Undervalued and Overlooked, Producers are the Linchpin of Great Creative

In advertising, the producer role can be many things, from a facilitator of the campaign creation process to someone who works on set making sure the work gets done. The role has numerous titles—creative producer, interactive producer, executive producer, account manager, project manager, client partner, product manager. But a recent study by creative consultancy NoCo found that no matter what they're called, producers are undervalued across the ecosystem. The Producer Landscape Study, which surveyed over 280 agency, in-house, and freelance producers, uncovered the value of the critical role. It found that producers are the linchpin for successful creative projects, client accounts, and business health, yet many agencies fail to harness their full potential. Key findings in the study include: -Producers finish projects on time and on-budget 77% of the time when properly supported. -84% of clients report extreme satisfaction when producers own the relationship. -Despite their proven value, 23% of surveyed producers work as freelancers, indicating many agencies overlook the benefits of integrating these professionals into their core teams. -While 62% of producers surveyed have been in the discipline for eight to 19 years, 63% said they have only been at their current role or most recent company for less than three years. Shining a light on producers NoCo founders Tsilli Pines and Amie Pascal met when they were executives at agency Instrument (now a part of Stagwell). Pines had a creative background and founded Design Week Portland (Oregon), while Pascal was a business and production vice president, helping Instrument scale from 10 to 300 employees. Their experience with production-led teams inspired them to start NoCo to help agency leaders understand the benefits of putting the producer at the hub of the process. “Most people's conception is that of just a project manager—taking notes, scheduling things, harping on timesheets—but really, a producer is a very strategically-oriented role that facilitates, shepherds, manages, directs, and guides people through a body of work, and that can be at the scale of a single, small project to an entire organization,” Pascal told ADWEEK. The Producer Landscape Study validated what Pascal and Pines knew to be true, but also uncovered opportunities for agencies and producers. Highly experienced but underutilized One stat that leaped out to Pascal and Pines highlighted how experienced the producer discipline is. 75% of producers are experts in the craft, meaning they're mentors, leaders, and executives, while 80% have been practicing for over eight years. Unfortunately, that level of seniority is often stymied by a lack of central or retained roles. 63% of respondents have been in their current role for three years or less, and 23% are freelance, which leads to these experienced practitioners being underutilized. The data found, however, that the more producers own client relationships, make decisions in scoping, and directly contribute to the work, clients are more satisfied and projects are more successful. “There is a connection between how you situate and empower the role and the outcomes with clients and in the work,” said Pascal. Advice for agencies As the creative industry continues to evolve, agencies must recognize the critical role producers play in the process. But old, siloed ways of working, in which creatives take top billing and the lead on work, might be working against elevating the producer, Pines said. “Everything is about creative—it's the creative director, it's the designer, it's the writer, it's the idea behind it—and everything else around it is invisible. As a result, people don't actually connect what producers do to the creative and innovative outcome,” said Pines. Pines added that producers at agencies can remove the kinds of blockers that trip up excellent work, but since it’s not a hard skill, like designing or writing, it can be undervalued and misunderstood. With AOR designations less common today, more agencies need the guidance of a producer to see projects through to the end. Pascal hopes that the study illuminates the role producers play while creating an industry-wide benchmark for evaluating success in the role, and also building a pipeline for the discipline. “The number of people who are junior in this discipline is negligible, with only 4% between zero to three years of experience,” said Pines. Pascal and Pines suggest that universities, agencies and other producers can to help build that pipeline through mentorship, educational opportunities, internships, and apprenticeships. “In my entire career as a designer and leader, I have always worked shoulder to shoulder with business leaders who come from this discipline and drive the account, the team, and the business. I know from experience that, by empowering producers in all of these areas, agencies can unlock new levels of creativity, efficiency, and client satisfaction," said Pines. Readers can access the study here.

The Future of Agencies

Undervalued and Overlooked, Producers are the Linchpin of Great Creative

Consultancy NoCo released a study examining the producer role to raise its profile and attract new recruits to the industry

Kyle O’Brien

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