Production strategy - the real thing ?

Production strategy - the real thing ?

This was a fairly critical piece https://www.lbbonline.com/news/coca-colas-holiday-pitch-leaves-a-bad-taste-in-agency-land regarding the timing of Coca Cola’s global review, but to be frank it only scratches the surface in areas like production.

A conversation with a major production supplier before the Easter break confirmed what I’d long believed, and indeed have experienced over the years, that global clients think there is a global solution for everything. Worse, they seem to think, and despite clear supply chain indicators to the contrary, that consolidation can go on ad infinitum. 

There are many reasons for this misapprehension. Firstly, supplier consolidation has seen too many key figures leave the production industry. Whilst on the face of it that shouldn’t present a problem, the passion and deep sector knowledge has been replaced by the ‘professional executive’. Often the result of private equity activity or agency groups trying to recover lost ground, vital industry knowledge and the innovation that springs from it, is being lost.

Equally, the leaner more agile supplier approach that typified the de-coupling revolution, is gradually being replaced by the same profligate structures it sought to replace. The casualty here will be funds for investment and future innovation.

The other, and slightly more contentious point, is that pitches are being constructed largely by procurement theorists with insufficient knowledge of the category. This is picked out in Leah Power’s article, where she highlights ‘too many irrelevant factors being evaluated’.

I was told that production element of the Coca Cola global review is reputed to be in the region of ï¿¡400m. Unlike creativity or media buying this will involve a complex group of suppliers to deliver to the plethora of channels we have today. Many of whom will have had to make significant long term capital expenditure commitments.

Where will the passion for production investment come from when agency networks and private equity deviate to the next bright and shiny opportunity. Moreover, how will the inevitable gaps in knowledge that have already appeared be filled ?

Production has long since been treated as the poor relation to creativity and media buying. Which I’ve always found rather strange, when you consider that if the idea appears badly, then what has been the point of all that prior endeavour. Does it therefore not deserve the same level of investment in skilled staff by brands, in order to develop a proper understanding of the area?

Am I biased, yes, it’s an environment I’ve inhabited for many years, but neither do I feel it’s unreasonable to suggest that the supplier community has played a major role in helping to push the boundaries of creativity and media delivery.

There was certainly a time when production suppliers, creative agencies and brands got universally excited by innovation and the impact it could have on the process. That excitement, for the supplier, has been replaced by fear. The fear that they will be evaluated by people who have either no feel, the wrong experience, or both. The fear that they are unlikely to get a return on their investment, let alone make a profit.

To fair to to Coca Cola they are far from the only brand with challenges in this area, but their logo is a nice colourful start to the piece !

Sargent Stewart

Sales Business Development Practitioner specializing in CRM efficiency and lead generation.

3 å¹´

Tim, thanks for sharing!

赞
回复
Gary Lansley

Client Services Director - BBS Europe

3 å¹´

Perfectly put Mr P!

赞
回复
Glen Taylor

CEO and Founder at AlongSide | Entrepreneur & Growth Consultant | Strategic Business Leader | Investor

3 å¹´

Great read Tim Peppiatt

赞
回复
Patrick Murphy

Founder / CEO @ MCA (MurphyCobb) | Expert in Advertising Production, Podcast Presenter, Public Speaker

3 å¹´

Well said Tim

赞
回复

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Tim Peppiatt的更多文章

  • In-House Agencies - Value or Vanity?

    In-House Agencies - Value or Vanity?

    In-house advertising agencies were initially positioned as a cost-effective and agile alternative to external agencies,…

  • Process can be learned, but knowledge and experience need to be accumulated.

    Process can be learned, but knowledge and experience need to be accumulated.

    Okay, before all the process twonks start getting all revved up I’m in complete agreement with the David Ogilvy maxim…

  • The difference between paying and investing by Henk van Niekerk

    The difference between paying and investing by Henk van Niekerk

    I met this man and his wonderful family through rugby and thought I'd share his thoughts on the difference between…

    4 条评论
  • Mental Health Super Hero

    Mental Health Super Hero

    Sue Doughty hasn’t broken the lap record at Silverstone, opened the batting during an Ashes encounter, or sunk the…

    1 条评论
  • Geolcaton, Geofencing, Geotargeting, Geoconquesting Defined

    Geolcaton, Geofencing, Geotargeting, Geoconquesting Defined

    Understanding mobile advertising Terminology is half the battle Many marketers tend to misuse many of the “geos” that…

  • Multi-touch attribution is the key to proving your marketing’s ROI

    Multi-touch attribution is the key to proving your marketing’s ROI

    Since the term ‘marketing mix’ was invented in 1949, B2B marketers have been searching for ways to prove the ROI of…

  • Ideas are always the new Gold

    Ideas are always the new Gold

    #Ideas , or as the cool kids on the block sometimes refer to them now, #Ideation, is the one thing that truly propels a…

  • P&G is offsetting 2018's agency cuts by creating innovation 'startups' internally

    P&G is offsetting 2018's agency cuts by creating innovation 'startups' internally

    Marc Pritchard, Procter & Gamble’s chief brand officer, has resolved to reinvent media and marketing for mass reach in…

    1 条评论
  • Create a better website brief ?

    Create a better website brief ?

    The problem with website design is that it isn’t very interactive at the briefing and development stage. Yes there are…

  • Build it and they will come !

    Build it and they will come !

    One of my favourite films and an interesting parallel to the some times blind faith required to start, run and develop…

    2 条评论

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了