Media & Production Partners, a full service agency with a focus on media planning, buying and production, has rebranded to This is Flow, including a shift in the agency's structure and how it operates.
The independent, which launched in mid-2016 with billings of $10 million, will now use a combination of partners and experts to deliver agency services on a needs basis.
Founder Jimmy Hyett, a former group business director at MediaCom who has also worked at Total Advertising (now PHD), ZenithOptimedia and Hyland Media, says the decision to change the model was based on a trend he noticed around brands struggling to make a “complete impact” in the market.
“For us it was all about decluttering the market and making things simple, just making the connection between brand and consumer stronger,” he says.
“We've rebuilt the whole process from the ground up which is basically just a three step process, underpinned by a whole lot of questions which connect both media and creative.”
The agency now allows clients to turn services “on and off as needed”, with This is Flow bringing on new partners to cover all aspects of media.
It has partnered with Data Hatch for business science, as well as Bench for programmatic.
“These partners give us credibility and they have gone out and started their own independents. It is now about becoming the one-stop-shop for a client through these partnership agreements,” Hyett says.
“All the clients get invoiced by This is Flow, so we are that seamless connection to the client. When it comes to them, there is no white label, our clients know when a partner has come onboard, we introduce them. Basically, we help facilitate and then our partners execute.”
Hyett says This is Flow will remain the provider of services such as media planning and buying but will lower client fees through the new structure, with head hours not being counted when the client decides to “turn off” that particular service.
“As an example, from the creative side of things I know a lot of agencies have head hours they need to account for. We don't want to be charging our clients head hours when they aren't using the services,” he says.
“The structure is built in a way that allows clients to modify services when they need them. It means that they are not paying extra but when they do need them, it means we can bring in the right people suited for the job.”
Hyett says there is complete transparency when it comes to information shared with the client, such as which partners it brings into the mix and their cost.
As a facilitator, when a client signs up for a particular service not specifically handled in house, This is Flow shares the partner information and ensures both parties have a direct line of communication.
The business will also grow internally, hiring new staff, but Hyett remains firm on the point that he doesn't want to grow at an unmanageable pace.
“Obviously, with new clients comes new staff but over the last few years we have tried not to jump to fast in bringing on new clients," Hyett said.
“Yet now, with new business wins coming up, it's integral that we bring on extra staff and we will do so. But again, because of the new structure we are able to run lean, which again helps our clients in terms of fees. We simply don't have to cover a lot of head hours.”
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