• Three Keys to Leading Strong Teams

    April 06, 2015

    On paper, leading a strong in-house team is easy. All you have to do is: 1) hire the right people, 2) establish processes that enable them to work efficiently and productively, and 3) keep everyone (your team and your clients) happy. Unfortunately, doing all three is difficult.

    What’s more, even …

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  • Professional Development—Let’s Talk About It

    March 23, 2015

    Not long ago, I joined other members of our agency’s leadership team to celebrate the 30th work anniversary of one of our tenured art directors. We talked over lunch about how her career had evolved—from a call center position straight out of school to the agency’s secretarial staff and ultimately …

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  • Hiring the Right Person(ality)

    March 16, 2015

    I was once interviewed by a Japanese magazine on the topic of managing creative personalities. Apparently the personal, emotional side of assessing unique personality traits, beyond the basics like trust and tangible skills, was a foreign concept in their business culture.

    For me, it’s the first …

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  • Looking to Hire? Know Your Audience.

    March 06, 2015

    Know your audience. Every good marketer understands this. And it’s a principle that directly applies to hiring and retaining talent, as well. Every day, I speak with candidates looking for jobs and considering job offers. And I can attest that if you want to attract the best and brightest at all …

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  • Ready, Set, Goals!

    February 02, 2015

    A little over a year ago, Forbes published an article entitled “Can In-House Agencies Ever Be Great?” Now, I’m not one to obsess over things (or maybe I am…), but that question and the assortment of editorials that followed debating both sides really stuck with me.

    One of the things I see in-house …

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  • Mark Your Calendars—Events Galore!

    January 21, 2015

    • by Emily Foster, IHAF

    Being a member of IHAF means you have access to a long list of benefits including participation in our events (bonus: most are free for members to attend). What types of events do we host here at IHAF, you ask? From monthly webinars to networking breakfasts to regional discussion groups to the IHAF …

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  • Time for “Fitness” Training

    January 12, 2015

    • by Sarah Cavicchi, IHAF

    How many of you made a new year’s resolution to join a gym and get fit? It’s a common theme this time of year. Unfortunately, simply joining a gym isn’t enough (I wish). You have put in the time and do the work. Well, your IHAF membership is the same. In order to get the most out of it, you have to …

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  • Ringing in the New!

    December 29, 2014

    Happy New Year! I hope everyone has been able to enjoy some family, friends and feet-up time over the past week. We’ve had some great discussions this month at IHAF, specifically around the importance of in-house agency promotion. Some of the points we discussed really resonated with me. I hope you’ …

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  • Culture Is King at TIAA-CREF

    December 22, 2014

    • by IHAF Staff

    The power of a vibrant, thriving in-house agency culture can often be underestimated. Viewed as a “nice-to-have” and tackled only after countless client requests and production deadlines are met. However, culture must be a top priority in order for talent, creativity and collaboration—all essential …

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  • What Are You Promoting?

    December 17, 2014

    Most of us would agree that we can do a better job promoting our in-house agency, but what exactly should we be promoting? Is it the value that we bring to the organization? How about our overall effectiveness and creative solutions? Or maybe it’s our collaborative approach that bridges talent gaps …

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