By A SHOOT Staff Report

RICHMOND, Va. --

When Steve Humble, executive VP/managing director of production & development at The Martin Agency in Richmond, read a World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) survey citing the benefits of decoupling production from ad agencies, he was taken aback. That and the notion that this practice was gaining momentum overseas prompted him to make the case for keeping creative agencies in the production process, working closely with production houses, filmmaking talent and resources.

Decoupling is a process where the agency handles the strategic planning and creative concepting of a commercial and then hands off the production to a third party that hasn’t been involved in the creation  or the strategy of the work. Proponents of decoupling contend that bringing specialist production agencies or an outside production team or cost consultant/production partner to work with directors, editors and other artisans spanning the production, post and VFX communities can help realize tangible cost savings. According to the WFA survey, decoupling is generating average savings of just over 21 percent.

However, Humble believes this and other alleged advantages are misnomers. While decoupling, he said, hasn’t gained major traction in the U.S.–and certainly not among clients at The Martin Agency–Humble felt the need to speak out against the practice. Here in his words are five myths:

Myth #1: Decoupling Production is Cheaper
“As with any professional service,” said Humble, “you can always find someone cheaper. But when you’re looking at top-tier ad agencies working on major productions for major brands, I believe cutting the agency out of producing the commercials can ultimately be more expensive. It requires an outside company to get up to speed on the client’s business and to get to know the agency creative and account teams. Great creative is developed during the course of weeks and our producers at Martin are involved all along the way–informing the team and costing out various scenarios. That’s not going to happen when production is a linear handoff. Additionally, deciding to add an extra hour on set to get a take just right might be the difference between a good and a great spot. And if you have a big budget media buy, why would you want to have producers on set who are truly focused on cost only?”

Myth #2: Decoupling Does Not Stifle Creativity
“The creative process does not stop after a concept is sold. In fact, I’ve seen dozens of commercials evolve during the production process to ultimately a much better, more creative place. Our creative teams, including our producers, have such a trusting rapport with our clients that we are often able to make on-set decisions that lead to even better results. How does that happen with a third-party production company that doesn’t have those relationships and is focused solely on cost and not on producing the best end product?”

Myth #3: Production Is a Commodity
“If great production were truly a ‘paint by numbers’ process, almost anyone could learn to do it and brands should hire the cheapest they can get. But a great producer’s role on a shoot is as much a part of the creative process as that of a great director. Producers are consensus-builders and work to make the hopes and dreams of the creative team, the client and the director all come true. They are diplomats, cost consultants and creative production experts all rolled up into one person. Buying production is simply not analogous to buying staplers, no matter how many procurement consultants try to tell you otherwise.”

Myth #4: Decoupling Does Not Hurt Agency/Client Relationships
“If you hired a top contractor to build your dream home but insisted that he hire the lowest-cost painter you could find, could you really hold him responsible if the final product turned out poorly? Of course not–that kind of scenario only leads to finger pointing and excuses.

“The same goes with production. Brands hire agencies based on the caliber of their work and their creative reputation. Our producers painstakingly sweat every detail, all the way through production, to make sure the final product is up to our tough standards.

“Inserting a third party can often lead to details getting missed and confusion about ultimate responsibility for the finished product. And in our experience, that doesn’t foster a better agency/client relationship.”

Myth #5: Decoupling Is More Efficient
“While it sounds good in theory, what you don’t know about production can hurt–and cost–you,” continued Humble. “Decoupling typically extends production timelines and shifts more responsibility to the client. As schedules continue to compress, our producers are working ahead, before concepts are final, looking at locations and costs and advising creative along the way. Breaking apart production would mean that none of this would start until the job is sold and all that would fall to the client or the third-party producer whose main objective is to make the production come in on-budget, not ensure the best creative output.

“This is a debate that’s likely to linger in our industry for some time, as long as agencies strive to maintain control all the way through the creative process and cost consultants and procurement people push to cut costs to the point of hurting the work.

“I realize that in some cases in the past, agencies have hurt themselves for not being as financially responsible as they could have been. But those days are gone; I think most agencies have gotten smarter. It’s our goal to get great value out of our clients’ production dollars. But if any CMO asks me, I’ll tell them that decoupling production from the agency creative process is not a good formula for getting the best work from their agency or, in the long run, saving money.”

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