Ira Belsky, Artlist cofounder and Co-CEO.
getty
In-house creative teams are one of the hottest marketing trends. According to research published a few months ago by The Observatory International, in partnership with the World Federation of Advertisers, two-thirds of major multinationals now have in-house creative agencies, a 16% increase from the last survey in 2020.
The research also showed that an additional 21% of these businesses are actively considering building this capability. So, a total of 87% of the world’s biggest companies either have or will soon have an in-house creative team.
What’s Driving The Move In-House?
For years, companies used external agencies to find creative ways to communicate with their customers. The in-house creative team is a relatively new concept.
That’s because, as recently as 15-20 years ago, even a major brand wasn’t producing much content. However social media created a need for more and more materials. As online content became increasingly saturated, brands had to be even more creative to stand out, get noticed, and make an impact on their target audience.
So, businesses started bringing creative teams in-house. This deepened their connection to the brand, product and users, which in turn helped them sharpen their narrative, leading to better creativity. It also connected them to the long-term business KPIs, helping keep everyone aligned on the objectives and how to get there. Ultimately, it meant that creatives could work faster, more efficiently and deliver better results.
Another benefit was being able to leverage the creative approach of these employees for the benefit of the company overall. Bringing them into discussions about a business challenge could lead to solutions that other team members may not have considered. From personal experience, as a creative with a background in design, I’ve seen how bringing a different perspective to the table has helped us problem-solve.
When And How To Bring Creative In-House
Bringing creative in-house should happen as soon as possible in building your company. If you’re starting to have conversations about your brand, it’s time to have your own internal expertise, helping you build a brand identity and leading its execution.
To do this right, it’s important to set the right expectations early on, particularly around how success will be measured. There’s no point pursuing a wild, creative idea that won’t support the business objectives. Your team needs to be directed to produce materials that will deliver on KPIs and not just be based on what they personally love or what their gut says.
What To Look For When Hiring An In-House Creative
While creative talent is the most important characteristic to look for in a potential hire for an in-house team, not all creatives are suited to the world of business. They need to be able to balance their creativity with analytical thinking, understanding the needs of the company, the brand positioning, and what will resonate with users.
As part of the hiring process, it’s important to evaluate how they take on criticism and feedback. They need to be able to detach themselves from a passion for their own personal creations to do what is right to serve the business goals. This isn’t easy, but it’s a really important part of the role.
Another important characteristic is being able to work as a team. Many highly creative people perform at their best when they’re working independently. While they have a lot to give the world as artists, they’re not suited to joining companies in-house.
Is There Still A Role For Traditional Agencies?
If the trend is to move creative teams in-house, the obvious question is, what does this mean for traditional agencies?
The same research by The Observatory International indicates that while more and more major multinationals are building in-house capabilities, they all still work with external agencies. And that’s because these agencies do offer various benefits.
On the simplest level, external agencies give you extra capacity. You may want to deliver a one-off project you don’t have the resources to manage in-house. Recruiting a new hire for your team will take time, and you may not need them once the project is over. The agency can provide you with high-quality creative services to answer this temporary need at short notice.
But there are also strategic advantages. There’s a risk of groupthink inside a business, and bringing in external experts can help challenge you with different perspectives. Leading agencies work with many brands and conduct large amounts of research. This means they draw inspiration from a much wider field, which can help your creative effort.
The biggest agencies also have regional offices with local expertise. If you’re trying to launch into a new geography, local insights can make the difference between success and failure. Similarly, if you’re looking to go after a new target audience or launch a product extension, the chances are that somewhere within the agency, they’ll already have the expertise to help you, so you don’t need to rush to build that knowledge in-house.
Some companies will also bring in a big agency for a particularly big project, where the stakes are high, like a Superbowl ad. Although this can potentially reduce risk, I think that it’s a symptom of imposter syndrome. We need to recruit the right people for our in-house teams to deliver on every type of project and trust them to achieve the best results.
The Future Is In-House
While there’ll always be a role for expert agencies, I believe that we’ll continue to see more and more companies bringing creative in-house, and those in-house teams getting bigger. I’ve personally seen the impact of this on our business—both in terms of the quality and quantity of our content, and the impact of having creative people help with general problem-solving. In fact, I can’t imagine doing it any other way.
If you haven’t already started the process of bringing your creative in-house, it’s time to put it on your agenda.
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