Internal or External Creative Agency?
Does your company outsource creative work? Do they have an Internal Creative team? Is one better than the other?
We are going to deep dive into whether your company should hire externally or internally when it comes to creatives. The short answer: there is no right or wrong. Circumstances depend on where your company is and what they are trying to achieve.
Benefits to In-House Creative Team
Brand & Product Understanding. The most obvious benefit to having a creative team tied to a business is that they have a deep understanding of your brand and product. Therefore, they can achieve campaigns, media, and other creative projects in alignment with how the company envisions things.
Commitment. Your In-House creative team knows that the success of the overall company directly impacts its success. Therefore, they will do their best for the brand (given they love the work they do).
Team Bond. The In-House creative team most likely receives multiple levels of leadership which have the potential to build a very strong team.
Communication. Having an in-house creative team can increase communication. Communication within a company is going to be tighter than communication between two companies.
Benefits of Outsourcing Creative Teams
Less Routine. There is far less routine within a creative agency externally hired. Roles are more creatively driven, rather than profit-driven. External teams work on a more diverse portfolio of projects. This leads to an overall greater understanding of the creative market and where it will go.
Experience. External teams have most likely worked with companies like yours. Why is this an advantage? The more industry knowledge your creative team has, the greater advantage your company will have in out-marketing other companies.
Resources. External teams have more resources. Unlike an In-house team where a company often looks to cut costs, limiting creative teams’ resources… a creative agency invests in the creative process from equipment, software, and overall production.
Flexibility. Creative agencies have a vast amount of flexibility. There are fewer approvals and fewer restrictions. A project that may take months to be approved through different levels, may be approved budget-wise by an agency and produced at a much quicker rate.
Which option should be hired?
If the company can afford to hire a full creative team AND hire correctly, then it may be smart to put together an internal team. This allows the company to grow internally and will in the long-term cut costs but may also allow comfort and lead to losing understanding of true creative development.
If a company needs to innovate quickly, it may be smart to hire externally. Perhaps this company is still growing up to a mid-market enterprise, budgets may not be able to scale a full creative team on payroll, and the company needs immediate results. They would be smart to outsource.
Should We Hire an Ad Agency, while we have an In-House Marketing Team?
Our Opinion
We believe that In-house creative teams typically lack true creative experience. A creative team is not made by hiring college students that recently graduated with a degree in marketing. Nor is a creative team made up of an Instagram Influencer. That is not to say that collaboration with these influencers won’t build a successful campaign. A successful creative team is made up of self-motivated members that bring specialties to the table, directors, producers, DOPs, Cinematographers, Designers, and Editors. You can’t instruct creativeness, it is sought.
One individual with more creative drive can beat out a five-man creative team that is being instructed what to “create”. Whether you are looking to build an In-house creative team or hire externally, seek individuals that innately have a passion to create.
Agency vs. In-House: What's Right for Your Business? (workamajig.com)
Everything You Must Know About In-House Marketing - Filestage Blog