Creative excellence is a good thing. Really.

Some people spend their Sundays with The New York Times. Others peruse Barron's, The New Republic or Vanity Fair.

Me? I read the Grand Rapids Press. It helps me keeps up on western Michigan's happenings and headlines. Without it, I'd never know that The Doobie Brothers would be playing Meijer Gardens this summer. Or that there's an Apron Sew-in on March 21.

Or that an in-house ad agency walked away with major awards at the local Addy award show. As many of you are aware, creative awards are generally the domain of creative shops - whether they're part of larger agencies or a smaller boutique shop that develops the kind of breakthrough creative that bursts through clutter.

In this case, however, Wolverine World Wide's in-house ad shop walked away with a Judges Choice Gold Addy as well as several Silver Addys. The Gold award campaign was for the collateral for the reintroduction of the Wolverine work boot. That Wolverine's group won a bunch of Addys award is noteworthy enough. But that it was the only corporate in-house agency to bring home any hardware in that show is indicative of a growing trend on two fronts.

One, the quality of work coming out of in-house agencies needs to be more distinguished. It's an unfortunate hypothesis that in-house groups are considered the red-headed stepchildren in the agency world. But given the paucity of award-winning internal agencies, it's starting to take on a sense of actuality. Like anything else, perception is reality. And too many internal agencies are feeding that perception.

Two, in-house shops need to showcase their work. Much of it is very good. But too many internal agencies are reluctant to publicize their achievements either to internal audiences or outside award shows. It hurts your team; creatives on in-house teams crave and need the recognition awards bring. Plus, the more internal shops can show their value compared to the outside world, the more they may be valued by the out-of-touch executives who continually refer to them as cost centers and not one of the key drivers of the business.

I know from personal experience how awards can motivate in-house teams. I was fortunate to have a team that led its industry with 18 creative awards in three years in addition to winning local PR and communication awards. The team was juiced every time it was recognized. And while our friends in accounting HR and operations didn't quite understand all the fuss, it helped elevate our standing in our company. And went a long way to attracting and retaining talent.

So good for the folks at Wolverine World Wide. I hope you continue to be represented for your work. And that your cross-departmental friends recognize your achievement as heartily as your peers.

For information about how Cella can add value to your business through consulting, coaching, and training, please email [email protected].

Jim Lanzalotto is Vice President of Cella Consulting, a traditional management consultancy focused on optimizing in-house creative operations. Jim has spent the past 25 years leading creative, interactive and marketing teams. He lives in Newtown Square, PA with his wife and three children.