(Newswire.net — September 6, 2016) — An article by Shareen Pathak in Digiday “Why brands bypass agencies to go directly to production companies,” featured Aaron Duffy, partner and creative director at production shop 1stAveMachine and how they opened a sibling company, Special Guest, specifically to service brand clients directly. Their direct client roster includes Qualcomm, Facebook and Squarespace.
Maria Rapetskaya, founder and creative director at Undefined Creative, enjoys similar direct relationships with major clients. Undefined Creative is a boutique motion graphics agency that works directly with networks, brands, and sports leagues such as the National Hockey League (NHL), as well as corporations and agency clients.
“The NHL is a great example of where we’ve almost become an extension of their organization. We know them so well, we understand their needs implicitly and we get our feedback directly from them and not through an agency,” says Rapetskaya.
From the production side of the relationship, getting feedback without it being filtered through individuals at a third-party office is vital. From a pure communication standpoint, it makes perfect sense. It’s hard to imagine an argument for clarity or timeliness being improved by including additional links in the communication chain.
“Dealing directly with firms that take a project from idea to execution under one roof can greatly reduce the frustration and delays caused by having an extra party between the client and the vendor,” added Rapetskaya.
This trend, which continues to gather momentum, is further evidence that yet another sector of the industry once dominated by traditional advertising agencies has evolved into two distinct channels. Production companies still depend on large agency clients for work–that model still exists. However, for an increasing number of brands, qualities such as budget management and an ability to conceptualize and execute within much tighter timeframes have been the driving force behind the move to dealing direct.
Digiday’s Pathak reported: One reason for this trend is that clients just have more channels they need to fill with more content, said Matt Miller, president and CEO at the Association of Independent Commercial Producers, which represents production companies that operate on their own. The rise of social and digital media has meant “more marketing materials are needed,” said Miller. “The project ends up dictating what is particularly appropriate.”
Rapetskaya echoed Miller’s point with a final comment, “The brand awareness video is today’s version of the website in 1996. Everyone is intrigued and wants one, however we often get clients that aren’t sure what they’re trying to say or accomplish. Being able to help craft the content as well as produce the finished product keeps a project on-brief, on-budget and just as importantly, on time.”
Contact information for Maria Rapetskaya is available at: http://www.undefinedcreative.com/