Summary Of The ‘Make Working Direct To Client A Reality’ Event

150 of you came to the Picturehouse this morning for our Direct to Client sessions- and thanks to all of you who came along to support the event.

The size and enthusiasm of the audience showed how keen APA members are to understand new opportunities and how to seize them.

The purpose of the sessions was to help APA members address the issues our Direct to Client report identified as the barriers that production companies need to overcome to fully develop the opportunities that direct to client work represents- it concluded that production companies needed to develop account management expertise and sell differently, focusing on the clients business objectives and how the production company can help the client meet them, to meet the needs of advertisers.

For small companies- as production companies are- the challenge is to develop new expertise and new markets while continuing to have a low cost base, to manage the vagaries of demand for your services.

The aim was to see how that conundrum can be solved and present different solutions to different aspects of that challenge and see how they might help you develop direct to client business.

We heard from Nicola Kenny, Global Executive Producer, Christine Jones, Executive Creative Director and Vicky Lawton, Creative Director from Rankin, explaining how Rankin has transformed itself from an agency facing production company to a client facing production company also offering strategy and creative. One of their key messages was collaboration- and they are offering to help other APA members by providing them with services to help them manage accounts.

Robbie Dale from Rumrunner explained that the purpose of their company is to bring advertisers together with production companies to get commercials made. He has identified real enthusiasm from advertisers in working direct with production companies, with the support in terms of bolt on services that Rumrunner can provide.

Andrew Barnard, who recently left 18 Feet and Rising, where he was Managing Director, to form 20 Something talked about their mission to provide creative and production to clients, away from the agency model and through integrating the director and producion company into the process at a much earlier scale.

Julian Pasquier, from Kind Paris, former producer at Standard and Iconoclast Paris and former Chief Executive of the French producers association, explained Kind’s business- it brings together production companies and brands. It’s focus is luxury brands. Advertisers pay one invoice but the whole producion, including post and music is contracted to the production company. It has grown fast and demonstrates the enthusiasm of advertisers for finding new and efficient means of creating high quality advertising content.

Gus Quirk, Project Manager of Facebook at Coffee and TV, talked about their relationship with Facebook as a client and their learnings from it, in terms of deliverables for different media.

We will continue to support member’s efforts to develop this direct to client market- which as the event showed is a real opportunity and one which some producion companies have already successfully worked in, so look out for news of more events and workshops.

Many Thanks,

APA