CMO Spotlight | Laura Knebusch - Georgia-Pacific
What Should Stay In-House, and Where Can an Agency Add More?
As marketing teams face growing expectations, emerging technology, new channels, and an increasing demand for content, one question continues to become ever present:
What should your team build in-house, and where can an outside partner add more?
Laura Knebusch, the Senior Vice President of CPG Marketing and CX at Georgia-Pacific, shares that the answer isn’t choosing one model over the other. It’s understanding what the business needs and building the right combination of internal capabilities and external expertise.
In our latest CMO Spotlight, Laura joined Setup to discuss how Georgia-Pacific is approaching organizational transformation, the role agencies play alongside internal teams, and what separates a valuable partner from a vendor.
“We very much believe in the hybrid model. I don't see us ever having all things internal, but I also don't believe we need to go external for everything.
Laura Knebusch, Georgia-Pacific
Here are three takeaways for marketing leaders evaluating their own capabilities and partnerships.
How should marketers think about in-house versus external creative?
Laura explains how Georgia-Pacific's internal creative resources and outside agency partners can complement one another.
Building capabilities means looking beyond talent
“What does the organization of the future look like? How is that different from today, and how do we start building to that,” Laura asked.
As consumer expectations, technology, AI, shopping behaviors, and media continue to evolve, Laura looks at what the future needs and how talent, technology, systems, and workflows work together to help the organization move faster and more effectively.
Georgia-Pacific has continued to build capabilities internally, including an e-commerce content Center of Excellence and a GEO Center of Excellence, but those investments also require the right processes and playbooks to make them useful across the organization.
The takeaway for marketers: before deciding whether you need another person, technology platform, internal capability, or agency, look at the entire workflow. Where is the actual gap and what needs the most support?
“It is about the entire workflow process — talent plus technology, like those things together and how it can get us from A to Z a whole lot faster and better than it has in the past.
The strongest model may not be completely in-house or outsourced
When it comes to internal versus external resources, Laura describes Georgia-Pacific’s approach as a hybrid model.
The company has brought capabilities like ongoing digital content, programmatic, social, and search in-house, where internal teams can apply their deep knowledge of the brands and move quickly.
At the same time, Georgia-Pacific continues to rely on external partners when the organization needs specialized knowledge, capabilities that would be difficult or costly to replicate internally, or a higher level of strategic thinking.
“We tend to continue to focus with our external partners on where there's just knowledge that we don't have — some of these entirely new areas, or where the level of strategic and thought leadership is at a higher level and it's not something that we would need to have internally ongoing.”
Creative is a strong example of this model. Georgia-Pacific’s internal creative resources can extend campaigns and react quickly to opportunities, particularly on social media, but Laura still looks to external creative agencies for strategic thinking, consumer insight, and the big creative ideas that can move the brand forward.
Marketers should ask themselves: Where will internal knowledge and speed create an advantage, and where could outside expertise make the work better?
“We are going external for a reason because there is a level of thinking and thought leadership that we don't believe we can get internally.
Great agency partners understand more than the assignment
Once a brand decides it needs outside expertise, choosing the right partner requires more than evaluating a particular service.
Laura emphasized the importance of partners taking the time to understand Georgia-Pacific’s business and culture, including how the organization thinks and makes decisions.
She also looks for partners who can connect their work to broader business outcomes, and continually bring new ideas and perspectives to the table.
“Those who really take the time to understand that about our company are the ones who we can see are committed to being longer-term partners.”
External partners also have an advantage internal teams don't always have: exposure to other businesses and industries. That perspective can help marketers see changes, opportunities, and questions they may not have encountered yet.
The most valuable partners aren't simply executing what they're asked to do. They're helping the internal team raise the bar.
“Those who also just understand our business and can clearly articulate how what they're going to do is tied to overall — not just our marketing objectives or creative objectives, but how they think it's helping the business.
Watch the short recap or the full interview
Short on time? Watch the short recap for the key ideas from Laura’s CMO Spotlight. For the full conversation, dive into organizational transformation, agency partnerships, AI, marketing measurement, brand building, leadership, and Laura’s career.
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A quick recap of the key ideas and takeaways from Laura's conversation.
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Hear Laura's complete perspective on the challenges, decisions, and opportunities shaping modern marketing.
What does your team need next?
As you plan for 2027, consider your own marketing organization:
- What does your team already do exceptionally well?
- What should remain close to the brand?
- Where could outside expertise, perspective, or capabilities add something your team can't — or shouldn't have to — build alone?
Working through a new initiative or capability gap?
Setup can help clarify the need and introduce relevant agencies that complement your team.
Talk Through Your Agency Need →
As marketing teams face growing expectations, emerging technology, new channels, and an increasing demand for content, one question continues to become ever present:
What should your team build in-house, and where can an outside partner add more?
Laura Knebusch, the Senior Vice President of CPG Marketing and CX at Georgia-Pacific, shares that the answer isn’t choosing one model over the other. It’s understanding what the business needs and building the right combination of internal capabilities and external expertise.