“I feel like a recruitment agent!”
Those were my exact words to a colleague back in 2021–2022, when, seemingly overnight, clients started coming to us for our people, as well as our services, also known as a marketing secondment.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of these requests, let’s understand what a marketing secondment is and the associated benefits and challenges.
What is a Marketing Secondment?
A marketing secondment (sometimes called an “in-plant”) refers to the temporary assignment of an employee to a different role or business unit, either within the same organisation or to a partner or client organisation, for a fixed period.
In Brew's marketing secondments, one of our team members temporarily moves into a client's marketing team to support specific projects and campaigns. During this period, the "secondee" retains their employment contract with us (their original employer), while contributing to the host organisation's marketing needs.
This arrangement offers a practical alternative to hiring permanent staff or external consultants: the company fills immediate marketing resource gaps while giving employees valuable exposure to marketing functions in a real-world context.
Marketing secondments from Brew
To be fair, secondments weren’t new to us. We’d already in-planted team members into client organisations when they needed an extra pair of hands. But that post-COVID period was something else. In-house teams were fractured, disrupted, stretched and dealing with unpredictable workloads that made planning – let alone recruiting – a nightmare.
For many, permanent hires were too risky. So, a few forward-thinking clients came to us, as their partner agency, for a compromise to either take on more of their workload OR to integrate one of our team directly into theirs for a short period of time.
“Short” often turned into 2–6 months… and occasionally as long as a year.
And honestly? It worked brilliantly. A win-win-win, if that’s a thing.
- A win for clients: They got an experienced Brew team member who already knew their brand, their challenges, and their pace.
- A win for Brew: At a time when the market was tough, we were being briefed on meaningful, longer-term projects.
- A win for our team members: They gained client-side experience, new skills, and the chance to work day-to-day with a different team.
As things settled down, demand naturally dipped. We still supported the occasional in-plant through 2023–2024, but nothing like during the COVID boom.
Then came a standout opportunity at the start of 2025, but before we get ahead of ourselves... Let’s take a deep dive into the benefits of marketing secondments.
Benefits of marketing secondments
For the team member (the “secondee”)
- Rapid skills development and diversification: A team member can acquire new technical and soft skills from the inside, such as campaign planning, customer segmentation, branding, content creation, and so much more.
- Broader professional network: Being part of a different team or organisation allows a person to meet new colleagues, stakeholders, or clients. These connections can become valuable for future opportunities, collaborations, or referrals.
- Enhanced engagement and job satisfaction: A new challenge can re-energise employees who may feel stagnant in their current role; secondment can renew their motivation and interest – never a bad thing!
- A low-risk way to explore career paths: Since employment remains with the original employer, secondees can test a different function without permanently leaving their job. If it doesn’t suit them, they return to their original role – if it does, they gain valuable experience to bring back with them.
- Increased visibility and potential for career advancement: Working on strategic marketing tasks – often high-profile projects – can increase recognition among senior management and open doors for future opportunities.
For the client
- Cost-effective way to fill skill gaps: Instead of recruiting externally, a marketing secondment uses existing talent – which saves money on hiring costs and onboarding time.
- Access to fresh perspectives and innovation: A secondee from a different department or organisation may bring different ways of thinking or methodologies, fostering creativity and fresh ideas in marketing strategy, campaign execution, or customer engagement.
- Support for succession planning and talent development: By seeing how individuals perform in a new environment, employers can identify staff with potential for leadership or long-term roles.
- Greater organisational agility and flexibility: Secondments help build a workforce that is adaptable and cross-functional – enabling the company to respond swiftly to changing business needs or market conditions.
- Improved employee retention and morale: Providing secondment opportunities indicates that the organisation invests in its staff’s growth and development – which can lead to improved loyalty and reduced turnover.
A perfect marketing secondment example: Wadworth
Wadworth - the historic brewery and pub estate in Devizes, and a client we’ve partnered with since 2020, suddenly found themselves a marketing team member down just weeks before a huge milestone: their 150th anniversary.
We didn’t hesitate.
Rather than letting momentum stall, we proposed a people-first solution: implant one of our account managers into their team for 10 weeks. This person knew the account inside out, having worked on it for four years, and was already embedded in the brand, culture, and marketing team objectives.
The effect?
- No loss of momentum
- A seamless anniversary rollout
- Breathing space to recruit properly, not hastily
Great, right? Of course, there are also things to consider when agreeing to send one of your team members for an in-house secondment. Let’s take a look...
Agency secondments: Challenges to consider
While secondments offer significant benefits, it is fair to acknowledge some of the common challenges:
- Disruption to the home team: When an employee leaves temporarily, their original team may feel the impact – workload may need to be redistributed, and productivity could suffer if not managed properly.
- Reintegration difficulties: Once the secondment ends, the returning employee may find their previous role has changed, or that their new skills are underutilised. There can be a disconnect between expectations and reality.
- Mismatch of expectations: The secondee might find the client’s environment very different from their original setting; if not aligned, this may lead to dissatisfaction.
- Potential for career stagnation: If the secondment lacks clarity in objectives, support, or follow-up, the experience may not lead to a meaningful career advancement.
Looking ahead: Why 2026 might bring secondments back
Fast-forward to 2026, and it feels like our agency's in-plant offering could become incredibly valuable again as pub groups brace themselves for significant cost increases from wage rises, food inflation, and wider economic pressures.
To put this into perspective: last week The Guardian reported that one of our major clients, Mitchells & Butlers, expects a £130m cost increase in 2026 alone.
For many brands, that means rethinking structures, redistributing roles, or shifting how teams operate. And that’s exactly where a short-term, on-demand marketing resource - plugged directly into an existing team - can help. Whether it’s supporting through restructuring fallout or driving proactive marketing activity to offset rising costs, an in-plant can act as a flexible, lower-risk solution compared to permanent hires.
Whether it’s with us or another trusted agency partner, it’s something worth considering alongside other tactics like pricing adjustments, cost-saving measures, and revenue-driving initiatives.
For some businesses, the secondment model could make a big impact. Interested in strengthening your team with one of our experts? Drop us a line to see how it could work for you.
Find out more about UK hospitality in our pub and consumer behaviour report, Pints & Profits.
Marketing secondments: FAQs
The duration can vary depending on the purpose – from short-term project-based assignments lasting a few weeks, to long-term assignments spanning several months or more.
Usually the original employer retains the employment contract, including salary and employment rights, while the employee works at the host organisation – unless otherwise specified in a secondment agreement.
Sometimes, yes. If the secondee performs well and the host organisation has a need, the secondment can be turned into a permanent placement. But that is not guaranteed, so secondment should be seen primarily as a development opportunity rather than automatic employment change.
It is important to have a formal secondment agreement that outlines duration, objectives, responsibilities, reporting structure, and what happens at the end – including reintegration into the home organisation.
Not exactly. While job rotation involves planned movement through multiple positions over time, secondment is a temporary assignment with a specific role and purpose – often involving knowledge transfer, project support, or inter-departmental collaboration. It differs from temporary or contract work because the secondee remains employed by their original employer.
Matt Bowell
Matt has been in marketing for 25 years, clocking up many years for institutions like the NHS, the BBC, Comic Relief, Goodyear Dunlop, and Lonely Planet in the UK and abroad. Matt leads the client service team as one of Brew’s directors.
