The Power of Objectivity
The trend to build in-house creative teams continues. But don't worry, we're not looking for day jobs. We've watched the ebb and flow of this approach through the years and despite what you'd think, it has little effect on our business. Weird? Not really, because even companies with substantial in-house teams almost always have a creative agency they continue to work with.
There are arguments on both sides of the in-house creative teams versus working entirely with agencies discussion. The most compelling argument for an in-house team in my mind is flexibility and ability to respond quickly. Our clients with in-house teams are able to ask their team to move quickly on a project because that team works day in and day out on the same brand. There's no learning curve because they know the brand like the back of their hand. But where this falls short is objectivity.
I've talked through the years about the need for objective opinions in branding, marketing, and design. This was recently reinforced by my favorite Podcast, 2Bobs, Conversations On the Art of Creative Entrepreneurship. One of their recent episodes discussed the main reasons creative agencies are hired and objectivity was a big one. There's no question that the day in and day out experience of a brand can create challenges when trying to view projects from an outsider's perspective.
Objectivity also plays a big role in the process in place in an in-house department. If you ask me, the words "That's how we've always done it!" should be banned from internal marketing departments. Learning from how something has been done in the past is a great approach. Continuing to do things using a process that needs improvement just means everyone's too close to see the flaws.
As the trend towards in-house creative teams continues, and frankly for good reason, the need for creative agencies will never go away. And the primary reason for this is objectivity which is an essential perspective in any creative project.
Brandt Hoekenga is the Co-CEO and Creative Director for TIV Branding
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TIV Branding is a boutique branding firm in Sonoma County, California. We specialize in building brands by using traditional, social and digital channels in unison. If you would like to discuss a project or find out more about how we do what we do, please email us at info@TIVbranding.com.