Helping procurement folks review agency production costs.

We are frequently asked by clients to assist their procurement folks charged with reviewing agency production costs. This can be easy or difficult depending on the depth of engagement we have in the production process. If we’re simply asked to look at the numbers and see what we can do, our impact is greatly reduced.

The way we operate is to engage with the agency teams, especially production, throughout the creative development and production process. Because we were agency production folks, we understand the thinking and uncertainties inherent in any production and identify most strongly with the producer/project manager/production manager tasked with executing the project.

Our largest impact is usually early in the process, shaping the agency thinking around expectations, affordability and options. Our agencies often push back on costs and many times win the day and get additional money. We see our job as setting the choices as candid business decisions for our brand teams.

Where there has not been a production process in place or enforced, most often we find that normal best practices are generally not followed, the simplest being triple bidding… real triple bidding. In these instances our impact is significant, often greater than 25%, as long as marketing and procurement support us.