ORLANDO—Working remotely isn’t for everyone, but it’s working out pretty well for 150-year-old PwC’s in-house agency. “My agency is a virtual agency, meaning we all don’t report into one headquarters operation and work together,” says Managing Director and Creative Leader Jack Teuber.
“Rather, people are working sort of where they are,” Teuber adds. “We recruit for talent, not for location. So we’re looking for the best people.”
This arrangement gives the professional services provider flexibility even as its in-house people are “a reflection of the culture of the larger organization,” Teuber explains in this Beet.TV interview at the recent ANA In-House Agency Conference.
“Once they get inside, what they’re looking for is a big-brand experience. Designers want to do new and playful things and make things really engaging for the people who participate in whatever experience we’re trying to deliver.”
To help recruit talent, it’s not unusual for PwC to take over a theme park and hold a branded event. “That’s something you can’t really get everywhere else. It’s a really great opportunity,” says Teuber.
PwC’s brand purpose is to “solve important problems and build trust in society,” which can be inspiring, but “Translating that into every piece of creative I think is a big challenge.”
Communicating with some 50,000 internal employees (median age: about 27) can be daunting as well. “There’s plenty of noise inside the firm and reaching our own people is a challenge.”
Asked to reflect on the conference proceedings, Teuber cites the quality of work being presented and “seeing where big brands with really quality in house shops continue to work with outside agency partners. In-house is right for a lot of things. We certainly work with outside agencies as well. But there’s no one right answer. It’s the right answer for the circumstance.”
This video is part of Beet.TV’s coverage of the ANA In-House Agency Conference. This series is sponsored by Extreme Reach. For more videos, please visit this page.
