In-house agencies are navigating a complex landscape in 2025, with a confluence of economic pressures, technological disruption, and shifting talent dynamics creating a unique set of challenges. The 2025 Global Benchmark Report for Content Production shines a light on these issues, revealing that a strong focus on people, an evolving relationship with technology, and a need for agile production models are paramount for success.
1. The Talent Imperative
The report is definitive on its most significant finding: people and talent strategies are the single biggest challenge for in-house teams in 2025. This is more than just a hiring concern; it’s about having access to the right skills and flexible resources to handle the “breakneck speed” of content demands. As a testament to this, the report finds that if given more budget, most companies would invest it in people, not technology.
This finding echoes a wider industry conversation that emphasizes the value of human expertise, particularly in areas like MarTech, AI, and automation. As the report highlights, the goal is to free up creatives from “tier 3” production tasks, like versioning and reformatting so they can focus on high-value, differentiated content.
Emma Sexton, a leader in the in-house community, reinforces this point in the report, noting that a key priority is to keep creative strategy and thinking in-house. This marks a complete turnaround from the traditional in-house model and requires a significant investment in a skilled, strategic team.
2. The AI Balancing Act
While technology is an essential part of the modern agency, the report reveals a critical gap: over half of all businesses surveyed lack a formal AI strategy for content production. The reasons are a familiar mix of a skills deficit, cultural resistance, and a lack of dedicated time.
This presents a challenge because the report also predicts that AI will become “omnipresent” by the end of 2025. The key to successful adoption, it argues, is a fundamental cultural shift rather than just buying new tools. Instead of viewing AI as a “shiny new toy,” in-house agencies must be “smart with the tech,” using it for practical applications like automating repetitive tasks and supporting the ideation phase to free up their creative talent for more impactful work.
3. The Strategic Role of Offshore Production
To help overcome talent and resource challenges, the report highlights offshore production as a strategic imperative. Offshore teams provide significant cost savings while serving as a vital extension of in-house teams. By taking on tier 2 and tier 3 production tasks, they free up in-house teams to focus on core strategic activities such as creative ideation and planning.
This approach offers clear commercial benefits. The report reveals that over one in three companies save between 40% and 60% with an offshore model. The most successful businesses are implementing a “Smartshoring” model that combines local expertise with global production resources, providing the flexibility and scale needed to meet increasing content demands.
The findings of the “2025 Global Benchmark Report” confirm that in-house agencies are moving beyond the traditional studio model, taking on more strategic roles and facing new challenges in managing talent, technology, and external partners. The businesses that will thrive in 2025 will be those that embrace a flexible, composable approach that leverages the right talent and technology to meet ever-increasing demands.
Want to learn how your team can overcome these challenges and build a high-performing agency? Download the full report for a deep dive into the data, expert interviews, and strategies for success.
