How to build a successful in-house agency

OUT NOW: Campaign Red’s latest market report 'The Inside Job'

Share article on Twitter

Share article on Facebook

Share article on LinkedIn

Click here to access the full market report: The Inside Job

In-housing has evolved. It’s no longer seen just as an easy way to cut costs and churn out creative assets. Brands across the world are increasingly taking control of their creative output, looking for tighter integration of suppliers, clearer accountability and simpler, outcome-based measurement. They prize the increased flexibility of an in-house team in the face of always-on social media and e-commerce. 

In a break with previous perceptions, in-house creative agencies are also becoming attractive places for talent. Some new arrivals say they are fleeing agency burnout and instability, while others are drawn to the ability to work on specific creative assets and be part of teams that are increasingly winning awards on the global stage. 

This boom in in-house agencies is raising fundamental questions about control, collaboration and creative friction. 

The change is not necessarily a threat to agencies. Brands typically want to be the conductor, not the entire orchestra. Running agencies is difficult, as some high-profile companies have recently discovered (“unhousing” or severely reducing their in-house operations).

Which is why overwhelmingly, brands are relying on the hybrid model. This provides the best of both worlds with agencies offering scale, breadth of experience, specialist knowledge and the ability to inject beneficial creative tension, while in-house teams bring a deeper understanding of customer and company goals, data management and more speed and agility.

So what should the industry make of these changes? How can brands get it right? And how will new technologies such as AI and live-streaming e-commerce change the game again?

In its latest market report, Campaign Red dives into the details of how in-housing is changing in Asia, EMEA and North America, with interviews from key players and the latest data to find out what’s really happening with the inside job.

In the EMEA chapter, find out: 

The in-house agency boom: Why 66% of marketing leaders in the UK and EMEA plan to expand their in-house agency’s remit over the next two to three years. Spoiler: it’s no longer just about cost-cutting.

Why the hybrid model is the future of in-housing: The conversation has shifted from 'if' to 'how' to balance in-house teams with external partners.

Key brand leaders speak: Get key insights from the in-house agency leaders at Innocent Drinks, Asahi, 4Creative and Sky among others

Why structures matter so much: A quarter of in-house creative leaders have access to their CMO less than once a month and 52% of in-house agencies do not have access to first-party customer data. Successful CMOs are setting clear expectations internally to avoid "territorial fights” and encourage collaboration between teams.

The battle for talent: In-housing has shed negative perceptions. Learn the three main motivators – including greater job stability and the chance to produce award-winning, publicly recognized work – that are luring top creative talent away from traditional agencies and into in-house roles.

How to navigate the AI regulatory maze: See how strict European data privacy rules are slowing down AI adoption (with only 4% of IHAs fully embedded) and the steps CMOs must take to build the necessary tech and governance for future success.

In the full report, find out:

How brands around the world including Asahi, Brooks Running, Channel 4, Citi, Innocent Drinks, Kraft Heinz, Mastercard, Marriott, Miniso, Saje, Sky and Wealthsimple are structuring their in-house operations and why.

Why most companies are settling on the hybrid model in order to get the best of both worlds and guard against “groupthink”.

Why the stigma of working brand-side is evaporating and how to guard against the danger of “groupthink”.

What Asia’s e-commerce livestream boom may mean for you. The Asian market is “three years ahead” of Europe and North America on livestreaming. Find out how it is radically reshaping in-house creative teams.

“If you drop AI into a broken system, you just get chaos faster”. Why governance, not technology, is the key to AI success.

Please note: This report is only available to subscribers with market report access. To purchase an individual report, or add the market reports to your corporate package, please fill out this form and a member of our team will be in touch. For those who have access through their corporate package, please sign in as usual. 

Click here to access the full market report: The Inside Job

Share article on Twitter

Share article on Facebook

Share article on LinkedIn

© campaign