I recently attended the In-House Agency Forum (IHAF) "Huddle" in Boston at Putnam Investments' office in Post Office Square. Moderated by Jennifer Cortner, vice president of account service at Discovery Communications, the event featured a wide-ranging discussion of the challenges that in-house creative agencies face today, along with ideas for solving these challenges.

Topics ranged from organizational structures and operating models to client satisfaction and inter-agency collaboration. Here are a few observations from the day's discussions:

• The barriers between print and interactive are blurring, but not quickly enough. While some agencies still divide their work into two separate silos, a consensus seems to be forming that it no longer makes sense to treat print and interactive as distinct disciplines. Just as most agencies no longer segregate direct response marketing from other marketing activities, digital and print are moving onto the same page.  

• Generational differences create challenges for managers and staff. There seems to be a perception that digital, online, or mobile projects are the exclusive domain of younger team members, while folks in their forties and fifties are relegated to the stodgy world of print and direct response. While it's true that the younger generation has never experienced a world without Internet connectivity, that doesn't mean older team members can't learn new skills. And this cuts both ways, as the 20-somethings can probably learn a thing or two from the veterans of print media and direct mail.

• In-house agencies often rely on external agencies to help them meet their commitments. However, this relationship can sometimes become strained, especially in situations where in-house agencies view outside agencies as competitors. Some in-house agencies also get demoralized when all the sexy, interactive projects go to an external agency and then they have to step in at the last minute and fix creative work that is off brand or otherwise off target.

While rivalries may exist, most in-house agencies acknowledge that they simply don't have the capacity to manage all the projects on their plates. They need a reliable external agency to pick up the slack.

In my personal experience partnering with in-house agencies at Fidelity and elsewhere, I have found that long-form content development projects are a great fit for a small, nimble external agency. This includes projects such as white papers, case studies, articles for newsletters, etc. 

These types of projects require writers who can devote large blocks of uninterrupted time, something that's often difficult to do in a large, busy office. In-depth editorial content also requires a thorough understanding of the topic and ample time to perform research and interview subject matter experts. Again, these projects take time, so in my opinion these are great candidates for outsourcing.

The in-house agencies I have worked with are usually well equipped to handle the layout and design phase of these projects, as they typically have an existing design template and a staff of graphic designers. But when time is in short supply, it can often be faster and more efficient to outsource graphic design work too. 

If you happen to work for an in-house agency and want to learn more about the benefits of becoming a member of the In-House Agency Forum, I encourage you to visit their website.