What Brands Really Want from Their Production Partners
In today’s fast-moving content ecosystem, brands are under pressure to deliver more – faster, smarter, and with greater impact. At the centre of this creative engine are their production partners: the behind-the-scenes problem solvers, collaborators, and craftspeople who help transform bold ideas into tangible campaigns.
But what do brands really value when choosing and working with production partners? Is it the ability to scale globally? An unwavering focus on detail? Or is it something more foundational, like trust and shared values?
Spearheaded by production agency Heads Up, today LBB asks senior marketers from leading global brands to reflect on the production relationships that make the biggest difference. The answers are as varied as the brands themselves, but a few powerful themes emerge: trust, agility, collaboration, and creativity under pressure.
Heads Up, known for their transparent and integrated approach, sum it up neatly: “All these values ladder up to one thing – trust.” And that sentiment is echoed by marketing leaders from Reddit, Molson Coors, and Bose, who each bring a fresh perspective on what success looks like behind the camera.
Whether you’re a brand looking to refine your production strategy, or a production team aiming to better understand your clients’ needs, take a look at the insights that offer a clear-eyed look at what it takes to build lasting, effective creative partnerships in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
Heads Up Production
The most important value of all? Trust. It underpins all successful jobs and working relationships. All these values ladder up to trust, ultimately.
Be transparent: key in all aspects of production work but especially when it comes to budgeting and financial matters. We are incredibly open, for example we always share third party costs and quotes, etc., directly with our clients. We also always return all underspends.
Be collaborative: the optimum way of working for us is to be an extension of our clients’ internal teams. Remove any sense of ‘us and them’ and instead form one united team. Help facilitate this for your clients, build a process for them, put yourself on the frontline in terms of working with all departments outside of marketing that will contribute to a project’s success, like procurement, finance and legal.
Be solutions-oriented: on all projects, both big and small, problems and challenges will arise. We’ve learnt over time that clients want production partners who immediately come to the table with solutions to meet those challenges. This is an invaluable mindset for building client relationships.
Rebecca Mutty
Global senior marketing manager, Molson Coors
Collaboration and flexibility is the number one priority for me when selecting a production partner. Working on global campaigns comes with enormous complexity and changing deliverables – finding a partner that can take the challenges in their stride and feel like an extended part of the team is crucial.
Campaigns are the lifeblood of brand marketing and a high value item to get right! There's no space for mistakes or delays so it's crucial to have a production partner that's all over the details and finds creative solutions to keep on track
Brian Carley
Senior director, Bose Creative
At Bose, we look for production partners who share our commitment to immersive storytelling. The ideal partner brings a combination of creativity, innovation, and an expertise in crafting multi-platform content. Beyond that we look for some key attributes in our partners:
1. Scalability and flexibility are crucial, as we need partners who can adjust and scale production to meet the dynamic demands of our global audience without compromising on quality.
2. Innovation is at the heart of everything we do, so we look for partners who are forward-thinking, adaptable, and willing to push the envelope in creative ways. This helps us stay ahead of industry trends.
3. Collaboration is essential to our creative process and the best partners are sitting around the table with us gathering diverse perspectives and helping to drive our thinking forward.
Ultimately, we want partners who can seamlessly collaborate with us, continue to innovate, and scale their efforts to deliver exceptional, high-quality content that reflects our values, tells engaging stories but also strengthens the emotional connection our customers have with our brand.
Yvonne Quinn
Head of international business marketing, Reddit
As Reddit’s head of international business marketing, overseeing our GTM across multiple markets, I see production partners as an extension of our brand and my team. Their role is not just about execution – it’s about collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving to ensure every project delivers impact.
At Reddit, our mission is to empower communities and make their knowledge accessible to all. This guiding principle shapes how we approach every project – ensuring that the content and experiences we create reflect our communities. The best production partners understand this, and don’t just follow a brief. They bring fresh ideas, anticipate challenges, and work seamlessly with our teams to elevate the final outcome.
Equally important is quality execution within scope and budget. While cost efficiency matters, it should never come at the expense of creative excellence or brand integrity. I look for partners who can balance innovative thinking with practical, results-driven solutions – helping us create engaging experiences that resonate with our audiences globally.
Ultimately, a great production partnership is built on trust, agility, and shared ambition. When we find teams that align with our vision and values, the results speak for themselves – we've been very fortunate to date.
