Digital Content Studios of the Future

When it comes to content strategy, there’s one piece of the puzzle that has proven to be more valuable than all the others: speed to market. As a result, the legacy setups of traditional marketing and advertising agencies are showing their age. Large agencies that once thrived under departmental silos, excessive layers, and huge overheads are getting a run for their money with the emergence of more agile production and in-house agencies. According to a recent survey by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), 70% of members have moved some established business that used to be handled by their external agency(ies) to an in-house team within the past three years. The top services making the transition are content marketing, social media, and influencer marketing. And this change doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The same ANA survey reported: - 78% of members had an in-house agency in 2018, compared to just 42% in 2008 - 90% of members said their in-house agency workloads increased in the past year Given the pressures of getting new campaigns, products, and services to market faster than ever before, in-house agencies are often in an excellent position to offer the most value to brands.

WHO DO I PARTNER WITH FOR PRODUCTION?

The evolution of the in-house agency model is leading to more flexible options for companies looking to enhance and streamline their workflow. Many in-house teams are looking to production firms to partner with to execute their ideas and their ever-growing need of content. They recognize the value, expertise, and technology these groups bring to the table, but want a new way to work together. There’s no one way to produce content at speed and scale. Luckily, there are many! Consider exploring various content production options to see which model offers the most flexibility, efficiency, and quality when it comes to your business.

HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT PARTNER?

FOUR DIFFERENT CONTENT STUDIO SOLUTIONS FOR BRANDS 1. IN YOUR BRAND HEADQUARTERS For the most convenience and flexibility, utilizing your own headquarters is a great option. By working in your own space, creative and content production experts can work directly alongside your team, while leveraging the technology and work-flow tools of an agency for optimal content production. This synergy helps streamline the entire content process - by increasing speed to market while allowing creative to focus on ideas and engagement. Additionally, you should partner with a production company to take advantage of their historial knowledge before you begin building. For example, what is the ideal studio size for your needs, how will you manage the raw assets, what is the ideal work-flow, etc. Understanding the foundation required and having a partner with the talent, expertise, and understanding will save you thousands of dollars. 2. IN AN EXTERNAL STUDIO SPACE Creating an in-house content studio doesn’t mean your production has to literally take place within the four walls of your offices. By partnering with a production company, you can take advantage of their locations, roster of talent, freelance database, expertise, and technology. A hybrid approach utilizes a client’s facility-managed studio and a partner studio for ultimate scalability and flexibility. Companies that want to start out completely in-house but find that they are outgrowing their ability to produce content internally often turn to this kind of solution. 4. CLIENT FULFILLMENT CENTER Some production firms are able to build an on-site content studio at their client’s fulfillment center. If speed to market with new products is critical for your company, this is the way to go. When selecting a partner, be sure they have a deep understanding of the challenges of shooting on-site at a fulfillment or distribution center and have a global footprint.

Written by CreativeDrive