In its latest benchmark survey and report for 2025, The In-House Agency Leaders Club
reaffirms its commitment to empowering in-house agency leaders through shared knowledge, research, and valuable events.
The findings of this year’s survey highlight a clear evolution within the creative industry, showcasing in-house agencies as pivotal creative leaders rather than mere production support.
As the volume and complexity of branded content continue to surge across diverse touchpoints, brands are increasingly relying on their in-house agencies (IHAs) to drive direction, foster innovation, and cultivate genuine engagement.
The survey identifies several key stats, including the top priorities for in-house agency leaders over the next 12 months, which include raising creative standards (67%), improving effectiveness (57%), enhancing processes (54%), and ensuring brand consistency (48%).
Complementing this year’s survey, interviews with Skyscanner’s Ross Mawdsley and Carla Sandhu, TUI’s Sara Bertling, and Wolters Kluwer’s Eric Alberts explore how strategic leadership fuels the evolution of in-house agencies — their case studies reveal how they’ve been able to reach the goals above in their own creative teams.
From transactional to transformational
Skyscanner’s Ross Mawdsley (Director, Visual Design) and Carla Sandhu (Brand Production) reveal how the in-house team was supercharged, “from designing decks and engineering squad logos to creating a world-class brand and global campaigns.”
Previously, the travel search engine – a company rooted in technology – had “little history of engaging deeply in design beyond UX and CX.” And now? The in-house creative team of 36 comprises designers, copywriters, creatives, strategists, producers, and social media managers. “We’re behind all of the creative assets you see out in the world, whether produced in-house or with our trusted agencies.”
“The evolution of the brand, from where it was to where it is now, is astounding.”
This change, as the report’s other interviewees reveal, was no breezy feat – it was the result of several key factors, including a simple, comprehensive brand management system; company-wide education on the benefits of a strong brand design; and a robust employee/team framework.
The turning point, for Skyscanner, was simplifying what had become a complex brand world into a usable, consistent system. “It allowed people across Skyscanner to see how a strong, coherent brand drives recognition and recall,” Mawdsley and Sandhu explain.
Streamlining brand consistency
TUI’s Media Management team, with Sara Bertling (Job Management Media Design, CI & Brand Support) at the forefront, also illustrates how a unified brand portal – where everyone across the organisation has access to the same guidelines and tools – helps to maintain cohesion across a highly complex structure. One that includes roughly 30 sub-brands with their own requirements and nuances.
The key to success, Bertling reveals, is creating bespoke solutions with the user in mind, without unnecessary complexity. Design tools with locked design elements, automated layout rules, and centralised updates guarantee brand consistency, while an approval workflow ensures quality control.
And the employee response has been positive – notably for ease of use, time-saving, and the flexibility to adapt templates to local needs while staying within brand guidelines.
“This not only speeds up production but also ensures scalability and consistency, especially in markets where resources may be limited,” says Bertling. “It allows us to focus our design efforts on more creative and complex projects, while giving users the autonomy to handle everyday tasks and standardised designs themselves.”
Education and collaboration
As Wolters Kluwer’s Design Director Eric Alberts points out, a defining strength of in-house teams is their deep understanding of the company’s culture and history, which is essential for brand storytelling and maintaining consistency. Plus, they’re closer to the key decision makers. They know the business.
But it goes both ways, with benefits to elevating design and making it an intrinsic part of the company’s culture. “My role and team didn’t exist two and a half years ago,” Alberts says, “so we have been working hard to build our profile and are still continuing that effort.”
This includes an internal learning path to educate marketing professionals on branding and design, as well as a module for all employees that explains the need for branding and design and how it helps achieve broader company goals.
As Mawdsley and Sandhu summarise: “As appreciation for design and creativity grew across the company, so did the ambition of the briefs. Combined with a consistent brand look and feel, the quality of the work has continued to rise.”
And it sets up an exciting trajectory.
As the report showed, while IHAs still use external agencies for specialised skills, overflow, and fresh perspectives, 2/3rds of in-house creative leaders expect to expand their remit over the next 2-3 years. “I have a vision for the team to expand our in-house capabilities,” says Alberts, “so we rely less on external agencies for creative work. This aligns with the company’s overall strategy to reduce our outside spend.”
By investing in their in-house teams and equipping them with the tools and education they need, companies can foster a creative environment that boosts brand visibility and engagement while streamlining operations.
To learn more about improving in-house creative efficiency as well as key insights into the current IHA landscape, including explorations into:
- How Centralised Digital Asset Management (DAM) and brand portals like Frontify promote efficiency and consistency.
- Trends and challenges in talent acquisition and recruitment.
- How new tech, especially AI, can boost or hinder creative processes.
- Recommendations for organisations to improve in-house agency performance.
Click the link below to access the full report and uncover insights and strategies for elevating your in-house agency.
https://www.ihalc.com/insights/the-2025-in-house-benchmarking-survey-report/