Killer Visual Strategies

CHAPTER 15BUILDING AN IN-HOUSE TEAM

Figure 15.1

Source: Cella Consulting and the BOSS Group, “In-House Creative Industry Report 2019.”

For some global companies, such as Coca-Cola and Booking.com, hiring an in-house creative team for regular needs, while partnering with an outside agency for more unique creative requests, often makes the most sense. This is due to the sheer volume of branded content they need to produce, a process that can often be more efficient with a dedicated brand team. If you're trying to decide whether your organization needs to bring creative in-house, or if you want to learn more about life at an agency with an in-house team, this chapter is for you.

THE CHALLENGES OF BUILDING A GREAT TEAM

During Killer's first two years as a company, we tested more than two hundred freelance designers just to find a reliable team of five. While roughly a dozen met our expectations, availability was hard to come by for most. This consistent churn of talent grew impossible to manage and it quickly became clear that the only solution was to build an entirely in-house team.

We had already brought much of our talent in-house, ensuring we had writers and researchers, project managers, and content marketers on staff. This provided dedicated attention for our clients and ensured further success in the work we did. But an in-house team comes with additional costs in the ...