Corporate creative teams and agencies can learn much from each other. Inhouse corporate teams are strong in their abilities to live a brand, knowing the ends and outs of a particular product or service. Agencies are good with process, promotion and keeping current with trends. All of these traits are necessary in the production of visual communications and business solutions.
I speak to inhouse groups often about functioning like a design firm. Don’t misunderstand this idea, its very simple. Inhouse groups need to align their departments to be the agency of choice for their organizations. Obviously companies have options for who they use to further their vision and business goals. The first question to ask, is why are they not choosing the inhouse group? I think the answer is simple but the reality is harsh. The answer is that the company believes they can get better service, a better outcome and more value outside of the existing department. This is the misconception that must change. And it won’t change by complaining or by being complacent.
Think about it. This is a problem every business must overcome; how will I get my customer to notice me, choose me, use me and come back for more? Inhouse departments should function no differently. This can be one of the most exciting initiatives for corporate creative teams. It starts with asking who is my client, what do they want and do I have the capabilities to give them what they need? These questions must be investigated and answered truthfully. This is the very foundation on which everything else must build.
Beyond the foundation or core business offering, inhouse teams need to market to their clients. Inhouse groups assume because if they work for the organization they will automatically get the business. That’s just an entitled attitude. You have to ask for the business, show you can produce the best possible product before they even walk in the door and, ultimately, earn their trust and loyality.
Another interesting observation within corporate creative teams is that of continued education, or the lack thereof. Having worked with 100s of inhouse departments, I’m always shocked by the low percentage of designers that pursue opportunities to expand their capabilities. The competition within an agency as well as the vast diversity of projects requires that designers stay current and always look for ways to improve their skills and inspire their creativity. Inhouse designers need to stay competitive for the good of their own careers as well as the good of their client’s business.
Keep in mind that every client whether internal or external is looking to further their brand recognition and see a return on their investment from marketing campaigns, visual communications and product design. Design is about solving problems, big or small. Providing a client with successful solutions is the core of what makes a good designer and a good design team.
Please add comments below with your thoughts and experiences. Design is a collaborative process, so let’s collaborate!
Tags: career, creative, designer, inhouse, work place
This was very informative and it would be nice to hear from other inhouse groups. A great point that Jeni addresses is the need to investigate and truthfully answer whether or not one has the capabilities to give the client what they need. Being able to over deliver to the client the first round of business and keep them coming back for more is a definite plus. I also believe that the quantity of task that an inhouse group receives should not negatively effect the quality of work they produced. I think it is cool to have the option to outsource when your team is busy not because your team is incapable.
Indeed, Will. In a perfect world, the inhouse design group should be seen as THE EXPERTS on the organization’s brand. Partnerships with outside agency can indeed be a positive relationship, an opportunity to bring an outside perspective which is never a bad thing. What I like about what you said is that inhouse groups should perform at a high-level that affords them the privilege of using outside assistance when they believe it is the best interest of the brand not because the organization places more value on the talents of an agency. Let’s get folks talking!!
As the inhouse “agency” for a Fortune 500 Global Organization, our group banded together to overcome the perception that we can only handle low-level, production heavy projects. We make a point of reaching out to internal clients to ask how we can help make them, and our products successful. We also make sure they understand the benefit of working with the inhouse team over outside agencies is the level of vested interest. If they aren’t successful, neither are we. It requires a lot of proactive effort, but in order to be viewed as consultants, you need to prove you can be strategic partners. This means taking the time to understand what the goals and objectives are for every project. You need to deliver creative and rationales behind what you create to demonstrate how it measures up against the objective. You need to be willing to go above and beyond. This includes consistently using creative briefs. Didn’t get one at the job start? Then knock your client’s socks off by putting one together for their approval. Prepare professional presentations, meaning present in person, not via email! Go out and learn about your competition and proactively send insights to your clients with ideas and suggestions. If you want to be treated like an agency, you need to act like one.