Main Character Energy
A How-to for Producer Case Studies
The creative and innovation industries love a good case study. For one, many of us love to see behind-the-scenes peeks at how the best work was made—the decisions and thoughtful moments along the way to the end result. Also, and importantly, our biggest career moments and opportunities hinge on having case studies to show evidence of our capabilities, AKA what one can actually do by way of what one has done. There are some well-worn case study conventions for individual contributors from disciplines like design, engineering, or writing—and even strategy. Not so for Producers.
There are no standards from the Production discipline in a case study format. In fact, Producers most often represent for the team narrative because our work is generally considered to be the behind-the-scenes facilitation of a collective work product. Whereas a designer’s work product, for example, is clearly visible as the material deliverable—the thing inside the box—a Producer’s work product is the existence of the box itself, which isn’t always easy to explain or sexy to show. To make it even more difficult, a Producer’s skill is most expert when there is absence: absence of friction, of obstacles, delays, misalignment, of misses in general. For those reasons (and more), there are no established methods or norms for Producers to present their contributions as a driver of successful outcomes.
Having professional standards for case studies matters, not only for the benefit of the legion of career Producers in a brutal job market, but also for the industry recognition of a vital contributor/role. We have been working hard to get out the word, in conversations and with empirical data, about the incredible positive impact and importance of the Producer role. Our goal is to help the industry understand Producers as the linchpins that they are: leaders who strategically connect client and stakeholder partnership methods to the delivery of the work, provide leadership for teams, and act as sources of business intelligence.
Building on that, we want to further support the success of Producers around the world by establishing norms for the Producer Case Study. We’ve outlined here some of the core mindset shifts and tangible recommendations for Producers to adopt and implement into case studies that make for impactful portfolios:
1 Bring Main Character Energy
We have to shake off the Producer attitude that it’s not about us or what we did. When it comes to case studies, Producers need to surface the “I” alongside the “we” or “the team” or “they.” Producers have to learn how to show up and talk about the work with the presence and perspective of a protagonist.
We started using the term “main character energy” to describe this lens on Producer case studies thanks to the brilliant EP Emily Shen, who used the phrase in response to us encouraging more first-person language and direct ownership of what she did to enable a workstream’s successful outcomes. Producers need to own and communicate our role in delivering creative and innovative projects.
That means it’s essential for Producers to tease out the “I” when crafting and presenting a case study. I enabled. I created. I executed. I managed. I built. I negotiated. I resolved. Producers, it’s time we brag about what successful outcomes were enabled by our direct actions. We don’t have to be the silent sidekick anymore.
2 Believe everything is important
We need to dispel the persistent myth that some skills and responsibilities are more real and, thus, more substantial than others. There is no such thing as “intangible” actions or contributions. Many skills—such as relationship building, interpersonal, negotiation, leadership, crisis management—are often dismissed as “soft skills.” The consequences of this snubbing have far-reaching impacts, not only diminishing the skills’ recognized value, but also perpetuating the perception that if it’s invisible, it’s inconsequential. (This was part of NoCo’s motivation for creating and releasing a comprehensive matrix of Producer skills that includes a full career progression of all competencies, from project management to leadership.)
Producers should use the platform of a case study to represent the tangible outcomes that result from our less visible actions and less recognized skills. But we first have to recognize and believe for ourselves that the full range of our skills is important and significant. Yes, being a strategic thinker is just as important as your detailed project plan document.
3 Tell your secrets
Great Producers don’t just have meetings for the sake of it, keep detailed notes and fastidious project plans for our health, or pipe up with feedback on the work for funsies. There is a method to our madness—so we need to bring the methodology out into the light. Which means Producers need to develop the ability to describe and be willing to reveal what we did, how we did it, and even why.
That client meeting you orchestrated, facilitated, managed, and documented that clarified previous confusion and provided the team a successful path forward, leading to quick stakeholder approvals and a smooth launch—detail those approaches! That authentic human relationship you developed with the client that helped everyone overcome project challenges and brought the client back for another project— summarize how you did it! That iterative project plan you rigorously maintained daily to ensure a twisty-turvy project stayed on the rails (despite many changes and issues) and launched on time—reveal that magic!
It may take a bit of practice for some Producers to divulge what we work hard to obfuscate. We are conditioned (and sometimes even directly told) to shield our teams and clients from everything it takes to enable the work to happen. We are ever the duck, smooth and sleek skimming across the surface of the water while we’re paddling furiously under the water, against the current. Our case studies should be the snorkel gear that finally lets people in on the secret.
4 Establish a clear 1:1
With all that said, it’s not enough for Producers to merely say what we did, or even how and why we did it. Producers need to explicitly connect all our decisions, methods, thoughts, and actions to positive, successful results. Producers’ direct actions (or strategic inactions) create results that lead to successful moments or outcomes. And we need to be the ones to connect those dots.
Producers need to dig deep to understand and communicate the direct connection between what you individually and specifically did and the resulting successful outcome. It’s true that, for work to succeed, the design needs to be compelling, the strategy must be on point, the technology has to be high quality. But none of those aspects of the work matters if the project doesn’t see the light of day. This can happen for a whole host of reasons, including strategic misfires, team implosion, leadership misalignment, brand pivots, or the client/stakeholder relationship going south. While those challenges can negatively impact a successful end result, the absence of those issues often sits in the hands of Producers—a project/program artfully managed by a Producer will avoid or navigate issues that otherwise could have tanked it.
So, dear Producer, tell us: what exactly did you do that directly connects to a good, better, or best result?
5 Find your format
Producers need a case study format that best broadcasts our capabilities through examples of our outputs and actions. Here are some ideas for sections to include in an impactful, digestible Producer Case Study:
Brief summary (single-sentence description) of the program / account / project / team + client/brand. If your company or client needs to remain anonymous, succinctly describe what it is.
Example: Global sportswear brand’s digital store for upcoming autumn product line.
Example: Ongoing content delivery for regional grocery retailer marketing.
Key elements implemented and innovative approaches taken that highlight the integrated Producer role in action. Get specific, but don’t drown your audience in minutia and all the details.
Example: The templated workflows and processes I put in place allowed the team to deliver more content than ever before at a rapid pace and increasing demand.
Critical features of the structure, infrastructure, and/or role that enabled and informed your success as the Producer. The things that can influence a Producer’s impact are: access to or ability to wield power; autonomy—whether intentional or unintentional; a clearly defined integrated Producer role; a strong client relationship; etc.
Example: The trust I built with the client in the prior engagement, in addition to the understanding our team already had of their business, allowed us to quickly land approval for the best concept.
Successful outcomes as a result of the elements in place and approaches enacted. Be explicit about the impact of your efforts. This can include: the volume/scale/speed of work created; the impact of the work with audience/for brand or product; revenue and/or profit margin; growth of account or ongoing work from client, etc.
Example: The workstream I led increased audience engagement with the brand by 64% and increased sales conversion by 47% in the first year.
We hope this inspires Producers at all career stages to dust off project plans, Gantt charts, client communications, and to-do lists to see what you really contributed and to make new case studies. Share them widely—especially with us so we can celebrate all the important and impactful work you’ve done!
