As a podcast built by in-house professionals for in-house professionals, we go beyond the surface to discuss what is shaping our industry.
Hosted by Abby Blackmore, Head of IHAC and Chris Maxwell, IHAC's Executive Chairman and CEO of -lution, each week we dive into the latest industry news, celebrate standout work, and hear compelling stories from the biggest names in in-house.
In-House Insights is your go-to resource for in-house. Follow our podcast so you don't miss an episode, and follow us on LinkedIn for bonus content.
Chanel Clark: How to Build a Powerful Marketing Network From Scratch | In-House Insights
Sitting as the only marketer or sole creative in a company often feels like living on an isolated island. Without a sounding board, how do you know if your strategies, budgets, or operational models actually stack up?
In this episode of In-House Insights, Abby and Chris sit down with Chanel Clark, founder of The Marketing Club. Chanel shares her journey from being an isolated solo marketer to building an 18,000+ community across Australia and New Zealand.
They explore why isolated marketing roles lead to burnout, why cross-functional collaboration between marketing and in-house teams is critical, and how community acts as the ultimate career safety net in an era dominated by AI and budget cuts.
What You'll Learn:
Escaping "Solo Marketer" Syndrome: Strategies for navigating roles where you are expected to build and run an entire marketing function without support.
In-House & Marketing Alignment: How in-house creative teams and marketing leads can eliminate friction and operate as collaborative growth drivers instead of internal competitors.
The T-Shaped Marketer Resurgence: Why generalist capabilities are regaining value over hyper-specialisation in modern marketing environments.
Human Connection in the AI Era: Why relying on community and real peer feedback builds the discernment that automated tools cannot replicate.
Subscribe now and don't miss an ep.
31 Aug 2026
Is Your In-House Team Ready to Own the Creator Economy? | In-House Insights
In this Moves & News edition, hosts Abby and Chris break down the latest shifts shaping internal agency models.
They explore Asahi In-House’s Agency of the Year win, Samsung's consolidation move to its in-house agency (Cheil), and how even NASA has to consider budget issues! Plus, a deep dive into why brands are now bringing Creative Partnerships Managers in-house to manage the creator economy.
Key Takeaways
Scaling Capabilities: Why major brands like Samsung and Asahi are moving full-service media, digital, and production in-house.
Creative Consistency: What in-house leaders can learn from Mars Snickers' 15-year platform about resisting the urge to change creative too soon.
The Creator Economy Shift: How to transition influencer management from off-the-side-of-desk tasks into a dedicated internal function.
Behind the NASA Model: How the world’s biggest stage operates with a resource-conscious, agile mindset.
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#inhouseagency #marketing #creative #creativeops
17 Aug 2026
Is AI Slop Ruining Your Team’s Strategic Advantage? | In-House Insights
In-house leaders often get trapped inside their own four walls, fighting the battle of proving value beyond mere cost-savings while navigating AI noise.
In this episode of In-House Insights Moves & News, hosts Abby and Chris discuss how category-leading brands like 7-Eleven, Treasury Wine Estates, and Guzman y Gomez build world-class internal capabilities, the reality of AI adoption for leaders, and why human-led curation is more critical than ever in an era of generic LinkedIn content.
Key Takeaways:
The IHAC Summit Preview: Why the shift from cost savings to competitive advantage is reshaping internal agency models.
Building From the Ground Up: Lessons from 7-Eleven's new in-house agency, The Corner Shop, on scaling internal capability and culture.
Practical AI vs. AI Slop: How creative leaders are using AI to reclaim time without losing human connection or brand voice.
Measuring What Matters: Previewing the high-stakes debate on internal agency measurement featuring top industry leaders.
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#CreativeOperations #InHouseAgency #MarketingStrategy
27 Jul 2026
Alex Concannon: Why AI-Powered Creative Beats Big Budgets | In-House Insights
Most in-house media models struggle to keep pace with modern tech environments. Traditional loops of briefs, plans, and revisions slow momentum down, leaving performance teams trapped in black-box platforms and outdated workflows.
In this episode, Alex Concannon (VP of Global Marketing at Deputy) reveals how he is rebuilding in-house marketing from the ground up using lean, AI-integrated models. From running an AI-generated radio test to shipping 40 videos and 400 social assets in 60 days, Alex shares a practical blueprint for scaling speed and output without ballooning overhead.
Key takeaways:
The Evolving Talent Stack: Why performance platforms mean you should hire creative copywriters over traditional media buyers.
De-Risking Channel Testing: How using AI voice agents enabled a low-cost, top-of-funnel radio experiment before investing heavy capital.
Speed over Perfection: Why shipping high volumes of varied, good creative beats banking everything on a single Cannes Lion idea.
Executive Efficiency: How a simple, automated daily digest agent can save senior leaders two hours every morning.
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#MarketingPodcast #InHouseAgency #AIinBusiness #AI #AITrends
20 Jul 2026
US Tour Recap: Global In-House Agency Trends | In-House Insights
In this recap, hosts Abby Blackmore and Chris Maxwell dive into their key takeaways from their recent US tour, attending the Henry Stewart Creative Operations conference in New York and the ANA conference in California.
They share exclusive insights from global creative leaders at NASA, GSK, Target, and Liquid Death, breaking down how the world's most sophisticated internal agencies are transitioning from pure production studios into high-value growth partners.
What you'll learn:
The Shift from Savings to Growth: Why only 9% of mature in-house agencies now prioritise cost savings, and how to successfully report on brand value, agility, and innovation.
AI Orchestration vs. Tool Fatigue: The operational reality of AI, why optimising individual tasks creates workflow bottlenecks, and how to build a unified system hub.
Making the Implicit Explicit: Lessons from Target on how to map your internal processes, establish strict brand governance, and properly market your team’s value to stakeholders.
Mitigating Creative Risk: Real-world lessons on managing AI governance, IP risk, and false advertising when using generative tools for consumer-facing copy.
Ready to elevate your internal agency's strategy? Hit subscribe for more global industry insights.
#marketingpodcast #inhouseagency #creative #australian
29 Jun 2026
Ivan Pols: Why Ad Agencies are Boxed in From Real Innovation | In-House Insights
Too many creative leaders are confined to a silo, disconnected from broader business strategy and structural operations. This lack of integration limits your organisational impact and prevents your company from building a true culture of cross-functional innovation.
Ivan Pols, Chief Creative Officer at what3words, and former Global Creative Director at Ogilvy and Adam & Eve, joins us to share his journey from traditional advertising to driving creativity inside a fast-growing tech company.
Ivan reveals how shifting away from the traditional agency model allowed him to apply creative problem-solving to complex business operations, showing what happens when creativity gets a seat at the executive board.
Breaking the Studio Box: Why true creative leaders need to see themselves as business partners, not just heads of a creative studio.
The Client Influence: How the willingness of a marketing leader to invest and scale work dictates impact far more than the agency itself.
Cross-Functional Creativity: Practical ways to expand creative thinking into unexpected departments like finance and operations.
The In-House Advantage: How inside access allows creatives to solve fundamental business challenges rather than just making ads.
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#marketingpodcast #creativeops #creativity #businessstrategy
22 Jun 2026
Via Tendon: Why You Should Duplicate Yourself with AI | In-House Insights
When you're running an in-house team, it’s easy to slip into the role of an internal order-taker, constantly fighting creative pushback from corporate stakeholders. But what if you could train your team to manage up effortlessly while simultaneously harnessing AI to speed up production?
In this episode, we sit down with Via Tendon, Head of Bupa's In-House Agency and a vocal leader in the creative operations space. Via shares her deeply personal journey in the industry and reveals the exact strategies she uses to lead with radical empathy, build a culture of high-agency creatives, and implement AI tools safely inside a heavily regulated global health insurance brand.
#podcast #marketing #creativeops #ai
15 Jun 2026
Mumbrella360 Recap: AI, CMO Pressures, & Doing Less to Achieve More | In-House Insights
In this episode, Abby and Chris sit down for a download of the biggest takeaways from Mumbrella360. They break down the real-world pressures currently keeping CMOs up at night, the danger of AI-driven creative "blandification," and how modern in-house teams are uniquely positioned to pivot from siloed tech experiments to scalable enterprise workflows.
What you’ll learn:
The Power of the "Stop Doing" Audit: How to identify and eliminate performative work that doesn't move your core marketing KPIs.
Escaping the AI Average: Why relying purely on standard AI prompts leads to middling creative, and how to intentionally build diversity and inclusivity into your generative tools.
Chasing Bonfires, Not Fireworks: A smarter approach to cultural marketing that prioritizes predictable, large-scale moments over reactive, short-lived internet trends.
The Brand Guardian Advantage: Why in-house agencies are the ideal sandbox for embedding safe, high-stakes AI frameworks into daily operations.
Are you ready to bring the outside insights in? Hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode.
#InHouseInsights #CreativeOperations #InHouseAgency #MarketingStrategy
Optimising metrics is easy, but are you accidentally squeezing the emotional magic out of your creative briefs? It's time to stop letting dashboards dictate your output and start building true creative judgment within your team!
Fresh off the ground from Cairns Crocs, hosts Abby and Chris break down the five biggest operational shifts happening across the APAC marketing landscape. From moving past gimmicky generative AI toward foundational infrastructure, to balancing long-term brand equity with fast-paced 'Express Lanes', this episode looks at what it actually takes to run a high-performing internal agency in today's economic climate.
Ready to elevate your internal agency's operations? Subscribe to In-House Insights and follow us on LinkedIn for bonus content.
#Podcast #BusinessPodcast #MarketingPodcast #CreativeOperations #InHouseAgency #MarketingStrategy
4 May 2026
Warren Marenco Chase: Why the Best In-House Agencies Are Acting Like External Shops | In-House Insights
Most in-house teams are pigeonholed into a box of speed and efficiency, often sacrificed at the expense of high-level creativity. But what if your internal agency could win creativity awards whilst operating at a scale traditional shops can’t touch?
In this episode, Warren Marenco Chase, VP Managing Director of Copper Giants (Liberty Mutual’s in-house agency), joins us to share his blueprint for building world-class internal teams. From his early days scaling Verizon’s creative org to 200+ people to his current work at Liberty Mutual, Warren breaks down the "In-House but Out of the Box" philosophy.
We discuss the benefits of taking on external clients, the No A'holes Policy that protects culture, and why AI is about to trigger a hockey stick of content deliverables.
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27 Apr 2026
IHAC Awards 2026: The Best of the Best In-House Agencies | In-House Insights
The latest IHAC Awards prove that internal agencies are no longer just executing, they are leading the charge in innovation.
In this episode of In-House Insights, Abby and Chris recap the highlights from the recent IHAC Awards. They break down why Optus took home the AI trophy for streamlining "boring" workflows, how One NZ is mastering integrated media, and why Treasury Wine Estates (Splash) swept the board.
Whether you’re looking for a blueprint for cultural impact or curious about the future of media in-housing, this recap celebrates the talent and grit of the in-house community.
Don't miss out on the next community deep dive—subscribe to the podcast and join the movement at ihac.com.au.
#InHouseInsights #CreativeOperations #InHouseAgency #MarketingStrategy #marketingawards
20 Apr 2026
Kevin Frank: Why Your Best Creatives Are Quitting (And How to Fix It) | In-House Insights
Most creative directors are just frustrated creatives in disguise, focusing on the work while their team’s culture withers. If you’re leading an in-house agency, are you actually managing, or are you just competing with your own staff?
In this episode, we sit down with Kevin Frank, author of Raising Creative Teams and former creative leader at Apple and LinkedIn. Kevin shares his journey from the leading edge of the in-house revolution, to mastering the art of the death of the ego.
We explore why leading creative people requires a specific type of empathy, the power of over-communication, and how to transition from making the work to creating the environment where work thrives.
Don't forget to subscribe for more insights from industry leaders.
#CreativeOperations #InHouseAgency #MarketingStrategy
13 Apr 2026
Why Global Brands are In-Housing the Big Wins | In-House Insights
Think in-house teams are just for designing HR posters? Think again. The world’s biggest brands are now trusting their internal studios with Super Bowl spots and global media buying.
In this premiere of our new 'Moves and News' podcast stream, Abby and Chris dive into the rapid evolution of the in-house landscape. From beverage giant Celsius launching a full-service agency to Procter & Gamble’s Mark Pritchard leading the charge on in-house media, we explore why speed, agility, and creative origination are becoming the new internal gold standards.
Also in this episode:
The Global Shift | Why brands like Virgin and Instacart are hiring big gun ECDs to move creative work further upstream.
Media: The New Frontier | How closing the feedback loop between production, creative, and media is driving massive ROI for PNG and Treasury Wine Estates.
GEO & Generative AI | A look at how top-tier brands are moving beyond the AI buzz to implement Generative Engine Optimisation.
The 2026 Benchmark | Why participating in the IHAC AI survey is the only way to truly see where your team stands against the competition.
Ready to stay ahead of the curve? Subscribe to the In-House Insights podcast.
6 Apr 2026
Maya Dukes: Moving from Order-Taker to Strategic Creative Partner | In-House Insights
If your in-house agency is struggling to get a seat at the leadership table or is tired of being treated like an order-taker, this conversation is a must-listen.
In this episode, we sit down with Maya Dukes, Managing Director of Global Brand Creative and Agency Operations at Delta Airlines. Maya shares her incredible journey of scaling a small, scrappy creative team into a strategic powerhouse within one of the world's largest brands.
She opens up about leading through the adversity of COVID-19, the intentional steps she took to rebuild team culture, and how she shifted the dynamic with internal stakeholders from clients to true business partners.
Don’t forget to subscribe for more insights from industry leaders.
30 Mar 2026
Why the Future of Creative is In-House | In-House Insights
It's official: Australia's In-House Agency Council is starting a podcast. Welcome! 👋
The traditional agency-client relationship is undergoing a massive shift, yet many internal teams are still struggling to find their seat at the leadership table. Most marketers know in-housing is a game-changer, but few are talking about how to actually harness that power to drive real results.
In this pilot episode of In-House Insights, we go on the record to discuss our passion behind the in-house movement. We’re pulling back the curtain on why this shift is happening now and how this show will shine a light on the innovators who are successfully transforming corporate creative departments into world-class agencies.
Subscribe to In-House Insights on your favourite platform and visit ihac.com.au to join the community of leaders redefining the creative industry.
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