Kerstin Ludwig
Kerstin Ludwig · going→fwd

Fractional Brand & Design Lead | Brand Systems Strategy

Closing the gap between brand strategy and execution across teams, touchpoints, and AI

 

I solve gaps between strategy, systems, and execution so brands become clearer, more coherent, and easier to act on — backed by 25+ years (Scout24/ImmoScout24, Shopware, Berlin Brands Group, DaWanda) leading across categories, markets, and transformation contexts.

 

 

 

 

 

Brand Operations

400K € reduced + 1 Mio € total: When insourcing works

 

Brand inconsistency isn't usually a guidelines problem. It's a capability problem. When teams lack internal production capacity, everything bottlenecks through external agencies. Cost goes up. Control goes down. Quality drifts.

One digital marketplace proved insourcing can solve this — but only when you build the operating model to support it. They reduced external spend by 400K € in the first wave, then exceeded savings expectations by 60% in the second wave by taking campaign creation fully in-house. Total savings: ~1 Mio € over three years.

Case Study · Digital marketplace
The Operating Model That Makes Insourcing Work
Problem
High external spend on design and production. Agency dependency. No internal capability. Every campaign, every asset, every execution routed through external partners. Slow. Expensive. No institutional knowledge building internally.
Build
  • Wave 1 — Foundation: Full cost analysis (what we spend, where, why), team hiring and role definition, creative operations structure (workflows, standards, processes)
  • Wave 2 — Creation takeover: Campaign creation fully in-house (B2B, B2C, employer branding). High-complexity production including TV spots and 360° campaigns
Outcome
Initial insourcing: ~400K € annual spend reduced. Campaign creation takeover exceeded savings expectations by 60%. Total savings ~1 Mio € over three years. Full internal capability operational.

 

The pattern

 

Insourcing fails when it's just 'hire designers and hope.' It works when you build the operating model that makes internal execution sustainable.

This case worked because it happened in two waves. Wave 1 built the foundation: cost analysis (know what you're replacing), team structure (roles defined), and creative operations (workflows that scale). Wave 2 took over execution: campaign creation, production capabilities, high-complexity work that previously only agencies could handle.

The critical insight: insourcing isn't about replacing agencies with employees. It's about building internal systems that reduce dependency, improve speed, and compound institutional knowledge. The cost savings are real — but the strategic value is control.

 

When this applies

 

You need this if:

  • External spend is high but quality and speed aren't improving
  • Agency dependency is creating bottlenecks or knowledge loss
  • You're scaling operations but capability isn't keeping pace
  • Internal teams exist but lack the systems to execute independently
  • You want to build institutional knowledge rather than rent it

If external dependency is limiting speed, increasing cost, or fragmenting brand execution, insourcing might work — but only if you build the operating model to support it.

 

More Insights

 

Brand Infrastructure
600K €/year saved + 50% faster GTM: When brand guidelines finally worked
→
AI / Agentic Governance
AI at scale without brand drift: Governance that holds
→
Fractional Leadership
Scout24 Group rebrand: Award Winner + centralized infrastructure
→

 

 

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