Dear InSource Members,

On behalf of the InSource Board of Directors, I want to thank you for your support of our creative community in 2008.

As we look over the in-house creative landscape, we’ve seen considerable change over the last year.
The troubling economic conditions are creating serious challenges for many companies, both large and small. Over the last year, who could have imagined long-standing investment banks would crumble and the US automotive industry would be on the brink of collapse due to a lack of innovation and tired brand perceptions? Closer to home, in-house design teams are particularly susceptible to changes in business performance as companies look to reduce staff, cut costs and find short-term solutions to ease financial strife.

Let me say, though, that it’s not all gloom and doom for in-house creatives; for through adversity, opportunities arise. Smart management will recognize this as an opportunity to create a competitive advantage by investing in top-quality people who may have been transitioned out of other companies. Some will be forward-thinking enough to realize that in-house design capacity improves production, turnaround and consistency of creative materials. Some will understand that design managers are the brand stewards who reinforce consistency and build brand equity. The elite business pundits will realize that championing design and innovation is the only way to build sustainable advantage. Products and services are becoming very similar, and with similar features, benefits and product performance, consumer choice becomes very emotional. Design and brand communications are critical to maintain this emotional connection with consumers and drive business success.

Taking a look at what’s ahead for InSource, I’m excited. Through your support and the support of our sponsors, InSource is rapidly becoming the leading resource for corporate creative management, and we want to keep that momentum going. We’re passionate about the value that internal creative teams offer, and we can help qualify that value. We want to continue to expand our reach and build an even stronger organization that offers valuable resources to our growing, in-house creative community.

In 2009, we are considering how we can do more to reach out to our members throughout the nation, including exploring opportunities to plan regional events and webinars around in-house topics. We will keep all members informed of our progress in this area.

Our mission at InSource is to provide high-quality seminars, tools, networking opportunities and management support. We are committed to design excellence and effective design management. To that end, InSource is very interested in securing sponsorships and partnerships to promote events and support various design initiatives. Should you know any people or businesses interested in partnering with InSource, please invite them to contact us at info@in-source.org. A member of our sponsorship team would be happy to reach out to anyone interested in more information.

So, in 2009, let’s reach out to inform business leaders about the importance of design, the importance of brand consistency and the importance of internal expertise in these areas. We encourage you to reach out to other members in our community to share information. We welcome any questions about our work, as well as ideas to help us grow. The true value of our group is with you—your experience, your knowledge and your creativity. We invite you to visit our website often. Check out the details about our upcoming events, and don’t forget the informative online recaps of our previous events. We look forward to announcing more initiatives to reach out to our members across the nation.

Wishing you all a creative and prosperous 2009!
 
Martin Shova
President, InSource
An Association of Corporate Creatives