‘Science, Craft, and a Bit of Magic’ Help Terry Rust Get It Right
Terry Rust, MCA’s director of production consultants, has - by her own admission - held almost every role in advertising over the span of her 30 year career. With MCA since 2015, Terry has learnt everything there is to know about the world of advertising and production through firsthand experience and an attitude that pushes her to learn what she doesn’t know and ask questions to find out more about what she already does. This started while working in her very first role as a ‘secretary’ at FCB, “Mad Men-style,” Terry says. On her way to work, Terry spotted a team of people working on something that seemed exciting to her - she followed her intuition and ended up working there: Johnston Films, a very successful film production company where she got a taste for how what’s on our TV screens is made. She then made her way back agency-side to put what she learned into good practice.
Helping clients to solve inefficiencies is Terry’s - and MCA’s - raison d'etre. In North America, Terry is working on three key ones: setting realistic budgets; finding cost effective alternatives to the traditional production approach; and maximising their investment to cover the insatiable need for content. These aren’t isolated to North America of course and Terry sees them as part of a bigger challenge - how to positively connect with consumers. That’s why Terry recommends that every brand thinks about how to intelligently produce the right content in 2024.
Today, LBB speaks to Terry about the culture of cross-border knowledge-sharing present at MCA, how she works to protect creative ideas, and why she imagines she’ll soon be training AI as part of her role’s evolution to upskill the team
LBB> Tell us a bit about how you got into consulting. What sort of work did you do prior to joining MCA and what skills did you cultivate then that you continue to use now?
Terry> My first job was a Mad Men-style –secretary – (shorthand, long lunches) in the Broadcast Business Affairs department at FCB. I was promoted to an associate business manager and had to evaluate production bids – I was fresh out of college! What did I know about the price of camera rentals? I felt I couldn’t do the job unless I had practical experience. On my way to work each day, I’d pass this brownstone – with big windows, people writing on enormous whiteboards, vans and equipment coming and going – turns out it was a film production company, a very successful one at the time – Johnston Films, literally right…next…door! So I left the agency and spent six years on the production side forming a solid foundation of the business from bottom up and equipped with this knowledge returned to the agency side, this time at Y&R.
The production dept at Y&R had to be 30-40 people – with assistant producers supporting executive producers. Formal training programs, in person bid sessions and reps roaming the halls. We had enough time to forge relationships and in a small industry like ours, those relationships matter.
Advertising can be fickle and you have to roll with the punches and not take it too personally. Over the course of my career I worked at Y&R three times! My whole career has been in advertising, sitting at various seats around the table – agency, production, post-production, animatics – never as a client but - consulting is about as close to being client-side as I’ll probably get. The skills that have stayed with me to this day are not shying away from a challenge, staying curious and maintaining relationships.
LBB> MCA advertises itself as “the world’s only truly global production consulting business,” and the company has nine offices on five continents. How do the challenges of your US clients compare to the rest of the world?
Terry> The challenge across any market is in finding a way to truly connect with the consumer at the right place and time, positively, and without backlash. That’s universal and borderless. It’s a serious business to cut through and connect in a way that is not only memorable, but actually moves product.
That gets compounded here in the US because it’s expensive to produce ads domestically–and with the sheer number of brands competing in this country, given the size of the market, and the cultural diversity and freedom of choice and voice, those challenges are amplified. Getting it right sometimes seems like alchemy – science, craft and a bit of magic.
LBB> Are there any cross-border learnings that you’re giving out and/or implementing in your work?
Terry> We’re actually a pretty tight-knit group for a global network, made up of seriously experienced consultants and business leaders whose support you can rely on at the ping of a WhatsApp. We’re constantly sharing our learnings cross-culturally and meet monthly for our ‘Sunshine Meetings’ - a virtual gathering started during the pandemic as a way for the team to stay connected. Led by Pat Murphy [founder], it’s a bit of a riff on the Prodcast with interesting guest speakers, discussing a variety of topics for our internal, professional development. Most of the topics transcend borders, especially innovation, artificial intelligence, and sustainability.
Collectively, we look for ways to apply our learning and implement those relevant ideas across our client projects. The latest top hits are sustainability, AI, hybrid agencies that create and produce; and an expansion of virtual productions taking place in studios across Mexico, Canada and Poland.
LBB> Where do you think clients should be directing the budget towards in 2024?
Terry> Intelligent content production…well crafted, affordably produced, and at scale –
whether that’s a hybrid agile agency, using creator communities, developing an internal content studio or exploring emerging technologies like AI. The demand for content is insatiable. It’s just a matter of time before we see AI and GenAI as a viable way to satisfy those needs. I think the benefits of scale, economics, and competition will overpower current legal risks.
LBB> Sustainability is a huge focus for MCA. Tell us how you’re working with your clients to reach ‘net zero’ and implement other sustainable practices?
Terry> MCA have just won the 2023 Campaign AdNet Zero award for Best Practice in Sustainable Ad Production’ in working with our global client, Reckitt, on virtual production; this allowed creative flexibility, substantially reduced costs and lowered CO2 emissions by 75% per shoot day. Fantastic, right? But do you know what a tonne of CO2 is? I don’t. So understanding the carbon impact of our actions in terms we can actually relate to can have dramatic positive results; from individual daily choices like using refillable coffee pods instead of disposable ones - to corporate policy around reducing air travel to shoots.
If we can measure it, we can manage it. But first we need to understand that measurement. Funny, but I still remember years ago, Oprah Winfrey wheeled a little red wagon out onto the stage, filled with animal fat representing the 67 pounds she’d lost. That was an unforgettable, live infographic. Now we need to illustrate the carbon impact of our behaviour on production, taking the biggest factor which is air travel. AdGreen’s calculator measured the CO2 of air travel on a recent two day shoot between agency, crew and client, at 8 metric tonnes. That’s roughly equivalent to a cross-country road trip back and forth across the United States about 12 times.
MCA is bringing that awareness full-screen – and making it part of our marketing operating system –not after the fact to record what was done, but right up front starting from the creative brief to allow us to meaningfully choose alternatives that can effectively reduce carbon emissions and at the same time, influence sustainable behaviour. As our clients, agencies and production partners commit to that sustainable behaviour, we stand a better chance at reaching ‘net zero’.
LBB> What are some examples of your favourite projects that you’ve had a hand in during your time with MCA?
Terry> Well at this time of year, the obvious would be the Super Bowl ads for Pringles and M&Ms, but I REALLY love anything with new technology and live events – Air Gummies did a full-sized vinyl blow up bodega in LA, aisles of vinyl air filled products; Samsung’s hidden camera ‘Steal this TV’ prank on the streets of NY. Then there’s Lysol’s ‘Protect Like A Mother’ massive animal sculpture exhibit under the Brooklyn Bridge for Mothers Day; and Skittles ‘Bring Back Lime’ apology fake news conference. Oh - and Lysol’s ‘Teddy Repair’ project during the pandemic, to clean, disinfect and repair kid’s ‘stuffies’ taking precious care to return them intact.
LBB> There are a lot of ways that a creative idea can get diluted or killed entirely during the production process. What are you and other consultants doing to preserve those novel ideas in spite of the practical challenges that arise during the creative and production process?
Terry> First let me say, all of the consultants at MCA have either worked production or agency or both and we bring that experience and passion to our projects. We aim to work collaboratively with the agency on behalf of the client and in service to the brand’s creative goals.
For me, it’s not about cutting costs, it’s about doing the job right and doing right by the job.
I want to see the money on the screen. I look for good value, bid for what’s needed and trim the fat. (again, with the fat!!!) This is where my direct production company experience comes in handy. I might keep that fat accessible (in a little red wagon!), but it’s at client’s discretion.
At the same time, I also believe in fair play and will always call out if something is missing or under bid – a production needs to breathe, a director needs a little wiggle room. And this is where honesty and experience form the basis of integrity.
My clients rely on me for an honest answer and trust the integrity of my response when asked about a creative recommendation or proposed cost. They know I’ve thoughtfully considered all aspects before giving my opinion and am acting in their best interest.
LBB> There are many consultancy firms still clinging to the 'TV first' approach to marketing. What measures are you and other consultants at MCA taking to ensure that you’re delivering innovative advice to clients?
There’s nothing inherently wrong with TV first, if it makes sense. TV’s had the biggest budgets, so it made sense that the rest of the content was derivative – lifts and versions pumped out to digital channels. But the need for hyper-personalised, addressable content across multiple channels requires a more bespoke solution. Often things that are new or untried or innovative involve risk, whether real or perceived. We help to manage that risk. We use the hive-mind collective of our global network to - share a resource, a case study, a recent experience, or an insight. It’s a bit like using ChatGPT – ask the team a question and get a good, fast, reliable response from around the world.
With the strength of our network we’re able to offer experience-based advice from across a diverse client list with a broad range of brand categories. We help manage the risk, but ultimately it’s always the client’s decision.
LBB> You’ve worked in the advertising industry for three decades. What have been the biggest changes you’ve witnessed?
Terry> Work from home, digital workflows, creator communities, and virtual production.
LBB> And what have been your biggest lessons?
Terry> I like how Rishad Tobaccowala enumerates concepts. My top three are: accept the challenge and get out of your comfort zone; effort beats education; and build trust through integrity.
LBB> How do you envision your work continuing to evolve in the coming years?
Terry> Pat Murphy’s been a great role model – he and Ian Maynard challenge me with projects that are daunting – but have helped me grow and allow me to step outside the standard production consultant role. I’m more of a ‘hybrid’, and support client service, technology, training, and occasionally scout some talent for Pat’s Prodcast.
I’m also a ‘data-geek’ and use our tech platforms to analyse data, spot trends and distil complex information into handy ‘cheat sheets’.
I enjoy what I do. I love my clients, the people I work with, and for. As long as I can continue learning, connecting with people, and applying what I learn, I can see my work evolving to include things like training AI on our own data lake to do loads of fat analysis, developing a training and mentorship program for entry level applicants and a spin-off of Pat’s podcast to showcase the brilliant, eclectic team we have at MCA and the interests that inspire them.
LBB> Finally, how do you relax and unwind outside of work?
‘Outside of work’??? Bwahhahahaha!
