July 27, 2015
If your in-house agency is anything like ours then you’re constantly asking yourself, “How do we gain recognition for what we do at our company?” We can conduct informational meetings and pass out all the team-branded swag we want, but at Team IDEA, the in-house creative services and events agency …
July 20, 2015
Consider yourself lucky if you work for an internal agency these days. Based on a 2013 report by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the penetration of in-house teams has grown from 42% to 58% in five years. And the trend continues. In fact, more and more companies are reaping the …
July 15, 2015
Does the title of this blog frighten you? Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell you to make the logo bigger or to infuse neon green into your corporate brand palette. Beyond hearing “yes” to the sometimes-random requests they make, do you know what clients really want? They want to know that the in- …
July 08, 2015
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…at IHAF, anyway! That’s because we’re in the midst of planning our biggest event of the year—the IHAF Annual Conference & AwardsShow. The IHAF program team is hard at work lining up the best speakers, the best breakout sessions, and most opportunities to …
July 06, 2015
I was approached to write this blog on stimulating creativity from the point of view of an external agency creative director “out in the field.” Like anyone else confronted with this sort of challenge, I immediately Googled “stimulating creativity.” That brought up a treasure-trove of writing on …
July 06, 2015
Happy Independence Day! This time of year recalls festivities of all kinds, from backyard barbeques to reveling in red, white and blue. At IHAF, we’re celebrating by welcoming a host of new members including American Express, First Republic Bank, American Chemical Society, and The Scotts Miracle- …
June 29, 2015
Yes, you read the title right. The all-important and often overlooked way to stimulate creativity is through structure.
Technology, process, organizational design, and purposeful management trump latte machines, foosball tournaments and in-house yoga classes when it comes to encouraging innovation. …
June 22, 2015
Here’s a general rule of thumb regarding idea-generation techniques: they’re clunky, dorky and time-consuming. Oh, and they don’t work. You reluctantly resort to one when you're under the gun for an idea, then end up wasting valuable time that leaves you even more frustrated and desperate and …
June 15, 2015
Each year, numerous winners leave the IHAF Awards Show with accolades in hand. Only one team, however, walks away with the coveted, crystal Best of Show trophy—the clear stand-out among all of the work submitted that year.
The Best of Show winner is chosen at the end of a day-long process where …
June 08, 2015
When I was in third grade, my mom and I ran into my teacher (a grim, severe drill sergeant) in the cereal aisle of the grocery store. I still remember how long it took my brain to recognize Mrs. Strictman. Her face was familiar, but foreign in that environment.
The grocery store was all joy and …