Issue


As Whitbread’s in-house studio scaled to support Premier Inn, Hub, ZIP and seven restaurant brands, creative demand accelerated across BAU and complex campaigns. Seven cross-functional teams relied on the studio, yet workflow lacked consistency, governance and end-to-end visibility. Without structural change, increasing volume risked eroding brand integrity, slowing delivery and reducing operational efficiency.

Insight


Creative performance at scale depends on operational clarity. Sustainable growth requires a unified operating model that connects brand strategy, resource planning and commercial objectives through shared accountability and transparent lifecycle management.

Idea

I designed and embedded a structured end-to-end Creative Operating Framework aligned to business priorities. The model standardised intake, prioritisation, resourcing and delivery across all brands, introducing defined checkpoints, real-time visibility and clear ownership at every stage. Built to flex from rapid tactical briefs to complex multi-channel launches, it balanced pace with governance and creative quality.

Impact


The model improved speed to market by 25% and increased output by 50% without additional headcount. More importantly, it created organisation-wide clarity around the creative lifecycle, with defined stages, decision points and accountability at every step. This strengthened governance, improved forecasting accuracy and materially increased stakeholder confidence. The studio transitioned from reactive production to a trusted strategic partner and enterprise enabler, delivering consistent brand communications and sustained commercial performance.



Creative Operating Model | Full methodology

janehauldren.com/how-i-work