IPA Future of Creative Services

I recently attended the IPA, Future of Creative Services Debate http://creativeservicesuk.blogspot.com/. A great deal of the evening was given over to Phil Nunn (Executive Media Director, TBWA\London) and Andy Fowler (Executive Creative Director Brothers & Sisters) who both had some interesting things to say about what it is that agencies produce and are likely to produce in the future.

The actual debate was all too short and revolved around the question of what roles do people in creative services play in this multi channel world we work in and what they should be called?   I'm not sure it entirely matters what you call someone as long as their role is defined and understood.  Andrew Dobbs from the The Talent Business somewhat agreed maintaining that each agency has different requirements and demands.  A small agency can have a Project Manager who is hands on for everything, now deemed to be a Super Producer, something that the large agencies seem to be demanding.  I wonder though whether this is actually a case of multi channel demands affecting big agency working?  My discussions afterwards with one or two people in big agencies seemed to reflect this.  If you are in a small agency with just a handful of accounts it's easier to become a Super Producer than if you are working on a two handful's of accounts that are global as well as multi channel.   

Years ago when I moved from JWT to a small business-to-business agency, I had to become a Super Producer of sorts, as I no longer had departments that did art buying, production buying, typography and print buying.  Luckily though having worked closely with those departments over the years I had a good grasp of what was needed to get the job done.  And this is where I agree with Tim Bath (CSD of AMV) who likened a PM in an advertising agency to one on a building site. They don't have to be able to lay bricks, but they certainly need to know a good man that can!