We had the pleasure of attending Campaign's In-Housing Summit this week to hear from the more established in-house agencies includind Spec Savers. The Kitchen, What3Words, Shelter and Lego who covered numerous topics including business impact, creativity, organisational design, AI and long term success for in-housing.

Here are our key takeaways:

 
True Partnership: IHAs work in close alignment with marketing, prioritising the brand’s best interests. This approach fosters strong, collaborative relationships and creates long-term value.

Naming & Identity: Naming matters. Many IHAs avoid “agency” labels, opting instead for terms like “creative” or “studio,” or using brand-specific names, reinforcing their role as an integrated part of the company, not a separate entity.

Creativity & Innovation: IHAs aren’t just about being faster or cheaper. To build a culture of creativity and innovation, many encourage proactive idea generation, pushing creative boundaries beyond specific projects and supporting continuous growth.

Collaboration, Not Competition: Brands increasingly see external agencies as partners who complement IHA skills, working together to strengthen impact and build a cohesive brand ecosystem.

Agility & Speed: The fast pace of social and digital requires IHAs to respond quickly, often bringing cultural moments to life within hours which isn't possible for external agencies.

Efficiency & Results: From TUI’s multi-market content to Vodafone’s data-informed creative loops, IHAs consistently achieve high engagement and quality results, demonstrating strategic value.

Innovation & Adaptability: By adopting new technologies like Gen AI, IHAs scale production while maintaining brand consistency and regulatory compliance.

Talent & Development: To keep brands fresh and talent engaged, IHAs are creating training programs to build future pipelines and invest in creative development.

It's clear IHAs are proving their worth as strategic, creative, and adaptable partners, embedded within their brands.

With IHA Talent & Development in mind, The Industry Club and the In-House Agency Leaders Club have created the first In-House Talent & Salary Survey specifically for UK in-house agencies. You can download it here,