AICP Releases Pivotal Report on the Future of Marketing in the Motion Image

Clockwise from upper left are Tabitha Mason-Elliott, Lisa Mehling, Elizabeth Talerman and Matt Miller.

Matt Miller, president and CEO of trade organisation Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), has announced the publication of a comprehensive report on the commercial production and post production industry. Titled Craft & Commerce: Opportunities for Marketing in the Motion Image, the report was created for AICP by The Nucleus Group, a leading strategy and research organisation. It’s being shared not only with the AICP membership, but also with the wider industry, including marketers and advertising agencies. It can be accessed and downloaded here.

“As our industry faces rapid changes in almost every facet of our business, an important part of a trade association’s role is to respond to current concerns, to think about where things are going, and provide actionable guidance to its members on how to navigate a changing environment,” says Matt about the initiative. 

Described by Nucleus as a Depth of Field Guide, the resulting report provides insight and knowledge to clarify decision-making. Holistic and human-centred, the study “takes an in-depth look at where commercial communications is heading,” explains Nucleus Group founder and CEO Elizabeth Talerman. “The focus of this work was to support industry evolution and illuminate the opportunities that abound when partnering with brands and agencies.” Critical industry insights included in the report are immediately actionable: 

• As creativity connects directly to accountability, demand increases for those who tell connective stories that produce results.
• With a demand for more marketing content across more platforms than ever before, the choice of partners brands can turn to has greatly expanded.
• Brands are seeking commercial content producers to support them in traditional filmmaking, experiential, branded entertainment and social commerce.
• Brands expect their production partners to embrace all technology available, including data and AI.

This endeavour was initiated late last year by Lisa Mehling, president of CHELSEA, and chairperson of the AICP National Board at the time. “AICP members were seeking guidance and advocacy from our leadership amidst an extremely turbulent time for the industry,” Lisa explains. AICP engaged The Nucleus Group to conduct an independent study to address fundamental questions regarding the industry’s current and future state. “Their research expertise and familiarity with global marketing, ad agency dynamics, and media technology uniquely positioned them to provide a clear assessment of where our industry stands today, what are our competitive advantages and where the likely opportunities lie,” she adds. 

Tabitha Mason-Elliott, partner at BARK BARK and current chairperson of the National Board, concurs. “My reaction to ‘Craft & Commerce’ was one of both affirmation and anticipation,” she states. “Change is a constant and inevitable force in our industry, and it’s crucial that we arm our membership with the knowledge and tools needed to stay ahead. This report does exactly that by clearly outlining the shifts and identifying the gaps.”

The title of the report grew out of its conclusion that commerce and craft must coexist for advertising to be effective. The result of extensive research, in-depth interviews with leaders across all aspects of the industry and a confidential survey of AICP members, the report charts various evolutions within the industry and emphasises potential pathways forward, or what Nucleus refers to as 'Actionable Wisdom.' Its narrative storytelling approach includes detailed infographics and verbatim observations culled from both its interviews as well as from the survey of AICP members. 

“The business is fundamentally changing in several key ways, which we elucidate in our study,” says Elizabeth. “It’s not business as usual by any stretch of the imagination, but we believe there are more opportunities now in this industry than ever before.”  

In a time of rapid change, Elizabeth believes the report will instil curiosity and optimism in both industry veterans and newcomers - a hope that is echoed by AICP and its board. Adds Lisa, “The Board’s decision to invest in the report underscores our confidence in our industry's resilience, and its essential value to brands.”