Creative, media and production ran on different models region by region, with production sitting inside the agencies and no visibility of mark-ups or bid economics. A newly formed global marketing organisation needed one model — but could not compare costs or reward outcomes across 40+ markets.
VA built one governed operating model with outcome-aligned remuneration and decoupled production, selected through an independently scored global pitch and held in place by bid governance and reconciliation — so the value promised at selection was actually banked.
CMO, Head of Media, Head of Creative Production, Head of Marketing Procurement
The strategic problem
Creative and media ran on different models in different regions, production sat with the agencies with no financial transparency, and incentives rewarded activity rather than outcomes; a new global marketing organisation needed one model across over 40 markets. The agency-led structure meant the brand could not see mark-ups or compare bids, and speed-to-market varied widely by region.
Diagnose & Design
VA ran a marketing & production ecosystem audit across creative, media and production models region by region, spend mapping & cost baseline analysis to make mark-ups and production costs visible for the first time, a gap & maturity assessment that exposed where the agency-led structure was concealing bid variance, and independent market benchmarking to price each operating-model option; scenario modelling & forecast simulation then costed the decoupling business case, and governance design (RACI, KPI framework) gave the new global marketing organisation the accountability structure it needed before any partner decision was taken.
Ecosystem & Remuneration
Partner ecosystem design and roster rationalisation structured a global pitch that tested holding-company and best-of-breed options against a single defined scope; pitch & tender management (AURA/Scoring Model, AURA/Strategic Mapping Expectation) delivered independent, end-to-end evaluation – longlist to economics – and consistent scoring across creative, media and production; remuneration model design introduced a common remuneration system with incentives aligned to business outcomes and fee benchmarking & validation via AURA/FRC (Fulltime Ratecard Calculator) on finalists; production was decoupled from creative – the brand contracts production directly, the agency retains creative oversight – and scoping & SOW design formalised the decoupled model in binding agreements.
Rollout & relationship management
Contracting & onboarding secured the new model across all regions on harmonised payment terms; AURA/Planner back-planned the rollout to the two key go-live dates and handover, rollout & commitment tracking verified that every commercial and operational commitment from the multi-stage, independently scored selection was reflected in live operations; VA’s relationship management ran through the full transition, preventing the regional drift that had fragmented the previous model.
Execution Oversight
Bid governance (triple/double/direct award) and production cost validation replaced agency-led discretion with a cross-regional framework; AURA/BMT (Budget Management Template) tracked all production bids end to end; briefing & estimate review intercepted mark-up inflation before approval; usage rights, talent & licensing management was embedded in the decoupled production workflow; and wrap & final reconciliation confirmed realised savings against the pre-consolidation baseline, closing the gap that had made mark-ups invisible.
Performance Measurement
KPIs defined in governance design are tracked via partner performance evaluation on a 90/180/360 appraisal cadence, ensuring consistent speed-to-market, full bid visibility and outcome-aligned incentives are sustained, not just achieved at launch; cost saving and cost avoidance are reported separately (today AURA delivers closure reports; full performance measurement is on the roadmap). Illustrative: 20% saving on agency fees plus production and media, 12% cost avoidance on competitively re-bid production, 30% roster consolidation.
Why VA
Consolidation is easy to announce and hard to bank; a global pitch without decoupling and reconciliation simply transfers opacity from one structure to another. VA ties the new model to outcome-aligned remuneration, decoupled production, bid governance and reconciliation – so the global organisation actually realises the saving it was promised.
Common questions
What does decoupling production from creative mean?
It means the brand contracts production directly while the agency keeps creative oversight, so production costs and mark-ups become visible and can be competitively bid — rather than being bundled inside an agency-led structure the client cannot see into.
How does outcome-aligned remuneration change agency incentives?
Fees are tied to business outcomes rather than volume of activity and validated on finalists with a ratecard calculator, so partners are rewarded for effectiveness and speed rather than for doing more work — and the commercial model stays defensible to Finance.
How is the value realised, not just announced?
Bid governance, line-by-line production cost validation and a final reconciliation against the pre-consolidation baseline confirm the numbers in day-to-day execution, and a 90/180/360 performance cadence keeps speed-to-market and bid visibility from slipping after launch.