Article

Jodie Byass
Jodie Byass 23 June 2016
Categories Advertising, Technology

Top 5 Challenges Faced by In-house Agencies

As an increasing number of brands are reverting back to in-house creative agencies or in-house studios, it is a good time to reflect on the challenges they face.

We are currently seeing a trend across the advertising and marketing industry where brands are reverting back to in-house creative agencies, otherwise known as in-house studios. While there are multiple benefits to having an in-house studio, there are also a number of challenges that these creatives face.

1. A perception exists that no charge means free and unlimited resources.

One of the biggest challenges faced by studio teams is the perception that they are working for free. In other words, if there is no exchange of money for services, it’s easy for other departments to undervalue the time and resources available in studio. This perception needs to be managed carefully to ensure that studio isn’t inundated with requests that cannot be met. A respect and understanding for the work studio does is paramount.



2. Quicker turnaround and speed to market can spell overload for in-house studios.   

While speed to market is a benefit to the business overall, it can also present as a real challenge to those working in an in-house studio. Having a studio team on hand, other stakeholders might conclude that last minute changes to a campaign are simple and quick to do. The problem with this is, like every other department, studio is already juggling multiple projects and deadlines. Stakeholders need to take this into consideration when requesting urgent work. Lead time is everything.

3. Managing deadlines in a glut of work.

If stakeholders do not take into account that, on a day-to-day basis, in-house studios are working on multiple projects, they could place undue pressure on their creative teams. If more work is piled upon an already heavy workload then studio are going to struggle to make deadlines for a number of their projects.

 4. Heavy reliance on spreadsheets to manage projects and resources can result in more work for creative teams.

It’s often the smaller in-house studios that are under pressure to complete a growing number of projects with the same amount of resources and budget. Unfortunately, traditional project management tools such as spreadsheets do not offer the flexibility or transparency to manage multiple projects. The result sees studio teams and other departments unclear about what work is in progress and what resources are available or at capacity. A lot of effort is, therefore, channeled into managing the project and chasing up information. This is a similar challenge seen in external ad agencies, where inefficient project management tools are making more work for creative teams rather than streamlining the process.

5. Heavy workloads and poor planning leads to stressed studio teams.

The key reason driving the trend to bring creative teams back in house is cost-cutting. While an in-house studio that is working effectively can save brands a lot of money, if points 1-4 above are not adequately remedied then your creative team will be constantly under pressure, unlikely to meet deadlines and probably won’t derive a lot of pleasure out of work. Sick days, staff turn-over or uninspired creatives will be the end result.

Before you decide to move to an in-house studio, it is critical you consider these risks, and try to address them before they become a reality.  On the flip side, there are loads of benefits to an in-house studio.  To read about some of the benefits head over to - http://blog.admation.com/benefits-fo-in-house-agencies-using-agency-project-management-software

Please login or register to add a comment.

Contribute Now!

Loving our articles? Do you have an insightful post that you want to shout about? Well, you've come to the right place! We are always looking for fresh Doughnuts to be a part of our community.

Popular Articles

See all
The Challenges of Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

The Challenges of Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

We all agree Customer Lifetime Value is important, but there’s not much agreement after that. This blog is about the challenges of Customer Lifetime Value (CLV). CLV is a fantastic concept but defining that value and...

Peter Rivett-Jones
Peter Rivett-Jones 24 May 2023
Read more
Exploring the Rapid Growth of Mobile App Development

Exploring the Rapid Growth of Mobile App Development

Smartphones have included mobile applications for more than ten years. The fastest-growing area of the mobile industry is the mobile app market. Only a few app developers were aware of the potential market opportunity...

Prashant Pujara
Prashant Pujara 24 May 2023
Read more
The Top Ecommerce SEO Trends for 2023

The Top Ecommerce SEO Trends for 2023

As we approach the midpoint of 2023, ecommerce businesses face an increasingly competitive landscape. To stay ahead of the game, businesses must focus on optimizing their online presence for search engines. Here are...

Jagdish Mali
Jagdish Mali 23 May 2023
Read more
Why Consumers Aren't Scanning Your QR Codes

Why Consumers Aren't Scanning Your QR Codes

QR codes have become increasingly popular in recent years, with businesses using them for a range of purposes, from advertising and marketing to payments and product information. However, despite their popularity...

Jenny Stanley
Jenny Stanley 22 May 2023
Read more
7 reasons why social media marketing is important for your business

7 reasons why social media marketing is important for your business

Social media is quickly becoming one of the most important aspects of digital marketing, which provides incredible benefits that help reach millions of customers worldwide. And if you are not applying this profitable...

Sharron Nelson
Sharron Nelson 6 February 2018
Read more