How Production Became Central to Pitching
The need for more content – produced faster, at scale, and personalised – is growing rapidly while brands try to capture consumers’ precious attention. In this landscape, marketers are finally realising the importance of makers, while senior agency and holding company producers are being pulled into the high-stakes world of pitching, shaping not just how ideas are executed but how they are sold.
This shift means that production is no longer a behind-the-scenes function, which arguably it should never have been, instead becoming a necessary and strategic advantage. Today, the ability to deliver quality, efficiency, and innovation in execution is often the deciding factor in winning new business. After all, ideas are only impressive if they can actually get made.
What exactly is driving this trend? And how are senior producers navigating the increasing pressure to sell their capabilities? Plus, how can production teams craft a winning pitch strategy that resonates with potential clients?
LBB posed these questions to the industry’s top producers and heads of production to explore how their role in pitching is evolving, the challenges they face, and the opportunities at hand when pitching and production see each other as inextricably linked.
Kerry Hill
EVP, global director of production at FCB
At its core, production is about turning creative ideas into something tangible that can be shared with others.
In the past, the starting point for production was the idea itself, and producing content within established industry guidelines — be it for print, TV, or OOH. But today, the starting point for production is the audience. It’s all about understanding every possible way an idea can connect with consumers — no matter where they are in their journey.
This change has flipped the script on how we think about content and producing work that will resonate at every stage of the customer experience, which has fundamentally changed the role of production when it comes to pitching. Technology isn’t just a partner, it’s an enabler, helping us imagine every possible way to deliver content. With that, production now sits at the intersection of audience planning, creative ideas, and technology, to ensure the content achieves exponential growth for our clients to deliver an economic return on our creative ideas.
Clients need agencies to demonstrate a deeper understanding of their content strategies and goals, and how scaled content, high volume versioning, or audience-first content plays a role in their brand. To do this, production leaders should be front and centre throughout the pitch process in order to deconstruct the challenges each client is facing and help determine the role technology plays to bring human creativity to the fore. That’s when we’ll unlock content solutions and drive growth.
Sergio Lopez
CEO at Omnicom Production
OP is a global practice area formed last year at Omnicom, delivering production in partnership with our renowned agencies, and in direct service to clients looking to transform their production models globally.
In every major brand pitch there is now a production component, and the conversation has evolved from efficiencies to value. Production is seen as a gateway to brand transformation and requires production teams to be strategic and innovative, as well as exceptional at their craft.
What’s behind the demand?
Brands have two major pain points, and production is central to solving both. The first is content overload with low impact. Throwing lots of work at the wall to see what sticks has led to wastage and content nobody wants to see. Production is where creativity and performance-based insights come together to craft content that works.
The second pain point is old ways of working. They have teams siloed by type of production (video, digital, print, social, etc.) and by geography. Layer on manual processes and opaque budgets. All this complexity creates longer lead times, brand inconsistencies, and more waste. Think of the opportunity cost. They should be investing that in innovation and areas that create value.
Sara Eolin and Veronica Diaferia
Co-founders at Tinygiant Productions
From our experience at Tinygiant, production has become more central to pitching as content demands continue to rapidly grow; more platforms, more personalisation, more everything. But the challenge is that budgets and creative ideas don’t always initially align. Too often, a brilliant idea is sold first, leaving production scrambling to fit it within budget. Production should never be an afterthought – it needs to be talked about as part of the creative consideration from the outset. When producers are at the table early, we can develop ideas that are bold but feasible, making every dollar count without sacrificing creativity. Collaboration is essential for us in having a strong production plan within pitching – ensuring that creative, strategy, and production are all working together from the beginning.
Tara Cooke
Executive producer and PB& Seattle
Until recently, as an executive producer with years of experience, my exposure to sitting at the pitching table has been surprisingly limited. But we have now seen how navigating the intersection of creativity and logistics has become paramount and the need for production to step into a more prominent role in the pitch process is essential.
Several factors seem to be driving this shift. First, clients are no longer satisfied with big ideas alone; they want to know exactly how those ideas will come to life across platforms, timelines, and budgets. Then, there's ever-demanding expansion of content formats like social, digital, experiential, and beyond, meaning that production strategy is no longer a downstream consideration but a critical component of the pitch itself.
In my humble opinion, producers bring a unique perspective. We translate creative ambition into tangible execution, and we identify opportunities and constraints before the idea has been sold and they can become roadblocks. In an era where time-to-market and budget efficiency are paramount, having production leadership in the room from the outset signals to clients that the agency is thinking holistically about their business challenges from an end-to-end perspective.
I think it’s safe to say that this shift is not just a trend but likely a fundamental overhaul of how ideas are sold and executed in a more modern, content-driven world.
This is how to tell a production strategy:
Frame production as problem-solving: Show how the production strategy anticipates and overcomes potential challenges.
Highlight innovation: Demonstrate how production techniques can unlock new creative possibilities.
Speak to efficiency: Explain how a smart production approach can stretch the budget further and deliver more for less.
Prove experience: Use case studies and examples to show how early production involvement has led to better outcomes for other clients.
Ben Jones
Director of creative studios at Coolr
A picture may be worth a thousand words but at Coolr we believe a video can say a thousand more. In today's fast-paced digital landscape, compelling visual assets are no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a fundamental part of the pitch process. Brands need to see it to believe it.
They’re also looking for more than just a single hero asset – they require an ecosystem of content that seamlessly integrates across multiple platforms. With shrinking attention spans, it’s crucial that our creative executions communicate ideas instantly and effectively.
At Coolr, we have a large in-house studio that enables us to bridge the gap between abstract concepts and tangible visual executions. Whether it’s high-impact visuals, proof-of-concept materials, or final assets, our team specialises in producing platform-native content at the speed of culture. This alongside tailoring content for specific briefs, has become a game-changer when it comes to selling ideas, securing client buy-in, and ultimately getting projects greenlit.
We’re also harnessing AI-driven tools to enhance our pitch materials, rapidly generating high-quality visual concepts, that bring ideas to life and help accelerate client buy-in. Lastly, executional confidence is pivotal in brand decision-making. Delivering over 200+ assets each month, we understand that a transparent, structured process, one that is easily understood by multiple stakeholders, is just as important as the content itself. Our ability to produce high-quality, scalable content with speed and precision ensures that our clients are equipped to make informed, confident decisions.
Marcus Eley
Founder and producer at Good Emperor
It’s 2013. And the pitch machine that is Grey London has an opportunity to win the prestigious global Volvo account. As part of that process, one of many ideas lands on my desk that requires scoping ahead of a crucial client meeting. This one has me scratching my head. I mean, what’s not to like about the ambition of a script that drives a Volvo XC90 down a mountain whilst being chased by an avalanche. 24 hours later having worked into the night taking advantage of US-time zones, speaking to the team who do most of Red Bull Media’s stunts along with avalanche safety experts in Colorado, I had enough information to arm the pitch team the following day. It never got made, of course, but it taught me a valuable lesson.
It doesn’t matter what the idea is, making sure an experienced producer is at the heart of any pitch where making is required, will, at its most fundamental level, give the team valuable information on the cost and time parameters of pitched concepts but perhaps, more importantly, allow for other avenues of execution to be tabled, especially if an idea is going to blow budget out of the water. This can sometimes be the difference on whether a project gets the green light or not. Production can and should also raise questions around areas that may not have been considered; for example, how an idea may impact a brand's CSR metrics or whether a certain method of production may have a negative effect on a brand's PR.
Ensuring production is central to the process can often mean different solutions can be found for making pitched ideas and, crucially, that the right content is being made for the right people, wherever they are. More content, less time, and smaller budgets don’t need to be a hindrance especially now that we have more tools at our disposal. Having someone wired in to making is more vital to a brand's marketing output now than ever before, especially in an age when content has become so democratised. Ideas in a pitch are still king, but production is the kingmaker, in more ways than one.
Katie Helyer
Global executive producer at Collaborate
Brands today demand more: more content, more platforms, greater personalisation, and stronger impact. As a result, production has become a core part of the pitching process, with producers taking on a more prominent role in bringing ideas to life.
Big ideas matter, but execution and experience are just as critical. Clients expect budgets to stretch further, assets to be optimised, all with a sustainable focus. While AI is being woven into our everyday, and assisting in getting projects off the ground, clients recognise its limits. AI can’t replace real-world expertise; the ability to make split-second decisions, manage live events, or navigate crises. It can support pre-production, but true operational excellence still depends on human skill.
Brands now seek partners who don’t just outsource production but embed expertise within their teams. For producers, this means stepping into pitches—not just selling creative vision, but proving the ability to execute effectively, efficiently, and with integrity.
Natasha Johnson
Head of production at Wonderhood Studios
Production is no longer just an executional function at the end of the creative process.
It can be a strategic advantage in winning new business, if weaved correctly into the pitching process, validating everything put forward to the client. The assurance and legitimacy of a well thought through production strategy, presented alongside the creative, can transform a pitch from the conceptual, to a tangible and persuasive demonstration of the agency’s creative and executional strength.
This has never been more important than in today’s fragmented media landscape with ever-increasing demands for content to go further, do more, with diminishing budgets and even less time. The key question of 'How we’re going to do it?’ and who’s going to help us get there, in all its multiple forms is more important than ever to an agency’s pitch fire- power.
At Wonderhood the integration of our multi-hyphenated producers into the pitching process is a fundamental part of how we work. For us, ideation is inextricably linked to ‘making’ and increasingly guided by it due to ever greater media demand and multi-platform needs
The ability of skilled producers to leverage the use of innovative technology, expert production partners (in house and external) to give tangible life to creative, while streamlining processes and improving efficiencies is a winning combination for prospective clients.
A robust production strategy at pitch-stage can have the additional benefit of future-proofing the relationship, offering consistency, agility, and a clear road map to a long-term creative collaboration. In the age of flip-flopping client-agency relationships, this is surely something to be harnessed.
Sophia Pellicoro
Executive Producer at H/L Partners
Personally, I’ve always thought production plays a critical role in pitches.
On every pitch throughout my career, the importance of the sizzle reel, the case study video, or bringing a creative idea to life through video was invaluable. Early in my career, I remember countless hours in edit bays sourcing footage to better convey a pitch story. Today, people are much more visually driven. I think the thing that has evolved is that content is now literally at your fingertips so there is much more of it, fuelling people’s obsession with it.
So the question is, how do you stand out? That’s why H/L created a Fast Content offering that combines expertise from production, creative, social strategy, and media thinking to capitalise on content opportunities immediately. It has positively impacted the way we pitch business and helps ensure we’re thinking through opportunities from a production perspective from the start of every opportunity.
Megan Lewis
Lead senior producer at Bearded Kitten
Production has always been at the heart of pitching; it’s just that more people are finally noticing. While creative brains imagine the big ideas, it’s production that ensures they’re possible. Without producers in the room from the start, there’s a real risk of over-promising and under-delivering.
At Bearded Kitten, we see production as the backbone of every pitch. We make bold ideas real, but also build confidence that what’s promised can actually happen. We ground creative visions in practical execution; we ensure budgets are realistic and timelines are achievable. A great pitch isn’t just about dazzling concepts; it’s also about proving we can deliver.
With brands demanding more content across more platforms, in-house production is more crucial than ever. Having it under one roof, like we do, means a seamless delivery from the get go. We’re both makers and marketers, shaping the vision and streamlining the logistics, from timelines and budgets to the finer details.
Creatives think big (as they should), and production makes it happen. And let’s be honest, sometimes we’re the ones gently reminding everyone that budgets do, in fact, exist.
Sarah Baulcomb
Head of production at Lobster
At Lobster, we’ve always believed that great ideas don’t just need to be creative they need to be brought to life. And the way those ideas are produced has become just as important as the ideas themselves. That’s why we believe that strategic production plays such an important part to help win business.
Brands need more content than ever, and they want to understand how it’ll actually get made. Production isn’t just the final step; it’s problem solving all the way through. Clients come to us with ambitious ideas, tight deadlines, complex logistics, and ever-changing budgets, and we figure out how to make it all happen without compromising on the creative. As producers, we’re a team of collaborators always looking for the smartest, most efficient ways to bring ideas to life.
Production is no longer an afterthought, it’s a key part of the creative process, a major factor in winning pitches, and, ultimately, what makes ideas real. We don’t just make things look good, we solve the challenges that make them work.
Anita Sasdy
Head of production at Hijinks Collective
Gone are the days where production is only brought in and expected to deliver in the last 48 hours and without any warning. What’s so great here at Hijinks, is that production really is involved from day one on the pitch leadership team.
Following a recent pitch win, we implemented daily status meetings with all internal stakeholders. This process bonded the core team together and helped us align on project goals. I believe this process is key to delivering the very best work for the client and the agency.
Budgets are increasingly a crucial part of the pitch process, as is the drive towards more non-traditional creative ideas – this makes the producer as integral as creatives and strategy. A great producer is there to advise, and to help the team express how we can accomplish the clients goals and deliver the brand's message in a creative and original yet cost effective way.
Rob Murrell
Head of production at TRO
Production plays a vital role in the pitching process, especially in the experiential world. When you are bringing brands to life in a real and tangible way, creative solutions must have a level of practical grounding. Trust is pretty quickly eroded when unfeasible, underbudgeted ideas are presented.
While focused production expertise is invaluable, in an age of increasingly short lead times, agencies that can combine creative and production services in-house – supplemented by strong partnerships with key specialisms – are in an increasingly advantageous position. This integrated approach enables not just speed in responding to briefs, but crucially, accuracy.
Creative production, particularly in the physical world, also carries the increasingly important responsibility to design with sustainability in mind – whether that’s creating assets to use across multiple events for a single client or items that are format-flexible, to span many different types of activations. The days of build and burn are well behind us.
Ultimately, as more and more creative ideas are turning up in new and interesting ways IRL, the skill in bringing them to life is hugely valuable, and specialist expertise shouldn’t be underestimated.
Xavier Blairon
CEO at Prose on Pixels France
Production has evolved into a strategic driver in agency pitches across various industries, becoming essential rather than merely an execution function.
The shift towards a production-centred approach is fuelled by several key factors:
Explosion in content demand requiring brands to produce more personalised content across multiple platforms (and therefore impact budget)
Rise of AI-driven production methods that enhance efficiency through automation and dynamic content creation
Shift towards streamlined, global-to-local production ecosystems.
Every industry, from retail to healthcare, now recognises the urgency of production-led efficiency and consultancy. This evolution necessitates that agencies transform from traditional creative models into production-centric organisations, incorporating AI-enhanced strategies and content supply chain management.
Production goes beyond delivery and production matters and is now a key strategic input. This is why, for agencies and holding companies, production has become a critical differentiator in successful pitches, with clients now expecting scalable, cost-effective production solutions.
This is also why Havas and BETC have integrated Prose On Pixels and AI (integrate production expertise) within their core offerings, combining storytelling with technology-driven execution to remain competitive. Ultimately, great creative work (and great brands) hinge on a robust production system, making production-centric creativity paramount for agency relevance and success in the evolving marketplace.
