We asked industry experts if production houses be more flexible when it comes to producing different formats. Here’s what they had to say.
Hicham Soubra
Head of Production and Creative Services, Horizon FCB
Absolutely. Flexibility is vital in today’s ever-changing landscape. While some may choose to specialise in specific formats, like TV commercials, it’s crucial for most production houses to adapt to new formats, trends and technologies.
At Fuelcontent, we haven’t just embraced various formats but have also expanded our services to include print, web 3.0 and on-ground activations.
Interestingly, other production houses have followed suit over the past few years by adding some of these services to their offerings. This era demands versatile production solutions, reflecting the evolving nature of the industry.
Dalia Baddar
Senior Integrated Communications Manager at Gambit Communications
Absolutely. We live in a time where new platforms pop up every day competing with one another, and each has its own preferred content format.
YouTube created a need for long-form, then Instagram made it square, then Snapchat turned it vertical, then TikTok made it fast-paced with quick edits, etc.
We now have everything from Instagram Stories and Reels to YouTube Shorts. Remember, ‘The medium is the message’, so production houses need to be able to cater to different mediums and platforms if they want to service their clients in the best way possible.
Nihar Anand
Head of Marketing, Chrysler, Dodge and Ram Trucks, Middle East
It is advantageous for production houses to be flexible when it comes to producing in different formats. Content consumption happens on multiple platforms and with retargeting of content, you must ensure that your content is edited and formatted correctly to maximise effectiveness.
Each platform has its own style, what would work on a desktop won’t always resonate very well on mobile. The media landscape is constantly evolving, and so must production methods.
As technology advances, old formats may become obsolete and new ones will rise.
So, while flexibility is generally a good trait, it should not be pursued without a clear strategic purpose and briefing before starting production.
Geetika Sood
Senior Producer, Serviceplan Group Middle East
As agency producers, flexibility is vital in our work. In a world inundated with algorithms, we’re always looking to create diverse-looking content for our clients along with the right production partners.
With production formats it gets tricky, the creative team wants to use cinema scope and the clients see merit in vertical.
If from the get-go, the medium and the message are clear, then it’s the brief that we need to get right. And call in to say, ‘Hey, we want to make la-di-da.
Can you help us find the right person, place, and time to make it happen?’ and when producers at the other end say, ‘Cool, send me the brief.’ That’s that.
Hamza Sheikh
Head of Production, LPS
The contemporary content production landscape emphasizes cost-effective and efficient approaches, making it essential for production houses to remain flexible in producing various formats.
Short-form video platforms like TikTok are popular, yet the diversity of content consumption habits requires adaptability. Different formats cater to distinct audiences and objectives.
For instance, long-form content may be essential for storytelling or conveying complex messages, while short-form content is ideal for quick engagement.
We believe being inflexible risks missing out on opportunities to reach broader audiences or convey messages effectively.
Therefore, production houses should strike a balance, considering the content’s purpose, target audience, and budget constraints, to remain relevant and competitive in the evolving media landscape.
Buraq Basam
Senior Production Manager, Netizency
Imagine a world where you’re watching YouTube videos in 360p instead of 4K, or a world where you couldn’t watch Oppenheimer in IMAX.
That’s the type of world we would’ve lived in if production houses weren’t flexible and didn’t push boundaries.
As a purely social media agency, we understand the importance of specifically tailored content and formats for each platform, so we make sure to shoot and edit in a way that caters to our clients’ audiences, whether they are in bed scrolling the full-screen vertical format on TikTok or binge-watching endless YouTube videos.
David Balfour
Co-Founder, Lightblue
In today’s media landscape, consumer preferences are ever-evolving. The traditional format boundaries no longer meet the diverse needs of modern audiences.
By being more flexible in producing various formats, production houses not only cater to a wider consumer base but also demonstrate adaptability and innovation.
Such flexibility ensures that content remains relevant, accessible and makes the production house easy to work with when competition is high.
Paras Rishi
Senior Manager, GMG
Marketing campaigns have become more sophisticated and creative than ever before.
But the goal for ad production teams remains the same: develop and execute content that captures audience attention and influences their decisions.
In the past decade, global media consumption and advertising budgets have shifted sharply towards digital touchpoints such as social media, OTT, podcasts and e-gaming.
As the saying goes, ‘Follow the eyeballs and the wallets will follow’. To succeed in this new era, ad production houses must focus on meaningful storytelling and producing diverse formats that align with brand objectives.
