As 2025 comes to a close, we’re celebrating with a very special recap episode of The Prodcast, revisiting some of the most powerful insights and standout advice our incredible guests have shared over the past year. Pat Murphy has had the privilege of sitting down with some of the brightest minds in the industry, exploring a wide range of topics — from the evolving role of the producer and the impact of sonic branding, to why being selective with your projects is more important than ever, and the rapid rise of creator marketing.In this episode, you’ll hear highlights from:·      <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardeast/'>Ed East</a>, founder of Billion Dollar Boy, breaking down how creator marketing really works, how success is measured, and how you can harness the power of creators in your next campaign. ·      <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-davies47'>Steve Davies</a> from the APA on the evolving role of the producer — and why producers are more essential now than ever before.·      <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/nils-leonard-373b2b3'>Nils Leonard</a> of Uncommon Creative Studio on why turning down work can sometimes be the right move, plus their unconventional approach to making sure great ideas actually get made.·      <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-elms-b1bb2b16/'>Simon Elms</a>, ad composer, on the science behind sonic branding and why getting your audio right is absolutely critical. Season 5 of The Prodcast will be launching very soon with loads more outstanding guests. Follow the show now, for free, so you don’t miss an episode.  Hosted by <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickvincentmurphy/'>Pat Murphy</a> Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:<a href='https://murphycobb.com/'>Murphy Cobb &amp; Associates </a> |  <a href='https://theprodcast.com/'>The MCA Prodcast</a>  |  <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/murphy-cobb-&amp;-associates/'>LinkedIn</a>  |  <a href='https://www.instagram.com/murphy.cobb.associates/'>Instagram</a> | <a href='mailto:prodcast@murphycobb.com'>Email</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;As 2025 comes to a close, we’re celebrating with a very special recap episode of &lt;em&gt;The Prodcast&lt;/em&gt;, revisiting some of the most powerful insights and standout advice our incredible guests have shared over the past year. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pat Murphy has had the privilege of sitting down with some of the brightest minds in the industry, exploring a wide range of topics — from the evolving role of the producer and the impact of sonic branding, to why being selective with your projects is more important than ever, and the rapid rise of creator marketing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, you’ll hear highlights from:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;·      &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardeast/'&gt;Ed East&lt;/a&gt;, founder of Billion Dollar Boy, breaking down how creator marketing really works, how success is measured, and how you can harness the power of creators in your next campaign. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;·      &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-davies47'&gt;Steve Davies&lt;/a&gt; from the APA on the evolving role of the producer — and why producers are more essential now than ever before.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;·      &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/nils-leonard-373b2b3'&gt;Nils Leonard&lt;/a&gt; of Uncommon Creative Studio on why turning down work can sometimes be the right move, plus their unconventional approach to making sure great ideas actually get made.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;·      &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-elms-b1bb2b16/'&gt;Simon Elms&lt;/a&gt;, ad composer, on the science behind sonic branding and why getting your audio right is absolutely critical.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Season 5 of The Prodcast will be launching very soon with loads more outstanding guests. Follow the show now, for free, so you don’t miss an episode. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hosted by &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickvincentmurphy/'&gt;Pat Murphy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://murphycobb.com/'&gt;Murphy Cobb &amp;amp; Associates &lt;/a&gt; |  &lt;a href='https://theprodcast.com/'&gt;The MCA Prodcast&lt;/a&gt;  |  &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/murphy-cobb-&amp;amp;-associates/'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;  |  &lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/murphy.cobb.associates/'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href='mailto:prodcast@murphycobb.com'&gt;Email&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re celebrating with a very special recap episode of The Prodcast, revisiting some of the most powerful insights and standout advice our incredible guests have shared over the past year.  Pat Murphy has had the privilege of sitting down with some of the brightest minds in the industry, exploring a wide range of topics — from the evolving role of the producer and the impact of sonic branding, to why being selective with your projects is more important than ever...

The Best of Season 4

This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy is joined by <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-elms-b1bb2b16/'>Simon Elms</a>, Founder of Eclectic Music &amp; Bark Soho. Simon is a multi-award-winning composer, arranger, and producer with over 30 years of experience spanning film, television, and advertising. In advertising specifically, Simon has crafted bespoke music for high-profile global campaigns for brands such as Coke, Ford and HSBC.Simon has developed a reputation for his musical insight, creative agility, and sonic precision. His original compositions and inventive sound design have earned industry recognition, including an International Emmy nomination.Simon and Pat explore the pivotal role music plays in advertising, and why it so often gets overlooked. Simon shares his frustrations over how sound is typically left to the final stages of production and argues for integrating composers much earlier in the creative process, recounting how true collaboration between agency, client, and music partner can yield not only better work, but smoother workflows. Simon discusses the deep connection between music and neuroscience, explaining how sound can bypass rational thought to trigger powerful emotional responses. He highlights a quote from Sir Thomas Beecham — “the function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought” — to illustrate how music communicates directly with the subconscious, a concept long understood by composers and now backed by modern science. For this reason, Simon argues that imperfect, emotional tracks can often connect more deeply than overly polished ones.Simon also shares his view on the rise of AI in music production. Whilst he acknowledges that technology may displace some traditional roles, he sees it as a tool that, in the right hands, can empower more creativity and accessibility.   See Simons’s favourite ad: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gXuiBDiNqY'>Hamlet - Wig</a>   Hosted by <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickvincentmurphy/'>Pat Murphy</a> **The MCA Prodcast is now available on YouTube. <a href='https://www.youtube.com/@murphycobb2180'>Click here to Subscribe</a>**Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:<a href='https://murphycobb.com/'>Murphy Cobb &amp; Associates </a> |  <a href='https://theprodcast.com/'>The MCA Prodcast</a>  |  <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/murphy-cobb-&amp;-associates/'>LinkedIn</a>  |  <a href='https://www.instagram.com/murphy.cobb.associates/'>Instagram</a> | <a href='mailto:prodcast@murphycobb.com'>Email</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy is joined by &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-elms-b1bb2b16/'&gt;Simon Elms&lt;/a&gt;, Founder of Eclectic Music &amp;amp; Bark Soho. Simon is a multi-award-winning composer, arranger, and producer with over 30 years of experience spanning film, television, and advertising. In advertising specifically, Simon has crafted bespoke music for high-profile global campaigns for brands such as Coke, Ford and HSBC.Simon has developed a reputation for his musical insight, creative agility, and sonic precision. His original compositions and inventive sound design have earned industry recognition, including an International Emmy nomination.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Simon and Pat explore the pivotal role music plays in advertising, and why it so often gets overlooked. Simon shares his frustrations over how sound is typically left to the final stages of production and argues for integrating composers much earlier in the creative process, recounting how true collaboration between agency, client, and music partner can yield not only better work, but smoother workflows. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Simon discusses the deep connection between music and neuroscience, explaining how sound can bypass rational thought to trigger powerful emotional responses. He highlights a quote from Sir Thomas Beecham — &lt;em&gt;“the function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought”&lt;/em&gt; — to illustrate how music communicates directly with the subconscious, a concept long understood by composers and now backed by modern science. For this reason, Simon argues that imperfect, emotional tracks can often connect more deeply than overly polished ones.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Simon also shares his view on the rise of AI in music production. Whilst he acknowledges that technology may displace some traditional roles, he sees it as a tool that, in the right hands, can empower more creativity and accessibility. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; See Simons’s favourite ad: &lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gXuiBDiNqY'&gt;Hamlet - Wig&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Hosted by &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickvincentmurphy/'&gt;Pat Murphy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;**The MCA Prodcast is now available on YouTube. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/@murphycobb2180'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Click here to Subscribe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;**&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://murphycobb.com/'&gt;Murphy Cobb &amp;amp; Associates &lt;/a&gt; |  &lt;a href='https://theprodcast.com/'&gt;The MCA Prodcast&lt;/a&gt;  |  &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/murphy-cobb-&amp;amp;-associates/'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;  |  &lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/murphy.cobb.associates/'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href='mailto:prodcast@murphycobb.com'&gt;Email&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy is joined by Simon Elms, Founder of Eclectic Music &amp; Bark Soho. Simon is a multi-award-winning composer, arranger, and producer with over 30 years of experience spanning film, television, and advertising. In advertising specifically, Simon has crafted bespoke music for high-profile global campaigns for brands such as Coke, Ford and HSBC.Simon has developed a reputation for his musical insight, creative agility, and sonic precision. His original com...

Simon Elms – The Sonic Cuddle: How Music Makes Ads Unforgettable

This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy is joined by <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardeast/'>Edward East</a>, the Founder and CEO of Billion Dollar Boy. Since its inception in 2014 the agency has become a global leader in creator marketing, delivering integrated, creator-led advertising at scale for the world&apos;s leading brands.Ed talks us through the story behind BDB; back in 2014 Ed recognised something fundamental that many brands are only now beginning to grasp – creators aren&apos;t just media channels, they&apos;re storytellers, producers, and essential brand partners.What began as a simple database connecting PR agencies with bloggers has evolved into an award-winning creative social agency that&apos;s reshaping how global brands approach content creation. The results speak for themselves: Billion Dollar Boy was recently named Influencer Marketing Agency of the Year and works with prestigious clients like Versace, Loeuvre, and Burberry. Ed explains how the production process differs when working with creators; how ideas are pitched, developed and brought to life, whilst simultaneously balancing creator freedom with brand messaging and expectations. Ed also reveals how creator marketing has democratised content production, making it ‘far faster’ and ‘far cheaper’ than traditional agency models while potentially delivering superior engagement. This explains why companies like Unilever are now allocating 50% of their advertising budgets to social media platforms – a major shift that validates Ed&apos;s early vision.Ed also tells us about his latest venture, the <a href='https://www.fivetwonine.com/'>FiveTwoNine</a> Creator Club which supports the broader creator economy through education, networking, and opportunity creation. See Ed’s favourite ad: <a href='https://theprodcast.com/edward-east#video'>Guinness – Snail Race</a>  Hosted by <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickvincentmurphy/'>Pat Murphy</a>**The MCA Prodcast is now available on YouTube. <a href='https://www.youtube.com/@murphycobb2180'>Click here to Subscribe</a>** Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:<a href='https://murphycobb.com/'>Murphy Cobb &amp; Associates </a> |  <a href='https://theprodcast.com/'>The MCA Prodcast</a>  |  <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/murphy-cobb-&amp;-associates/'>LinkedIn</a>  |  <a href='https://www.instagram.com/murphy.cobb.associates/'>Instagram</a> | <a href='mailto:prodcast@murphycobb.com'>Email</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy is joined by &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardeast/'&gt;Edward East&lt;/a&gt;, the Founder and CEO of Billion Dollar Boy. Since its inception in 2014 the agency has become a global leader in creator marketing, delivering integrated, creator-led advertising at scale for the world&amp;apos;s leading brands.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ed talks us through the story behind BDB; back in 2014 Ed recognised something fundamental that many brands are only now beginning to grasp – creators aren&amp;apos;t just media channels, they&amp;apos;re storytellers, producers, and essential brand partners.What began as a simple database connecting PR agencies with bloggers has evolved into an award-winning creative social agency that&amp;apos;s reshaping how global brands approach content creation. The results speak for themselves: Billion Dollar Boy was recently named Influencer Marketing Agency of the Year and works with prestigious clients like Versace, Loeuvre, and Burberry. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ed explains how the production process differs when working with creators; how ideas are pitched, developed and brought to life, whilst simultaneously balancing creator freedom with brand messaging and expectations. Ed also reveals how creator marketing has democratised content production, making it ‘far faster’ and ‘far cheaper’ than traditional agency models while potentially delivering superior engagement. This explains why companies like Unilever are now allocating 50% of their advertising budgets to social media platforms – a major shift that validates Ed&amp;apos;s early vision.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ed also tells us about his latest venture, the &lt;a href='https://www.fivetwonine.com/'&gt;FiveTwoNine&lt;/a&gt; Creator Club which supports the broader creator economy through education, networking, and opportunity creation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See Ed’s favourite ad: &lt;a href='https://theprodcast.com/edward-east#video'&gt;Guinness – Snail Race&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hosted by &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickvincentmurphy/'&gt;Pat Murphy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;**The MCA Prodcast is now available on YouTube. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/@murphycobb2180'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Click here to Subscribe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;**&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://murphycobb.com/'&gt;Murphy Cobb &amp;amp; Associates &lt;/a&gt; |  &lt;a href='https://theprodcast.com/'&gt;The MCA Prodcast&lt;/a&gt;  |  &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/murphy-cobb-&amp;amp;-associates/'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;  |  &lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/murphy.cobb.associates/'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href='mailto:prodcast@murphycobb.com'&gt;Email&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy is joined by Edward East, the Founder and CEO of Billion Dollar Boy. Since its inception in 2014 the agency has become a global leader in creator marketing, delivering integrated, creator-led advertising at scale for the world's leading brands. Ed talks us through the story behind BDB; back in 2014 Ed recognised something fundamental that many brands are only now beginning to grasp – creators aren't just media channels, they're storytellers, producers,...

Edward East – How Billion Dollar Boy has helped Supercharge Influencer Marketing

This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy is joined by <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/nils-leonard-373b2b3'>Nils Leonard</a>, Founder of <a href='https://www.uncommon.studio/'>Uncommon Creative Studio</a>. Nils has spent over 25 years in the advertising and design industry working across some of the most recognised agencies in London. Nils was voted into Adweek’s coveted Creativity 100 and was named The No.1 creative person in advertising globally by Business insider, and is listed as one of the Sunday Times 500 most influential people in the UK.Nils loves and values production. He describes it as the ‘literal distance between an idea and reality’ and explains that this understanding has reshaped his entire approach to creativity. Rather than prioritising process or placating stakeholders, Uncommon focuses relentlessly on output - even creating a &quot;faff tax&quot; that charges clients more if they haven&apos;t made anything within six months. &quot;We&apos;ve never had to use it, but it&apos;s defined the type of client that comes to us&quot;, Nils says. Nils is not only insistent on creating, but confident that past work is the best case-study and shop window your agency can ask for. Nils explains that the best clients approach Uncommon knowing their work, understanding their ethic and wanting them above any other creative partner. Nils also explains how leadership and creativity are not mutually exclusive. As a lead creative for a company, you are effectively the leader of the business as the revenue comes from your creative output. As such, Nils argues, you should be party to the fee negotiations and you should have a full understanding of the business side. Also, Nils’ advice to all creators is to not be afraid to walk away from the wrong type of client or the wrong type of work. &quot;When someone pays you for your time but not your work... they&apos;re actively stopping you doing something else that could change your life&quot;, he says. This selective approach has helped Uncommon achieve remarkable growth, including being named Agency of the Year in the US after just 12 months. Nils shares his unique approach to sourcing talent too, and explains that many of his global offices have been opened and built around a talented individual that he wanted to welcome into the business. “You meet great people and think ‘I need to find a way to get them in the fold and I know good shit will happen&apos;”. See Nils’ favourite ad: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPLOvttbayQ'>Macmillan Cancer Support – Whatever it Takes</a>  Hosted by <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickvincentmurphy/'>Pat Murphy</a> **The MCA Prodcast is now available on YouTube. <a href='https://www.youtube.com/@murphycobb2180'>Click here to Subscribe</a>** Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:<a href='https://murphycobb.com/'>Murphy Cobb &amp; Associates </a>|  <a href='https://theprodcast.com/'>The MCA Prodcast</a>  |  <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/murphy-cobb-&amp;-associates/'>LinkedIn</a>  |  <a href='https://www.instagram.com/murphy.cobb.associates/'>Instagram</a> | <a href='mailto:prodcast@murphycobb.com'>Email</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy is joined by &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/nils-leonard-373b2b3'&gt;Nils Leonard&lt;/a&gt;, Founder of &lt;a href='https://www.uncommon.studio/'&gt;Uncommon Creative Studio&lt;/a&gt;. Nils has spent over 25 years in the advertising and design industry working across some of the most recognised agencies in London. Nils was voted into Adweek’s coveted Creativity 100 and was named The No.1 creative person in advertising globally by Business insider, and is listed as one of the Sunday Times 500 most influential people in the UK.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nils loves and values production. He describes it as the &lt;em&gt;‘literal distance between an idea and reality’&lt;/em&gt; and explains that this understanding has reshaped his entire approach to creativity. Rather than prioritising process or placating stakeholders, Uncommon focuses relentlessly on output - even creating a &amp;quot;faff tax&amp;quot; that charges clients more if they haven&amp;apos;t made anything within six months. &lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;We&amp;apos;ve never had to use it, but it&amp;apos;s defined the type of client that comes to us&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt;, Nils says. Nils is not only insistent on creating, but confident that past work is the best case-study and shop window your agency can ask for. Nils explains that the best clients approach Uncommon knowing their work, understanding their ethic and wanting &lt;em&gt;them&lt;/em&gt; above any other creative partner. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nils also explains how leadership and creativity are not mutually exclusive. As a lead creative for a company, you are effectively the leader of the business as the revenue comes from your creative output. As such, Nils argues, you should be party to the fee negotiations and you should have a full understanding of the business side. Also, Nils’ advice to all creators is to not be afraid to walk away from the wrong type of client or the wrong type of work. &amp;quot;&lt;em&gt;When someone pays you for your time but not your work... they&amp;apos;re actively stopping you doing something else that could change your life&amp;quot;, &lt;/em&gt;he says. This selective approach has helped Uncommon achieve remarkable growth, including being named Agency of the Year in the US after just 12 months. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nils shares his unique approach to sourcing talent too, and explains that many of his global offices have been opened and built around a talented individual that he wanted to welcome into the business. &lt;em&gt;“You meet great people and think ‘I need to find a way to get them in the fold and I know good shit will happen&amp;apos;”&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See Nils’ favourite ad: &lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPLOvttbayQ'&gt;&lt;span style='background-color: highlight;'&gt;Macmillan Cancer Support – Whatever it Takes&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Hosted by &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickvincentmurphy/'&gt;Pat Murphy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;**The MCA Prodcast is now available on YouTube. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/@murphycobb2180'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Click here to Subscribe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;**&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://murphycobb.com/'&gt;Murphy Cobb &amp;amp; Associates &lt;/a&gt;|  &lt;a href='https://theprodcast.com/'&gt;The MCA Prodcast&lt;/a&gt;  |  &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/murphy-cobb-&amp;amp;-associates/'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;  |  &lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/murphy.cobb.associates/'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href='mailto:prodcast@murphycobb.com'&gt;Email&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy is joined by Nils Leonard, Founder of Uncommon Creative Studio. Nils has spent over 25 years in the advertising and design industry working across some of the most recognised agencies in London. Nils was voted into Adweek’s coveted Creativity 100 and was named The No.1 creative person in advertising globally by Business insider, and is listed as one of the Sunday Times 500 most influential people in the UK. Nils loves and values production. He describe...

Nils Leonard – Faff Tax: The Uncommon Way to Ensure Clients Actually Make Stuff

This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy talks with <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-davies47'>Steve Davies</a>, Chief Executive at the Advertising Producers Association, the trade body for UK commercial production, editing, post production and music and sound design companies. The aim of the APA is to create the best possible business environment for its members, addressing challenges and connecting them with opportunities.  Steve’s career began in law where he was partner at a London law firm, before moving into Sports Television. His media/law crossover career saw him work on the first pay-per-view sports deal with Sky and even act as Mike Tyson’s lawyer, negotiating his entry to the UK with the then Home Secretary Jack Straw!   Steve talks us through the changes he’s made at the APA to benefit their members; adding training, contractual advice, overseas marketing and business advice. Steve and Pat discuss the recent demise of Technicolour and Steve explains how the APA is trying to support its members by connecting those who lost jobs with new opportunities elsewhere. Steve also shared details of ‘Production Unplugged’, a new event hosted by the APA where brands can meet with potential production partners. The event is designed to build relationships, share knowledge, and drive real change in the industry. MCA is really proud to be sponsoring this event and you can <a href='https://www.apaproductionunplugged.com/'>find out more here</a>. Steve considers the changing production landscape and the evolving role of the producer. He argues that the producer role is often be misunderstood with a common perception being that they exist to service the needs to the director. Steve argues they are in fact a critical and valuable part of the creative process as properly understanding production is what allows magic to happen.  Most revealing is Steve&apos;s insight into what clients truly want from production partners. Forget awards and director reels – brands want case study proof demonstrating how you’ve helped similar clients achieve concrete business goals. Steve believes it’s this shift in focus from creative execution to strategic partnership that will determine which production companies thrive in the coming years.  See Steve’s favourite ad: <a href='https://theprodcast.com/steve-davies#video'>Stella Artois – Ice Skating Priests</a>   Hosted by <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickvincentmurphy/'>Pat Murphy</a>  **The MCA Prodcast is now available on YouTube. <a href='https://www.youtube.com/@murphycobb2180'>Click here to Subscribe</a>**  Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast: <a href='https://murphycobb.com/'>Murphy Cobb &amp; Associates </a>|  <a href='https://theprodcast.com/'>The MCA Prodcast</a>  |  <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/murphy-cobb-&amp;-associates/'>LinkedIn</a>  |  <a href='https://www.instagram.com/murphy.cobb.associates/'>Instagram</a> | <a href='mailto:prodcast@murphycobb.com'>Email</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy talks with &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-davies47'&gt;Steve Davies&lt;/a&gt;, Chief Executive at the Advertising Producers Association, the trade body for UK commercial production, editing, post production and music and sound design companies. The aim of the APA is to create the best possible business environment for its members, addressing challenges and connecting them with opportunities.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Steve’s career began in law where he was partner at a London law firm, before moving into Sports Television. His media/law crossover career saw him work on the first pay-per-view sports deal with Sky and even act as Mike Tyson’s lawyer, negotiating his entry to the UK with the then Home Secretary Jack Straw!&lt;br/&gt; &lt;br/&gt;Steve talks us through the changes he’s made at the APA to benefit their members; adding training, contractual advice, overseas marketing and business advice. Steve and Pat discuss the recent demise of Technicolour and Steve explains how the APA is trying to support its members by connecting those who lost jobs with new opportunities elsewhere. Steve also shared details of ‘Production Unplugged’, a new event hosted by the APA where brands can meet with potential production partners. The event is designed to build relationships, share knowledge, and drive real change in the industry. MCA is really proud to be sponsoring this event and you can &lt;a href='https://www.apaproductionunplugged.com/'&gt;find out more here&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Steve considers the changing production landscape and the evolving role of the producer. He argues that the producer role is often be misunderstood with a common perception being that they exist to service the needs to the director. Steve argues they are in fact a critical and valuable part of the creative process as properly understanding production is what allows magic to happen.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Most revealing is Steve&amp;apos;s insight into what clients truly want from production partners. Forget awards and director reels – brands want case study proof demonstrating how you’ve helped similar clients achieve concrete business goals. Steve believes it’s this shift in focus from creative execution to strategic partnership that will determine which production companies thrive in the coming years.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;See Steve’s favourite ad: &lt;a href='https://theprodcast.com/steve-davies#video'&gt;Stella Artois – Ice Skating Priests&lt;/a&gt;   &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hosted by &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickvincentmurphy/'&gt;Pat Murphy&lt;/a&gt; &lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;**The MCA Prodcast is now available on YouTube. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/@murphycobb2180'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Click here to Subscribe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;**&lt;/b&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://murphycobb.com/'&gt;Murphy Cobb &amp;amp; Associates &lt;/a&gt;|  &lt;a href='https://theprodcast.com/'&gt;The MCA Prodcast&lt;/a&gt;  |  &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/murphy-cobb-&amp;amp;-associates/'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;  |  &lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/murphy.cobb.associates/'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href='mailto:prodcast@murphycobb.com'&gt;Email&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;</description>

This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy talks with Steve Davies, Chief Executive at the Advertising Producers Association, the trade body for UK commercial production, editing, post production and music and sound design companies. The aim of the APA is to create the best possible business environment for its members, addressing challenges and connecting them with opportunities.   Steve’s career began in law where he was partner at a London law firm, before moving into Sports Television....

Steve Davies – Helping UK Advertising thrive in a changing world

Welcome to The MCA Prodcast. This is your fix for everything innovative in advertising production. On each episode MCA's founder and CEO Pat Murphy speaks to the movers and shakers who are driving the agenda and shaping the world of production for the future. He'll be asking searching questions about their views of what will be coming round the corner so brands can act smarter and with greater efficiency, to deliver outstanding creative campaigns. You'll hear who might be their best partners to deliver that for them across a multitude of channels and media types, and we might even hark back to some great old ads that have stood the test of time. 

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