June 04, 2014
In the external agency world, awards are everything. A creative director early in my career once told me to give the client Headline A (the better headline), even though I told him they would probably reject it. I knew that Headline B was also effective and was probably the one they’d want because …
June 02, 2014
As the service-minded design group that once was blossoms into a strategic superpower within your organization, you’ll find your team’s credibility growing—and your responsibilities tripling. What do you mean you can’t design an award-winning logo, lead an international conference call, present …
May 26, 2014
Over my career, I’ve had many conversations with in-house creative colleagues related to getting respect from clients. Actually, I had one last week. Common refrains include, “They just don’t get it” or “They don’t understand design” and my personal favorite, “They’re art directing me!” So, how do …
May 19, 2014
A number of years ago, when I was at Bose, we embarked on a transformative journey—a journey to eradicate 51/49 thinking. What is 51/49? It’s a term we used to characterize the balance of power between the in-house agency and its clients. On one hand when you’re in house, you all work for the same …
May 14, 2014
Taking the time to establish annual success metrics for your in-house agency may not sound like fun to a creative team, but it can reap rewards throughout the year—particularly when it comes to managing clients. Nothing boosts success better than clearly defined key performance indicators (KPIs) …
May 12, 2014
I often hear that in-house client relationships can be like walking a fine line of diplomacy, where negotiation can determine the creative direction. Well, I think it’s the creative process that can determine the direction of the relationship.
The Creative Advantage. Having world-class creative …
May 07, 2014
The days when a print piece was the driving force behind a campaign are long gone. While we know this, it may take some effort to migrate the mindset of our clients, who may not be as tuned-in to the changing dynamics of marketing communications today—especially the power of digital.
Focus on the …
May 05, 2014
Did you know that according to Gallup, 70% of U.S. employees are not actively engaged? That amounts to $380 billion in lost productivity each year. At Inward, we’re passionate about employee engagement which is why we recommend that our clients consider gamification to drive their engagement …
April 28, 2014
At the ripe old age of 24, I was given the unique opportunity to design a complete corporate identity for a commercial real estate development that was to be erected on the South Shore of Massachusetts, a region that runs south of Boston along the shoreline of the Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays. I …
April 21, 2014
Over the past four weeks, we’ve been talking within the IHAF community about all things digital. In connecting with members, I’m hearing that in-house teams are more focused than ever on content marketing. The evolution of digital is pointing to the need for increased sophistication not only in how …