In-house creative teams must prove their worth every day. While agencies often offer much-needed support and perspective, it can prove tricky when agencies enter the picture to “sell” their capabilities. Agency life may appear more glamorous than your team’s daily grind, and your team members may feel the most meaningful work is being taken from them in favor of the agency. In my career I’ve often seen internal teams become protective and defensive. In extreme cases there can be a lack of communication between in-house and agency teams that jeopardizes the success of all. The larger the in-house team, the more sensitive the situation can get. The ultimate proof of competing interests is an in-house team proudly saying they “saved the job” when they took over an assignment from an agency that after many attempts didn’t deliver the expected result. This “savior glory” is clearly not productive.
Article by Jenni Heerink, Creative Director at NewellRubbermaid – DYMO brand
Jenni is managing the internal design team of DYMO within NewellRubbermaid and is responsible for initiating, executing and distributing strategic brand design in the areas of packaging, print, web. As DYMO is a global brand, Jenni deals with global complexity and manages the delivery of designs for all regions. Before Newell Rubbermaid, Jenni spent 16 years with Philips Design, and specialized in Brand Integration Design and Shopper Experience Design.

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