Integrated production in creative land started out as merging the production of digital, broadcast, print and almost all other production into production department in the agency. This happened because many agencies shifted their creative philosophies, talent and structure to better orient themselves to create ideas unencumbered by specific media; agencies shifted their core principles to being media agnostic.
As agencies began to tear down silos, the transition to having one hub for managing production and project management made sense. Creative firms rarely find themselves working on one type of project anymore, and having one producer manage the content helped to coordinate the larger creative campaigns.
Addressing an ever widening landscape of creative work
As we have moved to having multi-disciplined projects, the producer model allows a central project manager like person who has an understanding of everything that goes on. In the integrated producer model, you are more than likely going to have a team of producers who have the critical thinking experience needed to work across different disciplines, but may be an expert with a deep understanding of one or more unique disciplines. Having a team of producers allows you a group of key people who can handle not only a large diversity of work, but they can also collaborate and work off of each other’s specialities to get the best work produced as possible.
The mentality of the producer is one that searches to solve problems, building teams in-house as well as outside the agency to do the impossible, to help wrangle complex scheduling and budgeting and negotiating and orchestrating a complex set of inter-related projects.
The producer model can also be found in a production services company as well as on the digital agency side. Integrated production shifts the emphasis to looking at the big picture, with the thinking that producers will look to the best way of accomplishing a project. This was similar to how broadcast production companies used producers, as well as digital agencies who found themselves working directly with agencies.
The emphasis on who makes up the best integrated producer in agency has also changed. Many single silo’ed producers had a hard time making the switch to handle multiple platforms. However, integrated production is less interactive central now, as the diversity of platforms and creative, technology and content needs has changed.
Protecting Creativity
It’s okay not to have all the answers, but having a producer mentality focuses the energy into finding the answer. Now, the expectation is not that the producer knows every answer themselves, but can call on their peers, their team or help to bring in outside partners or artists that they can call on at any time to see the project through.
Improved Budgeting / Profitability
In this model, budgeting comes into line with the producer. The concept is basically to allow the team to focus on strategy and creative, with the producers sitting alongside. Together, with other agencies specialists (like a creative technologist) they will build out the budget and advise on what platform or ways that a client is going to get the most out of their budget.
When Integrated Production Makes Sense — Content, Content, Content
We no longer create on one platform anymore. How people consume content is changing, we are drifting away from the broadcast commercial model to content living simultaneously on second screens and smart devices. High quality creative content is still in demand, even as the way we are watching it has changed to on-demand culture.
How we are reaching audiences has changed, as well as the media mix. We may still communicate using traditional media, but we are now dealing with communicating with smaller audiences, in more unique ways, building content that is social and sharable friendly.
The “user journey” in the digital world has merged. The journey of the consumer can include, traditional media, digital, email, direct marketing, the retail space, social, experiential, event, loyalty & CRM programs. The integrated producer model helps to support an agency process that starts with a larger discovery period before getting to the conceptual stage.
Agencies have implemented the integrated model in a few different ways. However, more than likely, integrated agencies are going to be creating content that is story-driven and perhaps heavier on the immersive side.
Integrated advertising has changed in meaning through the years. But the intent is the same, to weave similar experiences through multiple channels, platforms, technology and touchpoints.
Integrated production and project management workflow is also driven by agency culture. Technology doesn’t drive decisions, creative decisions drive the technology.
Integrated driven agencies are also shifting where they look to build content. In both large and small agencies alike, you are seeing more agencies build internal production capabilities; from development, motion graphics, to shooting video, photography, editing and animation. Agencies are looking to respond to their client’s audience faster, and with more original content then ever before.
Depending on the agency, the team structure of integrated production can vary;
Integrated Producer (from SOW, content to end-to-end producing and project management)
Integrated Producer (SOW & Content Development) & Project Manager (managing day-to-day work and resource allocation)
Integrated Producer (SOW & Content Development) & Project Manger (managing day-to-day work and resource allocation) & Technical Lead or Scrum Master (overseeing development)
One of the reasons why integrated production came into being was because agencies and marketers are challenged with costs and efficiency. How do you create, commercials, print, digital, and social media content in a cost effective, but engaging way?
However, the old model of “create once and reuse often” is being seen as somewhat limited. Content in today’s communications world, can get stale very quickly. So even in the integrated producer model you are seeing new practices being applied.
Central to the integrated model is working within in teams, that cover a number of different channels. These team members are brought into the mix as the larger umbrella thinking progresses from strategy into discover and creative phases. Many agencies embrace the team structure in a semi-agile like manner, where teams work on the clients business and can react quickly to take advantage of cultural, technical or media opportunities.
Agencies are also building internal teams that will work with the larger team model that have autonomy to quickly work on a client’s business to take advantage of timeliness.
Integrated production models can follow through on either type of advertising model, taking advantage of near-time as well as working in “big idea” environments.
What makes for a great integrated producer?
- Being an integrated producer is very similar to being a creative project manager. In many agencies, the integrated producer is the project manager.
- You have to have a deep set of skills in one or more area, digital, broadcast, product, etc.
- You have to be a good critical thinker who can realign teams on a heart beat.
- You have to live and breath, creativity, design and innovation.
- As a big agency hub, you have to fit into the culture seamlessly across all levels.
- Client-facing skills
- Find the best way to produce any given idea.
Integrated producers mean different things at different agencies and when they hire, they might be looking for different types of integrated producers to round out or fill in. Integrated Producers can live within an agency that has other internal processes as well, where interactive work is run with project management or with product / scrum methodologies.
Integrated Project Management Breakdown - Large Agency
Integrated Producer Head of Technology Project Manager
Client Kick-Off Client Kick-Off Client Kick-Off
Production Kick-Off Production Kick-Off Production Kick-Off
SOW Creation SOW & Estimate Review Estimate Creation
Production Methodologies Technical Audit Resource Allocation
Source Production Partners Manage Development Manage Schedule
Manage Partners Manage Tech Partners Project Execution
Production Review QA Production Review QA Production Review QA
Integrated Project Management Breakdown - Digital Agency
Integrated Producer Tech & Creative Leads Scrum Master
Client Kick-Off Client Kick-Off
Production Kick-Off Production Kick-Off Production Kick-Off
SOW / Estimate Creation Story Points / SOW Story Points / SOW
Production Methodologies Technical Audit Backlog
Source Production Partners Manage Development Manage Scrums
Manage Partners Manage Tech Partners Project Execution
Production Review QA Production Review QA Production Review QA
Integrated Project Management Breakdown - Team Based
Integrated Producer Team
Client Kick-Off Client Kick-Off
Production Kick-Off Production Kick-Off
SOW / Estimate Creation Story Points / SOW
Production Execution Audits
Manage Partners Execution
Production Review & QA Production Review & QA
Integrated Managers are tuned to managing cross-functional teams
Integrated producers act as project leaders of small groups of individuals that can cross both formal and informal functional departmental boundaries and levels of hierarchy. The teams are created by the integrated producer (who acts inconjunction with other producers to handle staffing resources) to commit to a common goal — typically formed for a project, program or by client for a finite amount of time; the team acts and works as one unit. They communicate frequently, cooperating and providing mutual support, coordinating activities, drawing upon and exploiting the skills and capabilities of each other, while considering the needs of individual members to meet the larger project goals.
Small cross-functional teams can have an advantage over other structures in an organization to accomplish a project than individuals acting alone or in a large, permanently structured hierarchy setting. The belief is that cross-functional teams, improve the quality of the outcome (by diversity of discipline) and become committed to see the project through to the end.
Cross-functional teams can be formed by producers in a number of ways.
- They can stretch across all project phases and include, strategy, business analysis, project management, designers, creatives, developers or technologists to name a few.
- They can work together as a unit full-time, meet once, or meet on a regular basis.
- Cross-functional teams can network together in smaller groups.
- Individuals in the team can bring in additional experts or network with the other specialists to bring back new learnings.
- They can be directed by a project (or team) manager, be self-organized or have facilitated delegation of tasks.
When teams work in groups that are multi-disciplined, they can bring together a wide range of knowledge, experience and problem solving skills to the table that enable projects to be tackled with multiple perspectives and thinking. The value of cross-functional teams is that there is a greater depth and understanding of a wider range of perspectives to look at a problem.
To build cross-functional teams, firms need to support them not only on the organization level, but support them through the stages of team formation so
Integrated Managers are tuned to managing cross-functional teams
Integrated producers act as project leaders of small groups of individuals that can cross both formal and informal functional departmental boundaries and levels of hierarchy. The teams are created by the integrated producer (who acts inconjunction with other producers to handle staffing resources) to commit to a common goal — typically formed for a project, program or by client for a finite amount of time; the team acts and works as one unit. They communicate frequently, cooperating and providing mutual support, coordinating activities, drawing upon and exploiting the skills and capabilities of each other, while considering the needs of individual members to meet the larger project goals.
Small cross-functional teams can have an advantage over other structures in an organization to accomplish a project than individuals acting alone or in a large, permanently structured hierarchy setting. The belief is that cross-functional teams, improve the quality of the outcome (by diversity of discipline) and become committed to see the project through to the end.
Cross-functional teams can be formed by producers in a number of ways.
They can stretch across all project phases and include, strategy, business analysis, project management, designers, creatives, developers or technologists to name a few.
They can work together as a unit full-time, meet once, or meet on a regular basis.
Cross-functional teams can network together in smaller groups.
Individuals in the team can bring in additional experts or network with the other specialists to bring back new learnings.
They can be directed by a project (or team) manager, be self-organized or have facilitated delegation of tasks.
When teams work in groups that are multi-disciplined, they can bring together a wide range of knowledge, experience and problem solving skills to the table that enable projects to be tackled with multiple perspectives and thinking. The value of cross-functional teams is that there is a greater depth and understanding of a wider range of perspectives to look at a problem.
To build cross-functional teams, firms need to support them not only on the organization level, but support them through the stages of team formation so that they can become effective groups.
We build Cross-functional teams so,
They share a common vision, and are committed to achieving a common purpose.
They share leadership roles as well as responsibility for processes, project progress and outcomes.
They are both individually and mutually accountable to each other and to their collective performance.
They agree on a common way of working, establishing rules of engagement with each other in how they will contribute to the team’s efforts.
Every member displays respect, trust and openness to each other, and encourage open communication, exploring each others ideas and have an active problem-solving approach that is transparent between all team members.
They are dedicated to doing the best job they can at all levels.
They can assess their own collective progress and work and will help each other to complete the final outcome.
The firm supports them with systems, structures and frameworks that allow them to work in this fashion.
The idea of establishing cross-functional teams is simple, it is to create a flat-structured way of working that ignores hierarchical structures and constraints.
As the firm grows, you look to build additional dedicated and ad-hoc teams to scale your organization, without having the baggage of creating lots of unnecessary levels of hierarchy.
Working in cross-functional teams creates a peer environment, where members can share their knowledge to improve the overall level of decision-making. Teams are meant to increase efficiency, as they can come together quickly, work and complete projects, they are not limited to a particular set of skills or roles and can be redeployed as projects come to completion.
Because the team has shared goals, the team shares in working towards achieving those goals.
Integrated project managers play an important role in cross-functional team structures as well. They can help establish goals and help the team set priorities, a backlog of tasks and manage project constraints. They act as the main provider of information and can help the team seek out unanswered questions, or unclear information. They can help the team through the formation process, and analyze, measure and report on individual abilities, training or skill issues. They can also participate in creative team problem solving or conflict resolution and contribute their own technical or functional experience with the team.