Agency Vs In-House Creative
In the fight for great creativity, smart strategy and an impeccable delivery, we believe there is one clear champion.
The rise of the in-house creative team has been marked over the last decade as clients aim to cut costs, self-serve and keep IP in house. It all makes logical sense. Because, after all, who knows your business better than your own people?
That said, clients will be at a disadvantage if they keep their marketing in-house. A creative agency can bring a range of significant benefits to the table that you just can’t get at home.
Why a welcome distance matters
It is possible to be too close to a challenge; to miss the wider competitive angles. It’s easy to become too embroiled in the inevitable politics to see a project clearly. With a little distance, a broader market a view and a lack of involvement in corporate machinations an agency can deliver huge creative and strategic benefits. Objectivity and an appreciation of the big picture is worth its weight in gold.
The value of cross-pollinated experience
Agencies, by their nature, work on a variety of projects with a variety of people. Our experience and approach is tried and tested on other clients. We may have experience with other companies in your sector or be able to bring ideas from other sectors to yours. Either way, the results are likely to be richer, faster and more exciting. Too many brands keep doing the same thing or talking in familiar ways that everyone is comfortable with. Trouble is, you never travel outside your comfort zone and that’s where the business rewards really lie.
Don’t settle for ‘good enough’
These are hard to come up with it. It takes experience, time, ruthless rounds of rejection and lots of people throwing ideas in to the pot. Agencies have tools, processes and personnel to help them approach idea generation in a formal way. Creative teams deeply understand the importance of emotional resonance. They know the value of finding the right feeling. Agencies have reputations invested in doing ideas brilliantly. In-house teams are more likely to settle for good enough. Which, in most competitive environments, really just isn’t good enough.
Insight into new marketing technologies and techniques
As a creative agency, it’s our job to stay abreast of the latest marketing innovations, techniques and communication platforms. Marketing is our core business, which makes it easier for us to stay on the cutting edge. On the other hand, when it’s not your core business, keeping ahead of change is difficult.
Diverse skill sets
An in-house creative team might have all the resources to make great work. However, in-house writers, graphic designers and digital specialists only ever do one thing: work on their own brand. At an agency, people frequently change jobs and learn new skills. As a result they have a more fluid approach and will bring real breadth of experience. An agency spreads their costs across their clients, so they can afford a wider range of skilled people. Writers of different calibers, digital teams with diverse talents, strategists and planners, print specialists, event experts, social media gurus, videographers. It makes for a rich, deeper, more satisfying creative mix.
Delivered on time
Agencies are used to delivering marketing on an industrial, often global, scale. We have client relationships to honour and maintain and have built our business on producing great quality work that meets client deadlines. Doing something for yourself just doesn’t have the same urgency. Deadlines can slip. New projects swamp old ones. People might just not fancy burning the midnight oil to get a job done. Agencies are used to delivering, whatever it takes. Giving up weekends. Working late. It’s in our DNA, which is to your advantage as a client.
Considering switching in-house work to an agency? Come and chat to the team at Fluro. We’re happy to work closely with your teams to deliver all the deep brand understanding you love, alongside the creativity, commitment, innovation and expertise you deserve.
