more effectively. This step is critical, as it enables teams to not only gauge the success of individual campaigns but also informs future creative investments.

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To bridge this gap, in-house advertisers seek solutions that provide real-time feedback on creative performance, offering insights that go beyond traditional KPIs. By refining creative analytics, brands can more accurately measure the role of creative in their media mix, ultimately improving the effectiveness of future campaigns and ensuring resources are allocated to high-performing content.

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3. Attribution: Navigating Fragmentation in Media Performance

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Attribution presents another significant hurdle for in-house teams, particularly given the fragmented nature of today’s media landscape.

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Many in-house teams face difficulties tracking the precise impact of each media channel due to “walled gardens” and platform-specific metrics that prevent a holistic view. This makes it challenging to pinpoint which channels drive the most value and impacts budget allocation decisions.

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A media director at a major consumer goods company highlighted this gap, stating, “We don’t really have an attribution model… I would rather start with quantitative input to inform the best way to spend this budget.” Current attribution models often fall short of delivering a complete picture, and in-house teams need solutions that allow for cross-platform analysis, incorporating the full spectrum of paid, owned, and earned media.

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In addition to more comprehensive attribution tools, in-house teams require platforms that facilitate media mix modeling. This approach supports data-driven decision-making for channel optimization and ensures that marketing budgets are spent where they will yield the highest ROI. With an integrated attribution and media mix modeling framework, brands could potentially achieve both increased efficiency and improved campaign outcomes, allowing for a more accurate allocation of resources.

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ARM Module Relevance: Prioritizing Tools for In-House Success

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As the ARM ecosystem evolves, in-house teams have clearly identified Reporting, Creative Analytics and Attribution Models as the most critical modules for their operations.

These areas are not only foundational for daily operations but are also instrumental in driving data-informed strategies that support sustainable growth.  

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The research reveals that media planning and data connectors are also viewed as relevant, though secondary to the immediate needs of reporting and attribution. Data connectors are increasingly important for brands that manage a diverse set of platforms and need to centralize data for more streamlined reporting and analysis. While not every module has equal weight, the demand for a flexible ARM solution that adapts to a brand’s digital maturity and specific goals is clear.

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Building an In-House Future with Advanced ARM Solutions

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In-house teams are pioneering a new era of advertising resource management, but to succeed, they require advanced tools that address their unique challenges.

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By prioritizing solutions that offer seamless data integration, robust creative analytics, and comprehensive attribution, brands can achieve a unified, data-driven approach to resource management. As ARM solutions continue to advance, they offer in-house teams a path to greater governance, efficiency, and transparency, empowering them to navigate the complexities of digital advertising with agility and insight.

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Key Takeaway:

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For in-house teams, achieving excellence in advertising resource management means more than just internalizing media operations; it requires investing in technology that aligns with their goals and provides the support needed for sustainable growth. By addressing the most pressing pain points and adapting to the latest advancements in ARM, brands are well-positioned to set new standards for the future of in-house advertising. Inputs from the research are factored into our product roadmap and aligned to core advertisers’ needs and pain points.

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Interested in knowing more about our research? Download a copy for you here.

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