Reimagining the In-House Agency

For years, in-house agencies (IHAs) have been the holy grail of marketing efficiency. They were faster, cheaper, and closer to the brand than relying on external agencies and partners. But today, as budgets tighten and speed-to-market is measured in days, not months, strategy can feel outdated even before launch. And many companies are rethinking the equation: What belongs in-house? What should be outsourced, or automated? And where does AI fit in?

Market forces from cost-cutting pressures to evolving talent needs are influencing in-house agency structures. At the same time, external factors such as a changing political climate and rapid technological advances mean campaigns must evolve in real time. Generative AI has also transformed how strategy and storytelling come together. And the rise of “vibe marketing,” where campaigns are built around mood, movement, and cultural resonance rather than hard data or demographics, reflects a new creative instinct powered by AI tools.

Even high-profile internal shops aren’t immune to the shift. Liquid Sunshine, the award-winning in-house agency behind Keurig Dr Pepper, was recently dismantled as they chose to move away from their in-house creative model. And while Mark Zuckerberg predicted that AI will eventually take over agency work, the reality today is far from apocalyptic. Instead, it is ushering in an era of nimble decision-making that blends human creativity with AI-driven insight.

From Consolidated to Connected: How AI Is Rewriting the IHA Playbook

For many IHAs, capabilities can lag behind ambition: A 2025 Gartner survey found more than a quarter of CMOs have limited or no AI adoption in their marketing campaigns. That gap is forcing teams to make critical choices about how to build, buy, or borrow the technology they need to stay competitive.

Some brands are building proprietary AI systems: A massive technical and financial lift that demands new governance frameworks and training programs. For example, Adobe leverages the tools created for external partners for in-house work. Second Wave, the IHA for Aimbridge Hospitality, created closed-source, proprietary AI platforms that allow new hotels and projects to autonomously jumpstart brand-building.

Other IHAs are partnering with external agencies that have their own AI infrastructure, a choice that can unlock efficiency but sometimes means ceding a bit of control. U.S. Bank, for example, has developed a hybrid approach, using agency Supergood for heavier lifts, while using their own in-house systems for everyday marketing efforts.

Either way, workflows are being rewritten. The once-clear boundaries between internal and external teams are blurring, requiring tighter communication, shared platforms, and co-created content pipelines. Unilever’s Beauty AI Studio is a perfect example. “We used to send briefs off and get content back. Now it’s this agile, iterative approach,” Selina Sykes, Global VP and Head of Marketing Transformation for Beauty and Wellbeing, told Digiday about how the beauty brand is shifting.

Turning Pressure into Possibility

In-house agencies are at an inflection point. The pressure to do more with less can feel relentless. But it’s also sparking innovation. Constraints are forcing teams to rethink legacy structures, pilot new workflows, and uncover efficiencies that create both creative and budgetary flex.

The first move is clarity. Map how work actually gets done … not how it’s supposed to get done. Identify bottlenecks, overlapping roles, and where technology is underused or skills are lagging. A fresh set of eyes can help: many brands are bringing in consultancies or external auditors to benchmark performance and uncover hidden inefficiencies.

From there, experiment in controlled environments. Pilot hybrid workflows that combine AI-assisted production with human oversight. Start with lower-stakes campaigns to test new processes, clarify ownership, and measure output. The goal isn’t to do everything internally, but to decide what belongs in-house, what can be automated, and what’s best handled by trusted partners.

Upskilling is critical. As creative, marketing, and tech roles continue to converge, AI fluency and cross-functional collaboration are becoming baseline expectations. Teams that invest in training now will be better positioned to lead, not follow, as tools and platforms evolve. Just as important is finding the right partners who complement internal strengths, bring specialized expertise, and can flex as priorities shift.

If projects stall in approvals, campaigns feel repetitive, or AI tools sit idle, those are signs it’s time for your IHA to recalibrate, not rebuild. The strongest IHAs see transformation as a continuous cycle of testing, learning, and scaling what works. Because at this turning point, the real advantage isn’t size or spend. It’s the ability to stay flexible, adapt fast, and turn every constraint into a catalyst for better work.

The Future of IHAs is Human

The next era of in-house work isn’t defined by automation. It’s defined by alignment: between people and platforms, insight and execution, creativity and technology. Because while AI may be able to execute campaigns, it’s people who decide which campaigns matter. Teams are the connective tissue that allow brands to pivot, sense cultural shifts, and build authentic identity in ways only humans can.

Creative Circle helps brands build flexible, future-ready teams that blend human expertise with emerging technology. Whether you’re reimagining your IHA or exploring AI-enhanced workflows, we can help you find the right mix of people, partners, and potential.

About the Author: Anna Davies is a Creative Circle freelancer who specializes in personal finance, investing, fintech, and startups. She has worked with WeWork, Happy Money, and Haven Life —plus Fortune 500 companies such as Goldman Sachs, American Express, Citi, and Chase. Davies has also collaborated and ghostwritten for multiple New York Times bestsellers.

HubSpot’s INBOUND conference is one of the busiest and most influential marketing gatherings in North America every year. This year, Creative Circle sent two of our best and brightest operations leaders, Devin Daniel and Ben Dabdoub, to rub shoulders and gather insights firsthand.

Here are Devin and Ben’s three key takeaways from three full days of presentations and conversations with top marketing leaders.

1. AI is everywhere, and it’s here to stay.

The message was loud and clear: AI isn’t coming, it’s already here, and it’s transforming every corner of marketing, sales, and the customer experience. And — sigh of relief — it’s not eliminating marketers; it’s being fully integrated into workflows to enhance their impact.

“AI is more than just a tool in your toolbox; it’s getting so much deeper than that,” says Ben.

For marketers, this means moving beyond experimenting with ChatGPT or automating email subject lines. It’s time to operationalize AI — embedding it into content creation, audience segmentation, and performance analysis.

Here’s a few ways to start building that partnership:

Content at scale: AI can help draft outlines, repurpose longform content into bite-sized assets, and personalize messaging for different audience segments.
Predictive insights: Use AI-powered analytics to forecast campaign performance, identify emerging trends, and make data-backed decisions faster.
Customer journey mapping: AI can help visualize and optimize the customer journey by analyzing behavioral data across touchpoints.

Developing a clear AI strategy should be at the forefront of every leadership discussion. Neither team leader nor individual contributor should be ignoring the technology, and everyone should be armed with the training to deploy it.

2. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the new SEO, and it’s changing how customers find you.

AEO is the practice of optimizing content to be discoverable by AI-driven answer engines, such as Google’s featured snippets, voice assistants (like Alexa and Siri) and ChatGPT.

At INBOUND, one stat kept surfacing: Nearly 60% of Google searches now result in zero clicks. HubSpot Senior Director of Global Growth Aja Frost said, “It’s kind of bonkers. For a long time, Google has been the most predictable way to drive traffic and demand to your business.”

Today, users are getting answers directly from AI-powered overviews, without ever landing on your website. Traditional SEO, built around keywords and rankings, is no longer enough.

“Instead of chasing clicks, focus on building trust with content that directly answers your customers’ questions,” is the advice Devin said she’ll be sharing with her clients. “And it should live in the places where those questions are being asked,” Devin adds.

To position your brand for AI-conversion, you must:

Create clear authoritative content that AI can easily extract and summarize.
- Can ChatGPT clearly articulate what your company does, who it serves, and why it’s better than your competition?
Focus on natural language (the way people actually speak) and long-tail keywords that reflect how people are using voice search or AI tools.
Publish on people-driven platforms like YouTube, podcasts, and social media platforms where users ask and answer questions, such as TikTok, LinkedIn, and Reddit. AI tools prioritize this type of content!

3. The marketing funnel is not linear.

Marketing leaders have been saying this for a while, and at INBOUND, they drove the concept home.

Traditionally, marketers imagined the customer journey as a straight path. But today, especially in an AI-influenced world, buyers don’t move through a linear funnel — they jump between stages, circle back to earlier steps, and discover through unexpected channels.

Enter HubSpot’s new coined concept: Loop Marketing.

It’s a customer-centric strategy that replaces the traditional marketing funnel with a continuous cycle of engagement, where marketing, sales, and service teams collaborate to attract and engage customers in an ongoing loop.

The four-step framework has AI weaved in at every stage:

Express: Define your brand voice and core message before turning to AI to output.
Tailor: Make your message feel truly personal, not just personalized.
Amplify: Ensure you’re discoverable across the channels your buyers trust.
Evolve: Use real-time insights to optimize and adapt continuously.

Ben describes Loop as, “Humans working with AI to be faster, more prescriptive, and more predictive.” Devin says, “Unlike the funnel, which ends at conversion, Loop Marketing keeps the conversation going.” This cyclical pattern is crucial because it mirrors how modern consumers interact with brands.

Final Thoughts
INBOUND 2025 made one thing clear: the future of marketing is human-AI collaboration.

At Creative Circle, we’re in the business of connecting forward-thinking brands with future-ready talent. Whether you’re hiring or freelancing, we’re here to help you navigate the shifts and embrace what’s next.

Sources: HubSpot’s Spotlight with Yamini Rangan and Karen Ng, AI Broke Your Marketing

There was a time when working with an agency meant stepping into a world of slick pitches, three-martini lunches, and a whole lot of overhead. But today’s marketing leaders are navigating a much different reality … and losing the bar cart is the least of it. Today, leaders are simultaneously handling rapid shifts in technology, AI disruption, leaner teams, and pressure to do more with less. Add in economic uncertainty, and decision makers are looking for agency solutions that aren’t one-size-fits-all, and that understand that a dynamic environment needs a team who can partner (and pivot) with them.

That’s why some brands are increasingly turning to creative partners who offer something different: flexibility, transparency, and teams that feel like an extension of their own. Here’s what to look for in an agency model that can meet the moment, and scale with you through whatever comes next.

Talent You Know And Trust

We’ve all been there: The pitch dazzles and emails are answered seconds after you’ve sent them. But once the kickoff is set up, your day-to-day contacts can be a rotating set of staffers, while the senior leaders who won your business are nowhere to be found. Rather than diving into work, the first few weeks of a project are spent trying to figure out who’s responsible for what, while trying to effectively communicate your needs. Several months into the project, you’ve barely seen any deliverables.

A modern agency should give you access to the actual team that’s executing the work: Specialists you know by name, with deep expertise who understand your space and your goals, and who can take the brief or project and immediately understand what’s expected. This team includes the mix of people who assure that communications and creative are effectively covered, including dedicated points of contact, specialized skill sets, and fresh voices who aren’t afraid to share what they’re seeing in the marketplace and how your brand can cut through the noise.

Custom Teams Built Around You

A team that covers all bases doesn’t mean an inflated team. The right partner will build your team based on your goals, challenges, and existing internal resources. Whether you need a full content production engine, a UX sprint team, or just one whip-smart copywriter to plug into your brand studio, you should be able to scale up or down without renegotiating your entire contract. It’s about hand-selecting the right mix of talent for the jobs in your queue and having the flexibility to pivot — with the resources ready for whatever you may need.

Flexibility and Transparency

AI is transforming how we create, market, and measure. Economic headwinds are shifting where and how budgets get spent. In this environment, agility is essential. Your agency partner should be able to scale teams based on project flow, as well as provide niche expertise needed, such as AI content integration. And even as they integrate tech into deliverables, the best agency partners bring a human element and clear POV to the project, offering opinions, learnings, and unique perspectives while serving as collaborative support for your internal team.

This collaboration means anchoring the partnership in transparency and accountability. With increased scrutiny on budgets, CMOs and marketing leaders need clear, measurable ROI on every dollar spent. This includes real time reporting to show time and resource utilization, strategic visibility into where talent is being deployed and who is driving results, as well as a pricing system where you’re only paying for the time you’re actually using, rather than being locked into an opaque retainer.

A Team That Works Together To Drive Results

The best creative partners don’t just deliver assets, they build momentum. They integrate into your systems, learn your voice, and get to know your stakeholders. And when it makes sense to convert a contractor into a full-time employee, the right model should make that easy. Because sometimes the best person for your team is already part of your team. An agency that can provide top-tier talent and celebrate when it’s a match for full-time conversion is one who has your best interest in mind, rather than a separate agenda that creates a moat between you and the talent that understands your business best.

At Creative Circle, This Is the Model

We’ve built our agency services with today’s marketing realities in mind:

– Top-tier talent with specialty skill sets and proven experience

– Custom-built teams designed around your exact needs

– Flexible models that scale with you, and evolve as your strategy shifts

– A people-first approach that blends seamlessly into your internal team

– Transparent pricing and reporting to help you stay in control

About Creative Circle

💡 At Creative Circle, our human recruiters identify the right candidates and teams, for your marketing and creative projects. We ensure your pain points are solved with top tier talent, backed by deep industry experience. Whether it’s building creative teams, expanding your capacity with the right contractors, or filling that one critical role, we make sure you exceed your goals and drive meaningful results.

In today’s fast-paced business environment, hiring managers are constantly seeking ways to streamline their recruitment and hiring processes while still ensuring they find the best candidate for the job. One tool that is becoming more prevalent in the hiring process is the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

Optimizing Efficiencies with an ATS

Did you know the average job posting receives 250 resumes? But less than 25% are seen by human eyes, and hiring managers spend less than 60 seconds reviewing each one.

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software tool used by businesses to manage and streamline the recruitment process to find the best possible matches more quickly and enhance the client and candidate’s experiences. When used correctly, it can streamline the recruitment process by efficiently managing large volumes of resumes, ensuring that no potential candidate is overlooked.

Despite its efficiency advantages, hiring managers still need to ensure they’re looking at the big picture of hiring and leverage a combination of an ATS, other recruitment tools, and human relationships to maximize their hiring success. Here are some tips to help you optimize your hiring process.

Tips for Hiring Managers

Connect with Candidates Personally

As you work with your trusted recruiting partner who is helping you get candidates past the ATS stage, make time to connect with that candidate on the phone or through a video chat. Even a quick 15–20-minute call can make all the difference.

“It’s really hard to value people’s personalities and work ethic straight from a resume. So really do what you can to take the time to speak with that individual. If they’re checking off, you know, seven of the 10 check boxes, we encourage you to have that conversation.” – Cameron Little, tenured Creative Circle Recruiter.

Take the time to speak to a candidate and get to know them as a person.

Enter the Search with an Open Mind

When going into your search for a candidate, keep an open mind and consider transferable skills, or candidates who have experience in adjacent industries.

“There’s a lot of candidates who can bring value to your company versus really trying to focus on finding the perfect candidate. So, I think obviously the skills and the experience need to be relevant, but I think with the when you’re prioritizing those transferable skills, you can find a lot of great people out there.” – Cody Pickett, tenured Creative Circle Recruiter.

Enter your search with an open mind and consider transferrable skills to expand your talent pool.

Find the Balance

Relying solely on technology can result in missing the nuanced insights that human interactions provide. By integrating ATS alongside human relationships with industry professionals, recruitment partners, and the candidates themselves, managers can cast a wider net to better inform their decisions.

This holistic approach ensures that hiring managers not only identify the most qualified candidates but also those who will thrive and contribute positively to the organization.

We Can Help

We’re your trusted partner during the hiring process. Creative Circle’s employees come from the creative industry themselves, so they understand your unique challenges and needs. Here are all the roles we place across freelance, full-time and managed service’s needs, including:

Let’s get started.

About Creative Circle

The future can be unpredictable, and current economic conditions have created some significant uncertainty. Many creative and marketing teams face the daunting challenge of budget constraints and cuts. Consequently, businesses across various sectors are feeling the pressure. For many, it is time to tighten their belts, but at what cost?

With resources limited, organizations find themselves rethinking their strategies and seeking out creative solutions that enable them to thrive despite financial limitations. Are these challenges sounding familiar? Read on to discover ways to protect your talent planning, key initiatives, and project implementations.

Understanding the Impact of Budget Cuts

According to the CMO Alliance’s CMO Insights Report 2025, the impact of current economic conditions on revenue varies by organization size. While 33% of enterprises report experiencing revenue challenges, a staggering 83% of startups feel the squeeze.

Budget cuts can reverberate throughout an organization, affecting staffing levels, project timelines, and overall business operations. Creative teams, in particular, find themselves forced to do more with less, jeopardizing the efficiency, originality, and effectiveness of their output. This makes it vital for companies to engage in strategic talent planning, ensuring they can mitigate the risk.

Doing More with Less: Creative Staffing Solutions You Can Implement Now

For CMOs, resource constraints have become the standard rather than the exception. Marketing budgets as a percentage of total company budgets have fallen to 10.1%, down from 13.8% in 2022. Creativity in hiring, outsourcing, and enhancing operational efficiency is not just a competitive advantage anymore—it’s often a necessity. So, here’s where teams are turning…

Freelance Talent

One of the most effective strategies to navigate budget cuts is to tap into freelance talent. Hiring freelancers allows organizations to maintain flexibility and achieve significant cost savings. By engaging freelancers on a short term or project basis, teams can scale their workforce up or down based on need without the long-term commitment required for full-time hires. And there’s no shortage of great freelance talent—with so many people opting to freelance, companies have many choices in nearly every field. About 64 million people worked as freelancers in 2023, and an estimated 86.5 million will be freelancing by 2027 — more than half the total U.S. workforce.

Looking for freelance talent? Here are some of the most in-demand freelance roles right now.

Creative

Marketing

Agile Project Teams

Agile Project Teams allow businesses to adapt quickly to changing priorities or seasonal demands while optimizing resource allocation. By assembling teams tailored to specific projects, organizations can leverage diverse skill sets and drive creativity in problem-solving.

These agile teams can often be assembled into a dedicated studio or flexible benches of talent for needs like overflow production, ad-hoc projects, special projects or unique capabilities.

Here are the key roles that are often critical in establishing and maintaining agile project teams or studios:

Use Technology to Your Advantage

Harnessing the right tools can dramatically improve team efficiency. Remote and hybrid working solutions have proliferated, and leveraging platforms that facilitate communication and project management can enhance productivity. Slack, Trello, and Asana streamline workflows and provide visibility into project progress, enabling teams to remain connected regardless of location.

Leverage a Subject Matter Expert

Engaging with subject matter experts (SMEs) is a strategic way to optimize spending while maximizing impact. SMEs bring specialized knowledge that can enhance project outcomes without the need for permanent hires. Assess when there’s a need for specialized expertise and consider bringing in these professionals on a consultancy basis, allowing your teams to stay nimble while producing high-quality work.

Here are common initiatives where creative and marketing leaders leverage consulting expertise:

Justifying the Investment & Proving Value

According to a survey by Gartner, “proving ROI with analytics” is a top three challenge that hinders tech marketers’ ability to demonstrate success. This can make it difficult to communicate with stakeholders and secure investments. The key is to quantify the impact on business objectives by directing eyeballs to the data.

By first establishing foundational “building blocks” for metrics, data, processes, technology, and resources, you can continuously monitor, optimize, and showcase the marketing activities that align with your business objectives, as well as the talent driving these initiatives. Recognizing the importance of measurement in this way will allow you to better communicate the impact of your creative and digital efforts.

Depending on your industry, product, and target audience, choosing the right metrics will vary. Nevertheless, aligning your metrics with key objectives and formulating a strategy for your data collection will help you showcase progress toward strategic goals (such as revenue and customer growth) more successfully.

Remember, standardized processes, the right technology and tools, and a clear plan for measurement are your foundational building blocks.

Does your organization need help proving its ROI back to stakeholders? Try leveraging key roles such as a marketing analyst, digital marketing manager, SEO specialist, marketing operations manager, performance marketing manager or customer insights manager.

What’s the TLDR?

While budget cuts pose a challenge to creative and marketing teams, they also encourage innovative thinking and resourcefulness. Creative Circle is here to support businesses during times when budgets are tight, and progress is required. We’re here to provide top talent that can be deployed as freelancers, full-time staff, subject matter experts, or as a part of agile project teams. We offer flexible staffing solutions that cater to constrained budgets while helping to demonstrate the value of creative work back to the business and its stakeholders.

Creative Circle, a leading marketing and creative services company, announced today that they have won the Best of Staffing Client and Talent 5 Year Diamond Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates for five consecutive years. ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing® Award winners have proven to be industry leaders in service quality based entirely on ratings provided by their clients and candidates.

Creative Circle received satisfaction scores of 9 or 10 out of 10 from 70.2% of their clients and 78.3% of their placed job candidates, significantly higher than the industry averages of 45% and 30%. On average, clients of winning agencies are more than 1.5 times as likely to be completely satisfied, and candidates who have been placed by winning agencies are 1.6 times as likely to be completely satisfied with the services provided, compared to those working with non-winning agencies.

“Our guiding principle is to deliver a uniquely outstanding experience for our clients and candidates,” said Creative Circle President Matt Riley. “That’s what drives us every day — whether we’re designing a flexible solution for a client’s unique marketing and creative needs, or guiding a jobseeker through a stressful job search to help them land an assignment that’s right for them. I’m so proud to see the consistent efforts of our salespeople, recruiters, and support staff recognized in these Diamond Awards.”

Here’s what just a few hiring managers and jobseekers had to say about their experience working with Creative Circle in 2024:

“I can always rely on them to deliver the talent we need, exactly when we need it — they truly make my life so much easier!” — Dana G., Head of Marketing & Communications at a manufacturing firm

“Highly responsive service and always good candidate options to review; they took the time to understand our business and invest in learning about each open role to then curate suitable candidates… In all, they make recruiting easy and seamless, and their digital portal makes management and communication simple.” — Phil S., Managing Director at a creative agency

“I have had a great experience with Creative Circle. You get amazing opportunities, communicate quickly, and get interviews set up fast, as well as payment when approved for projects — you just make the entire process easy, which is so much less stress and hassle than many other recruitment agencies.” — Sophie B., communications writer

“I have always had a great experience with Created Circle and love working with them. Decent assignments and fair compensation, shepherded by good people. What more could you want?” — David M., 3D artist

“I am pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Best of Staffing awards,” said ClearlyRated’s CEO, Baker Nanduru. “Creative Circle has set itself apart for exceptional service and client experiences. Congratulations on your remarkable accomplishments. Winning these awards once is an accomplishment, but five times is a milestone.”

About Creative Circle

Creative Circle is a marketing and creative services company. Our strength comes from our talent community, and our power lies in leveraging this network to provide flexible solutions for our clients — from Fortune 500 companies to boutique agencies and budding startups. Creative Circle is part of ASGN Incorporated (NYSE: ASGN). To learn more, visit creativecircle.com.

About ClearlyRated

ClearlyRated helps B2B service firms gain actionable insights to stop client issues from becoming lost revenue, expand their business with existing clients, and attract new ones to grow their business. Learn more at https://www.clearlyrated.com/solutions/.

About Best of Staffing®

ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing® Award is the only award in the U.S. and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service quality based entirely on ratings provided by their clients, placed talent, and internal employees. Award winners are showcased by city and area of expertise on ClearlyRated.com—an online business directory that helps buyers of professional services find service leaders and vet prospective firms with the help of validated client ratings and testimonials.

In a way, live shopping — a host on screen, holding up products during a limited time only sale — seems reminiscent of an analog past, when drowsy shoppers would lounge on the couch, flicking between QVC and HSN.

But now, thanks in part to influencers who have forged an intimate connection with their fanbase, live shopping has become big business. In China, it’s “transformed the way people buy and sell.” Yet, in the West, adoption has been slower—until now. With live shopping app Whatnot reaching a staggering $5 billion valuation and major players like TikTok, Amazon, and Walmart investing heavily in the space, it’s clear that live shopping isn’t just a trend—it’s a retail transformation. Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia and marketing expert, has predicted that live shopping on social media has the potential to disrupt multiple industries.

How Is Live Shopping Different Than Targeted Advertising?

Live shopping rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, often with influencers taking advantage of the moment to improvise and sell their own lines or hosting DIY sales from their own closets or homes. The trend took off in China at that time, as brands partnered with influencers for high-tech, fully staged live shopping shows. Today, brands are becoming a trusted partner and producer in live shopping events, turning these moments into a key part of the marketing funnel.

Unlike a static shopping interface, live shopping blends entertainment, real-time engagement, and e-commerce into a single experience. Instead of browsing static product pages on their own time, consumers can engage in live shopping, which allows for:

Real-time interaction – Shoppers can ask questions, get live demonstrations, and see products in action before making a purchase.

Entertainment value – Engaging hosts, dynamic content, flash sales and gamification, such as quizzes or flash deals based on a certain behavior, are all ways to keep consumers hooked.

AI-driven personalization – Platforms like Shein and Temu use AI to tailor recommendations, offering a highly personalized shopping experience.

The TikTok Effect: Bridging East and West

While live shopping in the US has yet to reach China’s scale, TikTok has played a pivotal role in its growing adoption. The platform has helped introduce live shopping to Western audiences, though the trending format is expanding beyond social media-exclusive spaces. Retailers and brands are integrating live shopping into their own ecosystems, leveraging influencers, interactive features, and exclusive drops on their owned and operated platforms to drive sales.

Live Shopping Success Stories

1. Walmart Live

Walmart has pioneered shoppable livestreams across TikTok, YouTube, and its own app. By focusing on niche audiences—beauty enthusiasts, tech lovers, and fashion shoppers—the retail giant has driven targeted engagement and increased conversions. Not only does Walmart Live partner with trusted influencers, but they also collaborate with legendary talent, like Dolly Parton, for marquee shopping events.

2. Amazon Live

Amazon has seamlessly integrated live shopping into its ecosystem, particularly around major events like Prime Day. By using trusted creators and brand ambassadors, including A-listers like Jennifer Hudson and Martha Stewart to demo products in real time, Amazon has turned shopping into a tune-in event.

3. L’Oréal

L’Oréal has found success with tutorial-based live shopping, using AR try-ons and interactive demos to educate and convert consumers. For example, L’Oreal surpassed $1 million in sales on TikTok Shop’s Super Brand Day in the UK, surpassing expectations, and has also rolled out live shopping experiences throughout the globe. Hyper focusing on local markets can also be key for brands to optimize engagement, capitalize on cultural touchstones or moments, and utilize influencers with a large regional following.

Considerations for Brands Exploring Live Shopping

Brands looking to enter the live shopping space can consider the following strategies:

Find the right platform: TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Live offer built-in audiences, while brands can also host events on their own platforms. High-touch, immersive content is great for industries like beauty, fashion, cookware, and home goods, where demos and try-ons can help consumers fully understand the item.

Create event-driven moments: Limited-time deals, exclusive drops, and flash sales create urgency and drive immediate purchases.

Maximize interactivity: Live Q&As, polls, and real-time reactions turn passive viewers into active participants.

Leverage influencers: Partnering with trusted creators adds credibility and boosts conversion rates, particularly with micro-influencers who have highly engaged audiences and who excel at playing host and brand ambassador.

Repurpose live content: Brands can save and repackage livestreams for on-demand viewing, social media cuts, and subscriber content to extend reach and engagement beyond the live event.

The Future of Live Shopping

As AI and e-commerce technology continue to evolve, live shopping is poised to become a core component of the retail experience. The brands that embrace this shift—combining real-time engagement with interactive, high-quality content—will be the ones that not only stay relevant but thrive in the new era of digital commerce.

Creative Circle helps brands navigate this shift, connecting them with top-tier talent to build immersive commerce experiences or consult on the appropriate strategy. From social media optimization and video production to interactive content design and platform efficiencies, Creative Circle’s network of creative professionals ensures brands have the expertise to stay ahead in an evolving e-commerce landscape.

Looking for the talent who can help you execute a live shopping strategy? Businesses diving into live shopping opportunities are incorporating these roles to power their project teams:

Producer: Manages the technical aspects of the live stream, including camera work, lighting, and sound, ensuring a smooth and professional broadcast.
Content Creator: Develops the script, talking points, and visual content for the live event, ensuring the presentation is engaging and informative.
Social Media Manager: Promotes the live shopping event across various social media platforms, engages with the audience before, during, and after the event, and monitors feedback.
E-commerce Manager: Oversees the integration of the live shopping platform with the brand’s e-commerce site, ensuring a seamless shopping experience for viewers.
Marketing and Data Analyst: Tracks and analyzes metrics from the live shopping event to measure success and identify areas for improvement.
Marketing Strategist: Develops and implements marketing strategies to maximize reach and engagement for the live shopping event

Creative Circle has a network of over 1 million creative and marketing experts who can help operationalize online retail shopping experiences for your brand. Let’s get started.