InnerGroup

InnerGroup was founded to help brands systemically strengthen their internal marketing capabilities. Our recent appointment of Sophy Regelous as Global Lead of Advisory Division strengthens our team of internal marketing operations experts. As Fred Schuster, CEO of InnerGroup said “Sophy’s expertise brings the next level of impact to our clients – eliminating external frictions and ensuring their operations deliver both creative innovation and business value.” https://lnkd.in/dKvYNzae

We are pleased to name Sophy Regelous, EVP, Global Advisory. She will lead InnerGroup’s global InnerAdvisory practice, which strengthens marketers’ operational excellence and helps in-house teams unlock greater agility, efficiency, and measurable business impact. https://lnkd.in/gs49h9MM Fred Schuster James Sanderson Marketing Dive

Congratulations to all those who won and the shortlisted entries. 👏 We are proud to sponsor and support this incredible community. Fred Schuster James Sanderson

Budgeting season is upon us, and marketing leaders are being challenged to think differently this year. Economic uncertainty and shifting channel demands make it harder to lean on historical benchmarks or defend line items as usual. Recent findings from Gartner revealed that marketing budgets have flatlined at 7.7% of overall company revenue. Even more concerning, 59% of CMOs say they don’t have enough budget to execute their 2025 strategy. In this week’s #MondayQuestion, our CEO, Fred Schuster, asks marketing leaders: “How are you approaching your budget for 2026, given the roller coaster year and the uncertain, unreliable economic forecast?” 1. Conservatively 2. Rolling forecasts  3. Scenario modelling - tactical scenarios 4. Holding firm - full speed ahead What’s your go-to method for predicting budgets? That's what we ask in our #MondayQuestion poll. Vote below and let us know.

82% of brands combine in-house and external agencies. But are they truly integrated, or still working in silos? True brand growth comes from strategically combining both. The optimal balance between in-house creative and external agencies isn't just a preference; it's a strategic necessity. Brands need agility, specialized expertise, and cost efficiency simultaneously. It's about optimizing every resource, not choosing one over the other. At InnerGroup, we specialize in helping you find that precise balance, turning your integrated model into a competitive advantage. Not sure where your model stands? Take the InnerAssessment - a fast, practical diagnostic to evaluate your current setup. A report will be sent your way within a week to help you make insightful decisions about where you can improve integration, agility, and performance: https://lnkd.in/dWDiUGip

In-house agencies aren’t short on creativity. The real challenge is having the right skills, at the right time, without overstretching teams. That’s why we built InnerOps. Not to replace teams, but to strengthen them with fractional and talent augmentation - spanning creative, media, project management, operations, and more. By aligning operations, we allow the in-house to adapt faster, more continuously to evolving demands so marketing stays relevant and brands stay resilient. By embedding specialists directly into in-house environments, our clients have the ability to continuously optimize performance while anticipating and accessing resources on demand. As marketers' needs change, the solution is not adding more headcount or cutting costs, it’s about building an adaptable model with the ability to quickly deploy resources to extend or scale capabilities.

At InnerGroup, we believe that brands that treat their internal agencies as their primary Agency of Record have a distinct advantage over those that do not. Our purpose is to help the in-house agency stay relevant and increase its impact. The InnerIndex study was designed with that goal in mind. Too many industry studies stop at reporting trends and volumes without the operational takeaway or next steps for real, actionable change. In that aspect, InnerIndex is unique. We combined benchmark data from over 150 in-house leaders in the US, UK, and Canada, with behavioral science to understand IHA sentiment in this time of change. These insights inform strategy which impacts performance. They go beyond observation to guide operational decisions. Clients who’ve engaged with us through bespoke InnerIndex workshops tell us the findings have helped them sharpen priorities, streamline processes, and improve efficiency. #InnerGroup #InHouseAgency #MarketingOps

Healthy internal marketing organizations require data to stay relevant. However, traditional surveys focus too much on trends and volumes and lack operational insights for actionable change. So we told a different approach - The InnerIndex combines benchmark data and behavioral science to capture the minds & hearts of the entire IHA community It’s not just about what got done—it’s about how it gets done—and what it really takes to get it done, and the people who get it done. We asked questions that were both quantitative and qualitative - to look at benchmarks and behaviors - the same way you would approach your customer or audience segmentation, except applied to marketing operations The results are what we refer to as Inner Truths - real insights with clear operational impact. Watch the video to see InnerGroup CEO, Fred Schuster, introducing the InnerIndex at the Association of National Advertisers In-House Agency Conference earlier this summer.

In-house strategy is changing, and so is the brief. In a recent AdForum interview, our CEO Fred Schuster shares why briefs are no longer static documents but dynamic, data-informed systems that are co-created across teams and shaped in real time. From AI-powered workflows that evolve briefs as campaigns progress, to co-creation at the strategy stage, Fred explains how in-house teams are leading the shift toward faster, clearer, and more accountable marketing. As Fred puts it, “The best briefs aren’t written; they’re built. Together.” 👉 Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/gGXK8gub #MarketingOperations #AIinMarketing #InnerGroup

What truly defines a great in-house agency? It's not just structure, agility, or processes. It’s not the House, but the People inside that matter. In his editorial for LBBonline - Little Black Book, InnerGroup’s executive chairman, and host of the Inside Jobs Podcast, Robert Berkeley reflects on the traits that set the best in-house leaders apart: humility, resilience, and a long-term commitment to building brands from the inside. 👉 Read the full oped here: https://lnkd.in/gkiZd8xz #InHouseAgencies #CreativeLeadership