According to IHAF’s latest research, 25% of in-houseagencies are actively using Generative AI which is asignificant increase from the 4% using it the previous year. EMILY FOSTER, DIRECTORIHAF, IN-HOUSE AGENCY FORUM We primarily offshore production graphic design. This allowsus to efficiently handle high volume, fast turnaround work,ensuring our in-house team can remain agile and focus onstrategic and creative initiatives. LEEANNE BRIERLEY, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR,MARKETING COMMUNICATIONSASHFIELD MEDCOMMS, AN INIZIO COMPANY The 2025 Global BenchmarkReport for Content Production In-House, Offshore & Automation Contents 25Spotlight Interview: Healthcare & Medical Communications27Q4: If you had more budget, what would you spend it on?30Q5: How long have you utilized offshore production as part ofyour production eco-system?31Agency Points of View34Spotlight Interview: In-House Community, IHAF35Q6: Of all the tier 2 and 3 services, which do you feel is mostsuited to being produced offshore?38Q7: What are the most important assessment criteria whenselecting an offshore partner?40Spotlight Interview: Telecommunications & Retail42Q8: What percentage of savings would you expect to makeacross the following services, if using an offshore model? 4I ntroduction6Methodology12A 60 Second Summary...148 Key Predictions for MarTech, Automation & AI withinProduction15Key Findings15Q1: What are your biggest challenges for producingcontent this year?19Spotlight Interview: Banking & Financial Services21Q2: Across your marketing and content ecosystem,where are the following disciplines primarily managed?23Q3: What percentage of your production budget goes to thefollowing: in-house, offshore, external agency, freelance? Contents 47Spotlight Interview: In-House Creative Community49Q9: How do you measure the success of your offshore contentproduction partner?52Spotlight Interview: Education - Content Technology &Publishing53Q10: Which technology should be provided by your productionpartner?56Q11: What percentage of your content production is managedthrough automation?59Spotlight Interview: Creative Operations and In-House61Q12: What are the top advantages of automation?62Q13: What is the primary obstacle for effective utilization ofautomation?63Spotlight Interview: Technologist, MarTech, Automation, AISpecialist 66Q14: What would you expect to be automated/partiallyautomated by your production partner?67Q15: Do you have an AI strategy for content production?69Spotlight Interview: Sports Betting & Gaming70Q16: What are your biggest concerns and challenges around theuse of AI by your production partner?71Q17: Where are you most comfortable using AI?73Spotlight Interview: Full Service Agency75Q18: Do you assess your offshore partner on their sustainabilitymeasures and goals? Which areas of sustainability are mostimportant?77Conclusion78About Us Introduction been both exhilarating and exhausting, withmany coming through the challenges moreresilient and willing to lead the charge in2025. Experimentation and adoption of AI willtransition to functional and operational change,with tangible, demonstrable benefits. As we embark on the 5th industrialrevolution, with greater collaborationbetween humans and advanced technology,we are now more connected, moreintegrated and more automated than everbefore. 1 out of every 2 companies,doesn’t currently have anAI strategy for contentproduction. In a world of hyper-digitalization, companiesare rapidly exploring how best to use AIagents combined with resource models thatcan scale, in order to create seamless andpersonalized experiences for customers, andto streamline business processes. This, in turn,opens a chasm of opportunity to shift theirfocus to creative strategy and higher-levelcreative services, working in partnership withmarketing to find the balance between creativeexcellence, marketing performance and anuplift in brand equity. As we move through the gears of 2025, contentvolumes continue to increase; the ROI demandsare at an all-time high; the pace of production isat breakneck speed, but the necessary changeneeded to facilitate the growing consumerdemand is underway. In 2025, automation adoption will becomeomnipresent. We’ll see greater investment inthe skills needed to embrace AI and resourcemodeling will drive up offshore volumes, asthe industry finds ways to stay on top of theinsatiable content demands. 80% With AI driven automation reducing turnaroundtimes by up to 90%, and offshore productionunderpinning automation with resource savingson average at 40%, combining these twomodels will give in-house teams and marketerstheir greatest ‘bang for buck’. of C-suite executivesglobally believe AI will kick-start a cultural shift whereteams are more innovative. 2024 saw many significant global shifts intechnology, working practices, sustainability,the geo-political landscape and economicgrowth, all of which directly affected consumerbehavior and brand engagement. For manyin-house