Far from being a creative compromise, in-house creative agencies afford creative people and results an opportunity to thrive
Even with zero experience of working alongside or within in-house agencies, it seems many in the industry are happy to broadcast their preconceptions about in-house creative agencies. Truth be told, before moving in-house I shared many of these misconceptions – moving to an in-house agency is implicitly a creative and therefore a career compromise
Yet my experience working in-house at draftLine has underlined the fact that great in-house agencies recognise that creativity is a competitive advantage.
The misconceptions that in-house creative agencies are where creativity goes to die couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact – this year, draftLine picked up our first silver lion and Cannes, and a shortlist for 2 of our creative projects. draftLine has a different feel, a different vibe because the pressure of selling services goes away and it truly becomes about the creative, as you become a partner and brand owner.
Not only do we focus on creative excellence, but we are here to shape the business. We only push for work that we think will solve our customer problems, crushing projects that are not worth it, and never push for solutions that won't bring results. And at the end of the day winning an award means huge things for the entire team.
On top of that, my role as a member of draftLine has become ever more exciting and engaging. We have changed our approach to be truly embedded as one marketing and agency team. This one-of-a-kind model allows us to use our knowledge and skills learnt in the industry and join that with our understanding of creative partners, to select the right ones and get the best out of them.
This means we get to work with new and exciting partners who are the best in their fields. Learning new things everyday, producing effective creative and discovering how we, as an agency, can do better too. I am no longer just doing – I am in the driving seat. Thinking, creating and shaping – I am truly embedded in the company. I own my brands.
As experts of the field, and experts of the brand It puts us in the best position to create the best possible work for consumers and business alike.
It doesn’t surprise me that more and more corporations are starting to build internal agencies. 94% of companies now have an in-house agency, and while some are far from the model we are driving at draftLine, more and more will move in our direction. This truly feels like the future of our industry. The seamlessness of the teams working together, the amazing opportunities that arise and the work that comes out of it.
I believe that more and more talent from the agency world will follow shortly. Working in an environment where you are driving the change and the work with an added bonus of a work-life balance is a no brainer.
For those who are not convinced my message is this: open your mind, don’t be afraid, it really isn’t the dark side. For far from being a creative compromise in-house agencies are moving forward at pace, so get on-board.
draftLine UK is AB Inbev’s European in-house creative and media agency is based out of London We work with around 40 different brand teams such as Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois across Europe
Charlotte is Marketing Manager at the ECB. She has 6 years of industry experience within a range of small to large agencies. Charlotte’s focussed on DEI within the workplace and advertising, and has an interest in women’s equality and inclusion for mental illness.
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